A DSLR, or digital single-lens reflex camera, is a camera with the optics and mechanisms of an SLR, or single-lens reflex camera, and the digital imaging capabilities of a digital camera. DSLR cameras are one of the most popular types of cameras on the market because they capture professional-quality images but are relatively simple to use.
Understanding DSLR vs Mirrorless Cameras
To understand how a DSLR camera works (and why they are so popular), it is necessary to first understand how its predecessor, the SLR camera, works.
You may have seen a DSLR camera before and not even realized it. These are the film cameras that were popular in the mid to late 90s. They consist of a camera body to which interchangeable lenses can be added. These lenses can vary depending on the type of image a photographer wants to capture. Unlike today's digital cameras, photographers had to load a roll of film into the camera body before they could take pictures.
Once the film was loaded, the camera operated on a reflex design. Light traveled through the camera lens to a mirror that reflected the image the camera was focused on to a pentaprism, which directed the exact image to a viewfinder.
