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my 7D humbled by a point 'n' shoot!

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Marco Cinnirella

Marco Cinnirella

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I just purchased one of the last few discounted Sony DSC-W5 'point and shoot' cameras from my local Photo Optix store in the UK. This 5MP product is discontinued but has generally received good reviews. I was absolutely stunned at how crisp the images are from this camera. Sure, the in-camera sharpening is much stronger than my 7D at default settings, but even when I sharpen up my 7D images, shot with the highly rated KM 28-75 f2.8 D lens, they are still a bit less crisp than the images from the Sony! I really thought the 7D and that KM lens would blow this little 'amateur' point and shoot out of the water, but far from it... I guess point and shoot cameras have come a long way. I certainly wouldn't hesitate to take this little camera on a trip if I didn't want the weight and bulk of my 7D, even though I would, of course, miss the creative opportunities offered by manual control and a choice of different lenses on my 7D... I will never sneer at point and shoot cameras again!
Marco.
 
It happens more often than we would care to admit! I still use a little Canon s400 and provided that it is used intelligently and within its limitations it is able to return some really nice photos. For action/pets/kids photos however I'll take the DSLR every time.
--
John.
Imagination knows no boundaries...



http://www.pbase.com/johnfr
 
When I first got the 7D I was sure there was something wrong with it.
The images were no where near as sharp as those from my Sony F717.

This was especially frustrating as I've been using SLRS for 16 years now.

I've since learned how to make the images better.
 
That was my experience as well. I came from the Sony F717 to the 5d and was a little dissappointed in the 5D at first. The F717 certainly was a very good camera and I wouldn't rubbish a P+S today. It's horses for courses with many of them capable of taking shots as good as an entry level DSLR in good lighting conditions. Convenience is usually why photographers choose a P+S over a DSLR not quality of image these days.

The reason I bought a DSLR was for more flexibility and not because the F717 wasn't producing the goods. It wasn't until I grew more confident with the 5D that I sold the F717 but I do miss it's swivel lens, good macro and IR capability.

I'm growing to love the 5D more every time I use it.
George Evans
 
I truly miss my F717. It died. I'm looking to buy another one. I'm actually wondering if I should get the 828 instead.

The macro is fantastic. Also, I don't think many people realize of wonderful it is to hold that body. Its perfect for getting a good solid grip with little or no shake.
George Evans said:
That was my experience as well. I came from the Sony F717 to the 5d
and was a little dissappointed in the 5D at first. The F717
certainly was a very good camera and I wouldn't rubbish a P+S
today. It's horses for courses with many of them capable of taking
shots as good as an entry level DSLR in good lighting conditions.
Convenience is usually why photographers choose a P+S over a DSLR
not quality of image these days.

The reason I bought a DSLR was for more flexibility and not because
the F717 wasn't producing the goods. It wasn't until I grew more
confident with the 5D that I sold the F717 but I do miss it's
swivel lens, good macro and IR capability.

I'm growing to love the 5D more every time I use it.
George Evans
Click to expand...
 
Even when I am setting out to do serious work with my 7D and an assortment of primes and zooms I always have my Casio EX-Z750 7.2mp point and shoot on my side in a belt case. I have found the Z750 to do a great job and it has all the controls of the big cameras (shutter and aperture priority mode, manual mode, up to 30 second shutter time if needed, tripod mount, 2 1/2" LCD, etc). I also have a software package that will convert any digital file to the Casio Z750 format and I can then load the files back to the camera as a media player - even my 7D files. This thing also does great mpeg 4 video (1 hour and 10 minutes on a 2gb card). I use this camera a lot at work for when I have to document things. Following links are examples from this beauty:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1015&message=15069374

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1015&message=15566594

Now don't get me wrong, I love my 7D but can't always have it with me.
--

http://curtindale.blogspot.com photos on this site shot w/Minolta 7D, Sony R1, Sony F828 and Casio EX-Z750
 
Willy81 said:
William Curtindale wrote:
I always have my Casio EX-Z750 7.2mp
point and shoot on my side in a belt case.>
Click to expand...
Hmmmm.... sounds like this might be a lot easier to take in a motorcycle tank bag on a long trip, than a 7D. Its got me thinking...

Thanks.
 
I have a Canon S410 that I wear on my belt when my 7D is too big. I get pretty good pictures in good lighting but the 7D is way better in adverse conditions or when I want to do something artistic (DOF, etc). Being able to crank up the ISO and having AS is a definite plus.

I could get better pictures from my old 7Hi and S410 at first but as I'm learning with the 7D and using photoshop more (RAW conversion, sharpen, noise removal, etc), my pictures are getting way better.

I loved doing macro photography on my 7Hi with it's adjustable focus points, magnified display on the LCD, large DOF, etc. I'm going to have to experiment more with my 7D and probably even get a macro lens eventually.

I find the lack of manual controls of my S410 limiting so it's definitely just a backup camera.
 
Keep in mind P&S have a much smaller sensor thus much deeper depth of field. In fact, with my Canon S1 IS I have the custom button set to put the focus at the hyperfocal distance and everything from 1 meter on is sharp - talk about quick shooting! But, as you know, a deep DOF means little creative control.

Also keep in mind light limitations - in bright light, the P&S can do fantastic, but give it some challenging conditions and it chokes much faster than a SLR.

D.
 
Thanks for all these interesting comments guys.

I realise you get better control of high ISO noise, anti-shake, and more creative control with the 7D (or 5D).

What really surprised me was the out and out sharpness of the little lens on the Sony point and shoot. I compared 100% magnification crops with 7D images shot with the KM 28-75mm f2.8 lens and the point and shoot images were sharper, even though the 7D images benefited from AS and a good dose of sharpening in photoshop. I've been using my 7D for many months now so I do know how to get the best out of it, by the way. There are some really sharp lenses on some of these point and shoots!

Marco
 
My Dimage 7Hi does not really qualify as a point and shoot but it takes very good landscapes shots. However for portraiture there is no way it can compete with DSLRs. The bokeh is very ugly so it can't isolate the subject from the background well. I guess it should be OK for group shots and when DOF does not matter.

Regards,

José
Marco Cinnirella said:
I just purchased one of the last few discounted Sony DSC-W5 'point
and shoot' cameras from my local Photo Optix store in the UK. This
5MP product is discontinued but has generally received good
reviews. I was absolutely stunned at how crisp the images are from
this camera. Sure, the in-camera sharpening is much stronger than
my 7D at default settings, but even when I sharpen up my 7D images,
shot with the highly rated KM 28-75 f2.8 D lens, they are still a
bit less crisp than the images from the Sony! I really thought the
7D and that KM lens would blow this little 'amateur' point and
shoot out of the water, but far from it... I guess point and shoot
cameras have come a long way. I certainly wouldn't hesitate to take
this little camera on a trip if I didn't want the weight and bulk
of my 7D, even though I would, of course, miss the creative
opportunities offered by manual control and a choice of different
lenses on my 7D... I will never sneer at point and shoot cameras
again!
Marco.
Click to expand...
--
I work hard so I deserve to shoot with a 1DMarkIIN.
http://www.pbase.com/jmb_56/canon_1dmk2n
http://www.pbase.com/jmb_56/canon_20d
http://www.pbase.com/jmb_56/maxxum_7d
 
I went from a Z1 and Nikon 2500 to a 300D (and not a 5d) and truth be told I was never dissatisfied regarding sharpness from any of the cameras.Perhaps it's related to the boost in resolution, but I thought the 300D images and 5d images were just as sharp as the 2500 and Z1 images (though perhaps this is due to the extra resolution) and with USM are even a bit sharper. However, I shoot at ISO 1600 with a 50 1.7 close to wide open almost half the time, and that combo is a little soft (though definitely not bad!) but the P&S can't even compare there.
--
Bob

http://minoltaman.fotopic.net
 
I used a KM Dimage Z2 and loved it. However I found it quite useless in low light to the point that I gave up on it in those situations completely. I still have it, my wife uses it, but after setting my 5D up the way I want it I have not used the Z2 once. My 5D is awesome.
Darwin
 
munchmeister said:
munchmeister said:
William Curtindale wrote:
I always have my Casio EX-Z750 7.2mp
point and shoot on my side in a belt case.>
Click to expand...
Hmmmm.... sounds like this might be a lot easier to take in a
motorcycle tank bag on a long trip, than a 7D. Its got me
thinking...
Click to expand...
That's exactly the reason I still have my Minolta DiMAGE Xt. For those trips where carrying my 7D and lens(es) isn't practical - on a short bike trip for example.
--
Ron
Torrance, CA

 
liquid stereo said:
I truly miss my F717. It died. I'm looking to buy another one. I'm
actually wondering if I should get the 828 instead.

The macro is fantastic. Also, I don't think many people realize of
wonderful it is to hold that body. Its perfect for getting a good
solid grip with little or no shake.

The 828 is useless after ISO 400. A lot of noise. stick with the f717
Click to expand...
 
I have W1, and it did an excellent job, really surprising for its size. Builtin flash is much better than 5D's (Exposure, not power), and the auto mode worked better as well. W1 is an excellent little camera, ISO400 + 1/20s (the best I can do handheld) delivers me highly acceptable low light photos without flash.

I bougt the 5D because:
-18-200 lenses (love the wide angle!)
-Anti Shake
-Hot Shoe
-Speed
-Less noise at ISO400,800,1600,3200 I'm a fan of available light photography

If there was a P&S with these capabilities, I really don't mind losing the TTL OVF and interchangeable lenses. I think SLR's are big and annoying to carry for me :). I don't like to change lenses, so I'm using it as a nice big P&S camera!

Before 5D I used Canon XT which really disappointed me:
-18-200 lens idiotic focusing

-max ISO1600 without AS, my f/3.5 lens = no better low light performance than my P&S, except slight noise advantage

So yea, I'm looking for next generation P&S with huge DOF and the things I liked above at smaller package like KMA200, swivel LCD
--
Ko-ni-ca Mi-nol-ta Dy-nax 5-D
Ca-non Re-bel X-T
 
To get from A to B, any car will do. To do so comfortably, many cars will do, but not all. It's when you have particular needs that you can't just pick any car. It may be too small or too big. It may not have all the extras you desire.

The same goes for cameras. Big isn't better, but it allows for expandibility. You may be able to take "macro" shots with a compact, but where do you put the ring flash? And how do you release it?
 
I love the creative control of my 7D, but I've gotten some great pictures out of my Sony DSC-S70, which is only 3mp. I've always been amazed by the quality and have even done some 11x17 prints from that resolution that look great.

As was pointed out, the newer P&S's have much more control over exposure as well.

Gallery at http://www.pbase.com/jprny . Everything in landscape and urban shot with the Sony. About 1/2 of the family ones (any named DSC...) also.

-jpr
 
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