DSLR is the new iPod

At first I thought it was just a fad. Or maybe, just pure coincidence that I chance upon some people carrying this bulky item hanging around their neck. Until I realize, it’s becoming a phenomenon. More and more people I know (and even people I don’t know) now have it. More and more are aspiring to have it. More and more are getting their hands on their very own DSLR Camera. DSLR is indeed, the new iPod. Let me explain.

iPod is simply a portable digital music player, an evolution of the previous generation’s Walkman. But more than a digital music player, iPod stands for something else, iPod is this generation’s sign of “cool.” Not that everyone likes music but everyone likes the device. You have it, you’re “cool”, you belong. And true enough, almost everywhere you go, it’s not impossible to chance upon someone intimately connected to his iPod and ironically, disconnected from the outside world. But hey, it’s cool. So it’s ok. I bet you have one as well. I got mine when iPod was pretty common already and therefore the “cool” factor has already diminished. Just the same, I still got one, it’s cool.


Nowadays, the sign of “cool” is no longer the mighty iPod but the nascent digital single-lens reflex camera or DSLR. Like a normal camera, it takes still photographs but in a much more sophisticated fashion. The results are images comparable to that of an art or one taken by a seasoned and professional photographer. It’s just beautiful. I cannot understand why there’s a sudden interest in photography nowadays. I can only suspect the rise of photo sharing sites like Flickr, Photobucket and Multiply have something to do with it. I find it amazing because despite the very high cost of this device, almost everyone I know seems to want to have it, if they don’t have it already. I guess it will be fun to take some photos, upload it to your favorite photo sharing site and invite your friends for a visual treat. “Hey buddy, you’ve got DSLR, cool!”

My theory is this: If one or two people are taking a particular liking to DSLR, I call it a fad, a passion even. But if almost everyone seems to want to have it, then I guess there’s a phenomenon again on the rise. With this I dare say, Welcome to the new “cool”. DSLR is the new iPod.

Do you know someone who’s got a DSLR? If you can afford it, would you buy one for yourself? Let the world know.