I have traveled a bit and always seem to come back with pictures that just didn’t have the quality I wanted. It was time for a new camera. That’s when I realized I had no idea about cameras and needed some help.

A DSLR and an SLT digital camera are closely-related relatives but there are definite differences. ‘SLT’ indicates single lens translucent. The ‘translucent’ part is what makes the key difference between SLTs and DSLRs. An SLR has a mirror like a DSLR but it is a mirror that allows most of the light to go right through to the light sensor. In a DSLR, the mirror needs to swing out of the path to let the exposure occur.

In an SLT, the mirror is fixed in place. What this means is that the mirror in an SLT is constantly reflecting some amount of light from your rear of the lens and onto an AF array that is fitted in the camera top. Some people think that an SLT offers considerable image quality advantages over a DSLR. The SLT cameras are still being introduced, so the jury continues to be out on that matter.

The big advantages of an SLT-style camera are highlighted below:
•    Much less of a delay between pushing the button and the picture being shot
•    Much quicker autofocus, makes for better images
•    Phase detection autofocus takes place even during the exposure
•    Phase detection autofocus can take place in live view and even during recording of video

The major disadvantages of SLT are:
•    Higher cost and much more weight
•    Bigger camera size
•    Less light gets to the sensor

DSLRs are still the most common cameras by far. Their main advantages are:
•    No camera shake because the mirror moves
•    Viewfinder isn’t blacked out whenever you take picture
•    Short shutter lag
•    You can adjust exposure, white balance along with other things in the viewfinder

DSLR negatives include:
•    Less light gets to the sensor
•    Your refresh rate is cut down due to the amount of time it takes the sensor to create the picture
•    Over a long time, the mirror area may get dirty. This can cause your mirror to scatter light and it can make the picture of lower quality.

The SLT is a new technology and currently only Sony is producing SLT cameras. We believe we will start to see more SLT cameras produced in the next two years.