Parts of a DSLR Camera (Full List In Detail)

DSLR cameras are the most famous cameras all over the world, and they stay among the first choices by both beginners and professionals. They are known as cameras that have a lot of settings and lots of features.

First of all, I would like to mention what DSLR means. As some of you may already know, DSLR stands for Digital Single Lens Reflex.

Digital stands for the sensor, single-lens means that the camera uses one only lens for different particular operations, and reflex stands for the system of the mirror in the camera.

Parts of a DSLR Camera

The system of a DSLR camera has two most important things! The camera body and the lens. Still, the full camera body of a DSLR camera has many things to talk about.

As mentioned above, DSLR cameras have many things included, and they are indeed uncountable! However, firstly I would like to mention some of the most important things, which include:

Viewfinder

Just as the name tells, a viewfinder is one of the most important parts of a camera. It shows exactly what is going to be photographed.

Most DSLR cameras have optical TTL (through the lens) viewfinders, which basically allow you to look through the lens and every DSLR viewfinder is very precise.

LCD Screen

LCD stands for Liquid Crystal Display. Simply put, it is the display of the camera, in which you are able to see what you have captured and how does it look as a final thing.

The LCD screen on a DSLR camera has one important job. Whatever you want to do on your camera, the pictures, the settings, whatever is needed, it is shown on the LCD screen.

Mirror

The mirror is basically the thing that makes a DSLR camera differ from a mirrorless one!

The mirror’s job is to “guide” or direct the light from the lens into the viewfinder. It does a click once you take the picture.

That click is the movement of the mirror on your DSLR camera.

Lens

Without a lens, you basically are taking a black picture.

A lens brings light to a fixed focal point and it allows you to control the amount of light that is coming at your camera. Lenses can be adjusted in many ways.

The lenses that can be used with DSLR cameras are a lot in number, and all of them work perfectly fine. For example, you can use wide-angle, fixed, zoom, whatever you may need!

Sensor

A sensor in a camera is added to receive the information that comes from the viewfinder and the lens The sensor is the main part that turns that information into an image.

There are two main types of sensors that a DSLR camera works with. CCD charge-coupled device, and CMOS complementary-metal-oxide semiconductor. You may have mostly heard about the CMOS one since it is the most commonly used.

Flash

Almost every new DSLR camera has a built-in flash which comes out as a pop-up.

For example, if you are using your camera in automatic mode, it fires fully automatically and brightens the scene. Especially if you are shooting in darker environments, it works perfectly fine.

Besides having a built-in flash, you can also add an external flash or otherwise, known as a speedlite. There are different choices and everything works great.

Mode Dial

Hence the name, the mode dial in a DSLR camera helps you change the mode that you are shooting or taking a picture of.

In most DSLR cameras you will find the mode dial as a wheel, and it is very easy to be adjusted.

Shutter Release Button

What is the shutter release button? Well, basically on a DSLR camera, and in every camera, without the shutter release button, you cannot take a picture.

This button is placed in the top right of the camera and it is easy to be reached and used of course.

Other Important Things That a DSLR Camera Owns

Besides some of the main important things that a camera owns some other things deserve to be mentioned and they are important as well.

Buttons

There are some important buttons that will help you use the camera in the best way possible. Those buttons include:

• Lens Release Button
• Delete Button
• Playback Button
• Video Button
• Auto/Manual Focus Button

Inputs and SD Card Slot

Different DSLR cameras have different inputs, that in another way are called auxiliary inputs. They are used in order to connect your camera with a computer, and they help you connect it via an HDMI cable.

When it comes to the SD cards, you know that some new cameras have memory built-in, but in my opinion, the slots were and will always be the most believable ones! Jokes aside, the most used SD cards in DSLR cameras are the full-sized ones.

Another alternative is XQD cards, which are usually smaller than traditional sd cards.

Hotshoe

Above I mentioned that DSLR cameras work perfectly fine with external flashes. Well, a hot shoe is a place in which the flash stays. Every DSLR camera has a hot shoe.

What is important to mention about the hot shoe, is that it owns some sensors, and with the help of them, the camera is in full contact with the accessory that is added.

Baseplate

Tripods are one of the most important accessories that are used with any type of camera. Well, they are used with DSLRs as well.

A baseplate is kind of a hole that is found in the bottom part of a camera. It allows easy adjustments when you have to mount your camera on a tripod and once mounted, it stays strong in place.

Final Words

Here we came at the end of this article. I would really like to mention that DSLR cameras are really the most popular cameras all over the world, and they indeed deserve that name.

A DSLR camera has amazing features, and most importantly it is very easy to be used. What may confuse you a bit is that it has many things, but still, I tried to explain them in the easiest way possible and I really hope that you will find what you are asking for.

Enjoy!