Digital Camera Anatomy

Photographers who have used 35mm film SLRs will mostly feel right at home with a digital SLR. The basic ergonomics, body design and control placement of most digital SLRs is quite similar to their film-based siblings. The buttons and dials used for attaching a lens, changing shutter speeds and apertures, checking depth of field and setting focus and exposure metering on D-SLRs remain basically unchanged from familiar 35mm camera body designs.

Of course, new digital features change some of the landscape, particularly on the back of the camera, where the LCD now takes considerable space. And with the digital features, new buttons and controls are added to provide quick access to them.

Camera manufacturers have made a determined effort to simplify the transition from film to digital SLRs by making as many of the frequently used digital settings accessible without sifting through menus on the LCD. And they’ve made improvements to the LCD-based menus as well. Today’s typical D-SLR, while loaded with sophisticated technologies, is designed to be rather intuitive in use for the experienced film photographer.