The best upgrade to a digital point and shoot camera that isn't a digital SLR camera

There are many different types of point and shoot digital cameras available on the market that range from the very cheap, costing way under a hundred bucks, right through to the very expensive that can cost up to a thousand bucks. When it comes to digital point and shoot cameras you really do get what you pay for and the more you spend the better the camera and the more features it will have.

Basic point and shoot cameras are fully automatic and all you can do is point the camera at the subject and press the shutter, hence the name “point and shoot”. Point and shoot cameras are great for snapshots but if you want to take more creative photographs you are going to need a digital camera that offers a bit more control over the exposure.

In order to get more creative photographs you are going to need to have the ability to change lenses, have control over the aperture, have control over the shutter speed, have control over the white balance, have control over the ISO level and have control over aspect ratios. Many people think the only cameras that offer these features are digital SLR cameras, which are big, bulky, expensive and only good for professional use. However, this is not the case.

Fortunately, there are some alternative cameras to digital SLR cameras that offer the same features as digital SLR cameras. These cameras allow you total control over the aperture, the shutter speed, the ISO and the white balance. These digital cameras also allow you to select different lenses for different shooting scenarios, which allow you to be even more creative. Arguably, the best thing about these cameras is that they are the same size as a standard point and shoot camera and far smaller and lighter than a digital SLR camera.

So, what are these miracle digital cameras that are the best alternative to digital SLR cameras? The answer to this is the compact system camera or “CSC”, which is often referred to as micro 4/3 cameras. There are a handful of micro 4/3 cameras and the most popular ones are the Olympus EPL, Samsung NX200, the Sony NEX-5, the Nikon V1 and the Panasonic GF3. All of these cameras are excellent and are capable of producing some stunning images and you won’t be disappointed owning any of them.

The micro 4/3 camera is the perfect upgrade for point and shoot camera users who want to take their digital photography to the next level and do not want to carry a big, bulky and heavy digital SLR camera. Because of the relatively large sensors used in micro 4/3 cameras the image quality of these cameras is excellent and almost the same as that of entry level digital SLR cameras, like the Canon EOS1000 and the Nikon D3100.