P&S vs. DSLR - DPChallenge Forums

Canon EF 28-135mm F/3.5-5.6 IS USM

08/16/2006 08:14:52 AM · #1

I am still new to photography, I am going to be getting a new camera. I was wondering if I should go back wth the Sony H5, Canon s3 iS, or a Pentax ist DSLR.

I have heard alot about dust with the SLR, should I just get another P&S ? I really want to learn more, and thought I might be able to do that with the SLR. PLEASE HELP!! Thanks.

mist

Canon EOS-60D

08/16/2006 08:48:01 AM · #2

Do you want to carry your SLR with whatever lenses you need to your shoots, or do you just want a lighweight object that will give you a reasonable mid-ground?

DO you want to continue spending money on a collection of accessories and lenses, or make a one off payment?

Tiberius

Samsung Galaxy S22, S22+, S22 Ultra

Panasonic Lumix G 14mm F2.5 ASPH

08/16/2006 08:52:25 AM · #3

If you have the money go dSLR. If you're on budget get a P&S. Today I palyed with my friend's S3IS. Cute little camera and very responsive.
Flip LCD is a great bonus.

Message edited by author 2006-08-16 09:12:54.

hopper

Canon EOS-80D

Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM

08/16/2006 08:57:41 AM · #4

get the SLR

but if you don't - the S3IS is a freakin' awesome little camera.

Chinabun

Canon PowerShot SD990 IS

08/16/2006 08:59:31 AM · #5

i used to have a canon rebel but i had to get rid of it because

1) too big and bulky for my shaky hands
2) too much to carry around, i like things easy
3) had to take too many photos to get just ONE good shot
4) i like to use the LCD screen to look at my subject

Basically i got rid of it because of having to take so many shots and not having them turn out. I went to a family cookout and brought the rebel. All of the photos I took that day were out of focus because the auto focus sucked and the manual focus was to hard to adjust when people were waiting for their pictures to be taken. The nicest photo i had taken with my rebel is my highest scoring entry and that was it. The rest sucked. As soon as I got rid of that thing my scores went up.

My S2 is awesome! Just point and shoot for my snapshots and there is way less to understand when taking technical shots. I love my camera for now, although i would like to upgrade eventually if i had a studio. But i wont be taking my DSLR out with me as I would need a tri-pod all the time.

Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM

08/16/2006 09:24:02 AM · #6

Has anyone heard anything about the Sony H5 ? What about dust? is that hard to control? (one final question) Will the SLR force me to learn more, I would really like to learn more about photography.

eschelar

Canon EOS-7D

08/16/2006 09:43:51 AM · #7

I like the Canon series a bit more than the Sony series. Mostly the memory cards...

The Panasonic line is also a serious contender.... I prefer the FZ-20 over the FZ-30/FZ-50 though... it's got a significantly better lens. A second hand one would be great. The control given by the manual focus on the ring is a MAJOR point in their favor. Fuji S9000 has it too, but has no Image Stabilization and a slower lens.

If you really want to move ahead though, check out the Pentax K100. I'm not sure about the price, but it's got body-based anti-shake (as does the Sony A100).

Some of the Pentax lenses are extremely cool. They've also got a 10-17mm FISHEYE ZOOM that will be released by Tokina for other mounts later on.

If you have a significant reason for going Pentax, the K100 is probably a good choice.

You will have WAY more room to improve with the DSLR, but you can go pretty far with the FZ-20 by Panasonic. That is a decent lens and the manual focus with the filter thread on the end really makes a package with few limitations.

I own an S2 IS as a SECOND camera and purchased it specifically for the things it has that the 30D does not, namely AA batteries (not as cool as I originally thought... Li-ion doesn't give as many shots per charge, but doesn't self-drain either... I find Nimh batteries don't last too long), and the flip and twist screen. Oh, and the movie mode is very nice.

Dust is not really an issue with a P&S camera.

It can be an issue with DSLR's, but I switch lens fairly often and I've not had much problem so far...

It's ridiculously easy to check for sensor dust.

The Sony A100 directly addresses this with a special feature to keep dust off the sensor...

modurn

Canon EOS-40D

Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM

08/16/2006 09:50:33 AM · #8

The main difference between a P&S and a dSLR is control. With a dSLR you can control every aspect of a shot, including the focus, shutter speed, aperature, ISO, and even the zoom factor by using different lenses. They have not yet made a P&S that would give you the same degree and ease of control as you have with a dSLR. But of course thats kind of the point since the P&S is designed for a different market.

eschelar

Canon EOS-7D

Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM

08/16/2006 09:59:28 AM · #9

The FZ-20 gives you control over focus, shutter speed, aperture (f/2.8 constant aperture), zoom factor (36-432mm I believe) fairly easily.

The only real thing it can't handle is higher ISOs and shallow DOF.

I think it's even got a hotshoe (?)...

In the ease of control, it's not as good as a DSLR, and indeed even compared with some of the lower end DSLRs out there it there's a ton of things it can't compare with, but in a lot of basic areas, it's really pretty damned close.

Lots of room to grow before you jump into the DSLR world.

You wouldn't regret either decision for a while.

You might run into your limitations quickly with your P&S, or you might not.

On the other hand, you might also be overwhelmed by the sheer number of things to learn with the DSLR.

kirbic

Canon EOS R5

Canon RF 24-70 f2.8 L IS

08/16/2006 10:09:18 AM · #10

You can certainly learn photography on either platform. The SLR will give you many more options for creativity, but at a price. You wind up spending much more on lenses in the log run than you do on the camera body. The large zoom range of many non-DSLR cameras provides an "all in one" solution, but you cannot easily adapt to special needs. The SLR platform will also give you more creative colntrol over depth of field, whereas the small sensors of the non-SLR cameras make it easier to obtain larger DoF.
The noise characteristics of SLRs are of course superior, so if low-light or long-exposure photography interests you, this may be a major consideration.

quiet_observation

Canon EOS-7D

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

08/16/2006 10:09:44 AM · #11

.

Message edited by author 2006-08-17 10:23:41.

JunieMoon

Sony Alpha a7 II

Sony FE 3.5-5.6/28-70 mm OSS

08/16/2006 10:38:28 AM · #12

Just wanted to add that there is a lot of experimentation you can do with your camera. Try using some of the presets in an unusual way. I have the H1 and discovered that for many shallow dof shots, I need to use the sports setting on my camera (See my image entitled Showing Off Her Glorious Lines.) I also have discovered that using the night shot mode I can get interesting effects on daytime photos. Also, my camera has a histogram which works at letting me know how my light is coming in the camera. Anyway, I don't know much about the camera you have, but I don't figure its all that different from mine.
You can't get the H1 anymore, but the H series just adds a few more benefits as you move up.
As you can see, I now have the Sony Alpha 100. I won't be entering challenges with it for awhile as I learn the camera, but when I am ready, you will be able to see some of those shots.

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 ED

08/16/2006 11:23:05 AM · #13

I actually like the camera I have now, except for the zoom. It is only a 5x optical. I have tried using the tele conversion lens, but don't like them very much. I am going to get another one anyway, figured I might try an SLR.

Apple iPhone 5

08/16/2006 12:30:24 PM · #14

Originally posted by RockBruise:

Are you shooting sports/wildlife ?

They're the only two areas where you should feel limited by a lack of 'zoom' - All other situations you're much better off getting as close to the subject as possible. Use your feet, not the zoom... :)

JunieMoon

Sony Alpha a7 II

Sony FE 3.5-5.6/28-70 mm OSS

08/16/2006 12:50:33 PM · #15

The only thing I have to say about getting up close, is often times with the point and shoots the focus is not crisp when you are really close. I find standing about 5-8 feet away and zooming in works much better for focus, so a 5x zoom can be limiting.

Originally posted by jhonan:

Originally posted by RockBruise:
I actually like the camera I have now, except for the zoom. It is only a 5x optical. I have tried using the tele conversion lens, but don't like them very much. I am going to get another one anyway, figured I might try an SLR.

Are you shooting sports/wildlife ?

They're the only two areas where you should feel limited by a lack of 'zoom' - All other situations you're much better off getting as close to the subject as possible. Use your feet, not the zoom... :)

bvoi

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

08/16/2006 01:28:39 PM · #16

Get a rebel xt. It's a great starter dslr. The problem with P & S is noise levels at high iso levels.

Message edited by author 2006-08-16 13:29:23.