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A "normal" digital camera is a point and shoot camera while an SLR camera has a mirror system and interchangeable lenses. Please don't listen to Nestea; he's incorrect on most points.

Here's the scoop:

1) An SLR camera uses a mirror and prism system to view images through a viewfinder, while a point and shoot digital uses the LCD screen on the back of the camera.

* The viewfinder is superior, as you get more resolution and you're looking at the actual light coming from the subject, not a small, smeary LCD screen.

2) SLRs have sensors which are physically much larger. This means better image quality, especially in low light. By way of comparison: if a point and shoot sensor is the size of dime, the SLR sensor would be like the size of a half-dollar coin. This means that even with a lower megapixel count, an SLR sensor can still outperform a point and shoot sensor with a larger mp count.

3) Focusing/handling. The SLR uses phase detection focusing, which is a fancy way of saying it's a fast autofocusing system, while a point and shoot digital uses contrast detection focusing, which is accurate but very slow. Thus, for photoshoots, where time is money, an SLR is much better because it's quicker to focus and operate.

4) Size: Because SLRs have bigger sensors, the lenses and bodies must be designed accordingly. This makes SLRs generally bigger and heavier, while non-SLR digitals can be smaller.

5) Interchangeable lenses: Because SLRs have interchangeable lenses, a photographer can pick a lens optimized for a specific situation. On a point and shoot digital, you're stuck forever with whatever lens is on the camera, even if it's the wrong lens for the situation.

6) Flash systems: SLRs have very good flash systems and/or can take additional "through the lens" flashes that meter the flash exposure to be consistent and accurate. IN many cases, multiple flashes can be wirelessly controlled from an SLR. Point and shoots do not have this level of sophistication and often cause red-eye because the flash is too close to the lens.

7) Low-light capability: for available light shooting in low light, SLRs have a distinct advantage due to the larger sensor.

Do SLRs take better photos? Absolutely! In the right hands they will certainly take better photos. Even in the wrong hands, an SLR is more likely to get a properly exposed photo, even if it's a poorly composed one. Certainly, an SLR is going to be faster and more responsive to the photographer as well, which can be important for an spontaneous, once-in-a-lifetime shot.

A digital slr, or single lens reflex camera, and the point and shoot digital camera is much different. There are many things to point out in terms of difference. The obvious things you will notice.

Digital SLRs

* They're obviously bigger

* They look more professional

* They have different sorts of lenses ( they don't extend from the body, but are mounted outside of it, and you can change them )

* They have a much larger price tag

Point And Shoots

* They are small, and pocket sized

* don't look at all professional

* have fixed lenses, and they are usually fixed focus ( meaning a depth of field canon be acheived.

* Have a cheaper price tag.

* You can tele-convert the lens ( in some cameras ), but you can't change it all-together.

Technical Difference:

DSLR

* resolution, although some of the cameras, like the d40, are only six megapixels, whereby some of the point and shoots are like 8 or ten, it make plenty difference in practise ( the six megapixel is better, because it is a slr )

*Manual functions, you can tottaly compose a shot, and tract everything, whereby you can't do this on most little cameras.

yours Sincerely

Nathan Grammatico

A compact digital camera is commony know as a level and shoot. And that's precisely that. that's meant to be compact so that you'll factor it and shoot it without doing something. An SLR has each thing anybody suggested because it provide the photographer the means to be certain the digital camera in a thanks to apply their ability and information to achieve the most ideal shot, by technique of putting apart or exaggerating an element contained in the scene. operating example I noted one the position a white horse stands out over a stormy container. The photographer over uncovered the movie somewhat to make the horse a lot brighter than the container. If he did it with a compact, the automated meter contained in the digital camera could have made the filed lighter and the horse darker, nighttime out at a uninteresting gray. it can have also concentrated on the grass, leaving the horse out of concentration.

To put it simply, compared to compact digitals, DSLR cameras have:

-larger digital sensors, so the image quality is higher.

-no shutterlag, so you capture the moment, and not the moment after.

-interchangeable lenses, so your camera's vision can match your creative one.

-room to grow, so your equipment can evolve to match your growing skills and interest.

-manual settings, so you are not a slave to the automated choices made by someone in the product design department.

Yes, you can take pretty good, or even great photos with some of the quality point & shoot digital cameras on the market. Many of them have high megapixel counts and wide optical zoom ranges.

But when the image is not an afterthought, when quality is most important, when "I can't do it" is not an acceptable answer to a photographic challenge - a DSLR is the choice.

What do fashion, sports, news, and other professionals use? A DSLR, of course.

What are more and more ordinary people choosing to record those moments of their lives? The answer is the same.

With costs dropping (you can get a quality DSLR for under $450), the only reason for getting a smaller digital camera is if you really want something compact to carry in your pocket.

I'd rather bring my DSLR, if possible.

I'll add that a huge difference of digital point & shoots and a DSLR is the image sensor size.

The image sensor is the digital equivalent to film.

The sensor in a point & shoot cameras range from 4.5 x 3.4 mm to 8.8 x 6.6 mm where as the sensor in a DSLR ranges from 23.7 x 15.6 mm to 36 x 24 mm. 36 x 24 mm is the same size as full frame film.

When you have an 8mp point & shoot and an 8mp DSLR, you have to cram the same amount of pixels onto a sensor 1/5th the size when you use a point & shoot. This will literally make your image noisy when you go above 8mp.

By "SLR" do you mean a digital single lens reflex camera? If so...

A digital SLR uses interchangeable lenses, and larger sensors than "normal" (i.e. point & shoot, if that's what you mean by "normal") cameras. Better quality images and more flexibility. Another difference is price, although DLSRs are coming down some.

I believe you meant to ask, "What is the difference between point and shoots and SLR's?"

The answer is simple... with SLR's you have more control over the camera.

wow, u people are stupid.... just answer the question.

don't criticize his/her knowledge of cameras.

you dont have to be smart to own a SLR....

a SLR is a point and shoot as well, the difference between normal cameras and SLR is that the SLR cameras are much more clear in pictures, faster and better in every way,its practically impossible to get a blurry picture with a SLR.

downside of SLR cameras

-- big,

--- lenses are stupid and you need to know a lot about them.

--dont have a viewfinder

---BIG

normal cameras-- With Sigma,, you have no compromises, they made the first SLR powered camera. look it up. its pretty much cheaper than a SLR and the same in performance. in the size of a pocket camera.

I would say if you do not know the difference already, you don't need to even worry about DSLR cameras.

Find a good Canon point-n-shoot camera - A-500 series are nice. You will never notice the difference.