So consumers were out using their digital SLRs and point-and-shoots to immortalize their time and space whatever distance they went.

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SLRs still are doing well, with shipments forecast to grow 18% this year to 16.76 million units world-wide, according to IDC.

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Another virtue of full-frame digital SLRs is that, provided they have similar mounts, you can use lenses designed for 35mm cameras.

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Most everyone has gone digital, with digital SLRs or point-and-shoots.

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They can record video clips for 29 minutes and 59 seconds at a time, a marked improvement from the 12-minute limitations on many Canon SLRs, including the 5D Mark II and video-capable Rebel cameras.

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While the quality of mirrorless cameras can be close to that of low-end SLR cameras, premium model SLRs still offer greater photo quality because they have larger image sensors and have features that are important to professional photographers.

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Apart from the arrival of less pricey full-frame digital SLRs, the other recent development that has impressed your correspondent is the way imaging chips are migrating from CCD (charge-coupled device) technology to CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor), used widely in the computer industry.

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Most SLRs disappointed me.

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