Non-DSLR cameras are fine for casual shooting. But what really sells the SLR platform, I think, is the array of available lenses and features like shutter speeds. I don’t know if DSLRs have adjustable shutter speeds. I tried photographing my sister’s commencement with one of those little pocket cameras – a decent device in its own right – and was disappointed at the quality (from sixty feet away). I would have traded it for something with a proper telephoto lens in a heartbeat.