A digital single lens reflex or dslr camera is a camera with an internal mirror and prism system this system is used to direct the light from the lens up to the viewfinder that you look through to compose the image i appreciate this may sound a little opaque so let me break it down a bit all digital cameras essentially work in the same way first light is collected and focused by a lens . Its intended to be a brief a one stop shop to help you take your camera off auto and take control of your dslr it isnt intended to be a replacement for your camera manual so will not explain every last setting in great depth but will cover enough of the basics to get you in control of your camera and give you the key topics to go back to your manual to read. A digital single lens reflex camera dslr or digital slr is a type of camera that delivers high end image quality and is widely used by amateurs and professionals alike a dslr camera allows you to see a live view of the image youre shooting directly through the optical viewfinder the lcd screen allowing you to visualize and capture your scenes better . Dont worry weve got your dslr basics covered in this article well tell you all you need to know to understand your first camera grab your camera and your cameras manual and lets get started note i will be using my two nikon cameras to illustrate this article dont worry if youre using a canon or different brand though