Many point and shoot users aspire to become SLR users some day. The point at which to make the move is a point of confusion for most. The reason mostly being the commitment, both financial and technical that an SLR takes. This article is to list out some reasons that shouldn’t motivate you to make the switch. That is, these are the wrong reasons that you would be going to an SLR for.

One major difference between SLR users and a point and shoot user is that the p&s user has not been bothered about the technical of photography, even things like ISO and aperture may intermediate him, but he has keen interest in photography. Even though DSLR’s have very power automatic modes that is not the only way to use them.

1. You do not know what is Aperture , DOF or anything of the like but you feel and SLR can take better photographs on auto mode:- They sure will give you much better results using their powerful processor and better sensor, but as  said before if you would benefit more if you would spend the money on a photography class before you invest in an SLR.
2. They give better zooms with no modifications as they have a huge lens:- This is a very common misconception, that the kit lens of a DSLR give the capacity to zoom a lot. The lens on an DSLR is huge because they have larger sensors and only large lens can provide the equivalent light. In point and shoot terms the zoom factor  of the kit lens is usually just 3x or 4x. If you are switching cameras just for better zoom and you dont have a lot of cash to spend then its always better to invest in a Bridge or a super zoom. DSLR’s are commitments they need to be maintained and they also need a lot more accessories in terms of lens, filters etc to give better performance. To get the equivalent of 10x zoom you will need to use more than one lens in most conditions(there are exceptions). In the world of SLR its not how many x the zoom is, it is the angle of view.
3. I am not that much of a photo freak, but i want to take stunning photographs on my vacation:- You would have seen many tourists walking around with huge cameras, this must have instilled an urge to do the same on your vacation. The simple answer to this is its just a shear waste of money, space and time. DSLR’s are huge and heavy they aslo cost a lot of money. When on travel you will always benefit from a point and shoot that will fit in your pocket. Until or unless you are really into photography, as in ,you understand the intricate technicalities and you will cherish the photograph more than any thing from the trip don’t take an DSLR with you. There are people who travel to photograph places, that gives them immense pleasure and some also make money from these photographs. If you enjoy being at the place and  spending time there then you will be better off with a normal p&s than a DSLR.
4. I want an all in one that takes photo and videos at the same time :-  Here again the DSLR is not for you only very few models support video. Those are the higher end models and they cost a lot may be twice as much as a camcorder and a point and shoot put together. Video mode on the higher end DSLR’s produce stunning quality due to their powerful processing engine and thier significantly larger sensor, plus the ability to use different lens, but even with all these advantages you would be better off buying a dedicated camcorder and a p&s if its just about getting the moment. If you are really into photography and you appreaciate the better qualtiy and flexibilty such devices provide then it justifies the investment. If that is not the case there is no point in this investment. Again as a proffesional vediographer you would be using a proffesional video camera and not an SLR. So vedio on a DSLR is more of a bonus than a  feature and an expensive bonus at that.
5. I need a DSLR to learn Photography:-  That is a very wrong notion, you do not need an SLR to learn photography. The basics steps like framing, composition and all take a long time to learn and they can be learnt from any point and shoot camera itself. Only after a long way into learning photography do you need the option of having advance setting so as to fine tune your picture. Remember its finetuning and not tuning in. The basic tuning in is what should be mastered first and this requires nothing more than a basic point and shoot.

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