blown dSLR; they do have electronic viewfi nders and live view
capabilities using their rear screen, which may swivel, a bit like a video
camera. Bridge cameras are bigger and heavier than compacts and
often look a lot like a small dSLR. A lot of people like bridge cameras,
but I am not a fan. They are too bulky to substitute for compact
cameras as carry-anywhere tools; electronic viewfi nders are a poor
substitute for the optical viewfi nders found on dSLRs, and they still
use very small sensors and non-interchangeable zoom lenses. Their
only saving graces, in my view, are their relatively low cost and dust
sealing.
With true dSLRs falling in price, the serious photographer would
be well advised to give bridge cameras a miss and instead buy an
entry-level dSLR for microstock use. In the long run, it will probably
make life a lot easier.
DIGITAL SLRs
Now we’re talking—the big daddy of the digital world is the dSLR
(Figure 6.6). The fi rst commercially available dSLR was the 1.3-MP
Kodak DCS-100 launched at Photokina in 1991. Kodak remained a
leader in the production of professional dSLRs until the early 21st
century, and although its last dSLRs (the Kodak SLR/n Nikon mount
and SLR/c Canon mount 13.5-MP models) ceased production in 2005
in the face of heavy competition from Nikon, Canon, Olympus, and
other traditional camera makers, it still designs and fabricates sensors
FIGURE 6.5 A chunky little bridge
camera. This is also (like every other photo in
this book) a microstock shot. Note how all
brand identifi cation has been carefully
removed, an essential prerequisite for any
microstock shot. © Mark Hayes/iStockphotoTHE BEST DIGITAL CAMERA FOR YOU 109