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Which one should I buy, an Action Camera or a DSLR?

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Life is an adventurous journey of sweet memories and rollercoaster rides. Do we sound right when putting action cameras against DSLRs? Do action cameras stand in the same league as DSLR? What’s the best option for you? The social culture embraces the frisky action moments captured on camera. We can say the action-based moments is the new sweet, romantic trend of society. Technology is getting on with life moving in the fast lane. We depict things as how they happen. The popularity aspect of action cameras says a lot about the mental approach at work, home, and social circles. It’s about the action. Never? It’s about finding relief in capturing moments as they reveal themselves to us. There is no glory chased, beautification craved, long after the event is over. Isn’t it beautiful? We agree the editing part is always there. The raw nature of footage freezes us for as long as it could.

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We should inform upfront the action cameras are not a replacement or substitute for DSLRs. They both have specific functions keeping the requirements into account. The question of comparison comes into existence when people pick a single gadget for multiple purposes and put themselves in an awkward situation to justify the decision. Take the case of still images and videos. These are two different categories.

GoPro 7 Black - one of the well known Action Camera
Action Camera – GoPro Hero 7 Black

Action Cameras vs DSLR: Contemporary or Experimental

What kind of a person you’re? Your lifestyle would help you to pick between action cameras and DSLR. Travel photographers, be it enthusiasts or professionals, rely on DSLR for image quality. One of the reasons for finding the right camera is about honing the skills. Do you want to learn or live the experience? It’s the question you need to ask yourself. The line that separates action cameras from DSLR is the kind of experience you want to have. Those who expect complete control, manual adjustments and enhanced image quality have a concrete option in front of them. They want things to get as real as possible. Carrying a DSLR on a journey is about learning the art of photography.

On the other side, action cameras enable you to live the action as it unfolds. The popularity of action cameras points towards changing priorities, and changing lifestyles. We can begin with the ease factor these tiny cameras bring to the table. You don’t need to possess technical skills or know-how. What a boon! Mount the camera on the surface and start recording or capturing things for fun. It doesn’t interfere with your experience. What a relief it is.

When in a debate or discussion, we need to play the part of both sides at different times. We cannot put the image quality up against the ones taken with a DSLR. We’ve already mentioned it’s not about comparison. DSLRs come up with different lenses, and added accessories, and it means a lot of extra weight on the shoulders and pocket too.

Action Cameras vs DSLR: Performance or Priority

Modern culture encourages and rewards doers. The corporate and social media scene prefers doing business with individuals who add a dash of thrill, and adventure to things. The experimental nature of photographs or videos is the current trend. The Smartphone revolution has engineered the change. People have become expressive with mobile cameras. They’re making things happen. Action cameras have an advantage over DSLR in the video section. They bring a lot of creativity, liberty, and industry-breaking rules to practice. 

Action cameras beat DSLR in terms of size, mobility and narrow angles it could penetrate. The exciting bit is these cameras bring the inner artist alive in each one of us. You need to do what you’re best at and let the action camera record things. People who love extreme sports, mountaineering and other related activities have got a lot of scopes to see their efforts bearing fruit for them, if not for the world. A person using an action camera considers itself the audience. They don’t look for approval or confirmation at any stage. It’s different from DSLRs. There are a lot of expectations, both known and unknown, associated with it.

The phenomenal rise of action cameras suggests a few things: Liberty, walking away from the industry-set rules, breaking the accepted social version of entertainment. It all comes down to the fact that we’ve been looking through the same lens for a very long time. Do we need to sit behind and look through the lens when the action is carried out in front?  Action cameras take us as participants, not spectators.

Picking between action cameras and DSLRs is a matter of convenience, and priority. We’re talking about two different categories of cameras. The young audience would always pick action cameras based on taste and culture they belong. They like to experiment with things, live in the moment. Take the example of smartphones. They love them because it puts the whole world in their palms. The same is what has happened with action cameras. They can get quality images, time-lapse videos, fast editing, and exceptional video quality.

Action Cameras Win in the following:

  • Very lightweight – A GoPro (action camera) weighs just about 80 grams. No need for carrying multiple lenses.
  • Very much suitable for amateur photographers. No need for learning complex settings.
  • Water-resistant – The best part about action cameras.
  • No more waiting to capture a moving object or while you are performing some actions. The best part about GoPro is, it supports hypersmooth stabilization.
  • Long durability – GoPro is wrapped in a rubber case so you don’t have to care about accidental slippages.

DSLRs Win in the following:

  • The best camera for wildlife photography.
  • Make use of manual settings like aperture, shutter speed, and ISO for advanced photography.
  • Battery life is far better when compared to action cameras.
  • If you are a professional photographer, you may not like small handheld devices.

The Verdict:

Action cameras, DSLRs, both belong to a different set of artists.

The future of action cameras is bright. DSLRs are the safest bet for photography professionals. The entertainment world has space and scope for content produced using either of the two cameras. The vision of the artist would justify how accurate it was in deciding whether to go with an action camera or DSLR. Their vision or philosophy would decide which camera is the right option. It depends on the nature of the content, theme, resources, and taste. There’s no comparison between DSLRs and action cameras. They both belong to different set of artists. These artists make decisions based on merits and use both in conjunction with one another. You could know a whole lot about cameras and other trendings news on Hotrate.

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