Digicams vs. DSLRs

No sooner does is one battle over than another begins. Just a few years ago it was between film and silicon. Now the latest punch-up is between DSLRs and digicams. What you say? Digicams? Get a life!
No, actually, this competition is quite real. One couldn't have said so as little as 12 months ago, but the game has changed (as it does rather quickly these days), and so a fresh look at these two distinct camera categories is in order — with a summer 2004 perspective.
Strange World — Toronto, April, 2004
Minolta A2 @ 20.5mm (85mm equiv). ISO 64.

The Contenders
The primary difference between digicams and DSLRs is in the means of viewing the scene. Digicams use a video screen, either an LCD or an Electronic Viewfinder (EVF), or both. DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) by definition have optical viewfinders, usually consisting of a instant-return mirror and a pentaprism. Other differences include chip size. Most DSLRs use an imaging chip roughly the size of an APS film frame at...