The question ‘to DSLR or not’ is one of the most commonly posed by consumers.
Is the size and weight of a Nikon D5000 a big issue? Due to their lens mounts and internal mirrors, DSLRs are simply bigger and heavier than most compacts or superzoom cameras. If you want a camera you can slip in a pocket or a small bag, then a compact or a superzoom is the best choice.
Do you want complete control over all the settings? Many compacts and superzooms offer manual modes, but most are restricted in what they’ll let you do or achieve. Some settings may only be available under certain conditions, and the longest exposures may be less than a minute. Aperture priority modes on compacts may let you change their f-numbers, but they have such a large depth-of-field to start with that popular out-of-focus background techniques on portraits are difficult or even impossible to achieve.
If you want the maximum control over your camera’s settings, demand shallow depth-of-field effects, or require long exposures for special effects or astro-photography, a DSLR or Micro Four Thirds camera is the only way to go.
