Use DSLR more than P&S?

[johnparas11zenfoliodotcom]

I think the bottom line of this thread is:

there are different cameras for different situations...

as much as we want to have an all in one camera...there really isn't one... we have to have compromises.... and the G9 is one of them... it has it's good things and its limitations...

--
http://johnparas11.zenfolio.com/p671368098/?photo=h172832E0#388510432

 

[rkhndjr]

to your fine reply. Yes, the G9 or any other P&S will do a great job most of the time and it all comes down to what we prefer. I know all about the money and lenses, believe me. Good luck to you.
--
Russ

 

[rkhndjr]

Hey James. I have my S3 for sale but it does a great job. All this depends on the person and their personality. I have been through every phase of it, believe me. A lot depends on a whim, or does with me. For all intents and purposes, a P&S will take as good a pic most of the time, it just does not have all the bells and whistles the DSLRs have.
--
Russ

 

[rkhndjr]

Sounds good to me Fish. Yosemite can give some fine pics.
--
Russ

 

[rkhndjr]

part is right on the money. The sensor on P&S allows a good picture right from camera in most any mode and, as you said, it stifles the creative ability we would like in all reality. DSLR has many features which make for better photography, IMO, and the general feel of one is different. I love my G9 and will keep it, but I really missed my 30D. I bought a XTi last night and am planning on using only two lenses, 35/2 and 17-50. That, with the G9 will take care of my limited ability)
--
Russ

 

[Fredy Ross]

I took both my 400D and G9 to Australia for a three week holiday and have a better idea of their usefulness to me.

My niece had a wedding so I also took my external flash and used it with the 17-55mm f2.8 for that day only. She was thrilled as I printed them the next day and she wouldn't get the professional ones till after she came back from her honeymoon. Around with friends and family I used my G9 and took videos too. Wonderful memories for me as I live in Israel.

The rest of the time as I had a car I took my 400D with my 70-300 DO for scenery and was glad to have it as I couldn't get close to the scenery I wanted.

So much depends on what sort of holiday one has, how much time one has to change lenses, and whether one is mostly on foot or in a car and whether weight is an issue.

I have come to the conclusion that it doesn't matter what camera one has, there will always be shots missed for different reasons but because of digital one will still come back with great memories and enough keepers to remember one's holiday. At home I intend to use the DSLR to improve my photography skills and still use the G9 for family events or when I want to travel light in the hot summer.
Good luck Russell with your decision. fredyr

--
fredyr

 

[Ominous]

I added a G9 recently, but is no way a replacement for my slrs.

The G9 can't beat the IQ of my 5D, under any situation....except for when I only have my G9 with me.
--
http://flickr.com/photos/eric_whalen/

 

[kwaphoto]

I have to reply as I have recently gone through this. VERY short story. I used to shoot pro, no longer. Been through a ton of DSLR gear. Have the G9 now.

As others have said, there is a place for everything. Honestly, lets look at it this way.

small p&s: pocketable, cheap, minimal control, no hot shoe.

G9 / similar: very portable,

DSLR: usually fairly portable, $600-1500, great control/feature set, 1.5-1.6x FOV factor to deal with.

FF DSLR: bigger, heavier, $> $2000, the end-game of DSLR IQ IMO

So, what's the point? Here is the way I see it. I am a fanatic about IQ - too much so I think sometimes. So why do I have a G9? Because the IQ at ISO 80-100 is fantastic and comparable to a DSLR (not FF though) + the manual controls and hotshoe make it a viable option for 90% of my photos + it is easy to keep with me. I've missed too many shots because I left the DSLR at home.

Will I have a DSLR again? Yes, but a FF DLSR like a 5D or it's successor. Until I get the DSLR I WANT, I am better off just sticking to my G9 and not spending cash on stop-gap DSLR bodies and lenses. That is why I have / or am selling my remaining "cropped" DSLR bodies and lenses that are digital specific. When I go back, "I'm doing it right".

Until then, I'll keep my cash and my sanity of reading the forums about how "this lens is better than that lens" and "this new body has better resolution than that body". Oddly enough, you rarely hear a 5D owner complain about the IQ, noise, etc. Maybe about the size/ergonomic, etc...but not the IQ. That says a lot. They also tend not to be buying / selling / switching bodies all the time like other DSLR owners...again, smart.

So, I'll keep my little G9 that is so much fun and easy to use / keep with me at all times. At least that's the plan!
Ken

 

[Silverback1988]

I think the bottom line of this thread is:

there are different cameras for different situations...

Yes.

as much as we want to have an all in one camera...there really isn't
one... we have to have compromises.... and the G9 is one of them...
it has it's good things and its limitations...

Of course all in one camera is not realistic.

I think it is not impossible to create f30 like with Canon brand.
Just add a hot shoe please
I mean small package & small resolution.
It's for totaly different purpose.
For serious bussiness, take the DSLR with you.
Not serious things, take the small one.

Of course it has its limitation.
By small number of pixels (say 2-4MP), it's not for large printing.

But I'm sure there are people in this forum who able to print big from small resolution.
Once I read D30 versus FILM.
And I'm quite surprise what a 3 MP could produce.

What do you think ?

 

[Mike__]

Postscript:

And it appears I can even use RAW with my SD800IS, so that advantage goes away as well.

http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page

Why am I always the last to learn about this stuff? (grin)

-- Mike

 

[PixieGlitter]

I love my 30D and use it for almost everything, but for a camera to "always have with me" I still use my OLD (3 years old) P&S. It takes great pics, and it's convenient as all heck.

 

[Cyril Catt]

I’ve never owned a DSLR. When I got my first digicam in 1999 - a 2 MP Kodak DC290, which gave me a zoom range from 19 to 230 mm - DSLRs were far more expensive tnan the c.USD1200 that I paid for the the Kodak (with extension and close-up lenses and 64 MB cards). I had bought it primarily as a portable copier, to avoid the queues and expense of using library copiers for archival research which I was doing at the time.

But I found it so convenient for other photography, compared to my separate SLRs, lenses, flashes, light meters, 36-frame film cassettes etc, that over the last few years they have hardly been used. In the interim I have bought other p&s models, initially for the additional video capability, smaller format, stitching, and other capabilities. However, I found that the more bulky ones, such as the S3, tend to stay at home unless their particular capabilities are needed, and the Canon TX1 and/or Kodak Z885 are the ones I always take with me.

Part of my satisfaction with these ‘less than perfect’ devices is that I now view most of my pics on a computer screen, so although I always shoot in the cameras’ highest resolution, I do not really need more than 2 or 3 MP files. Part may come from realizing what a long way I have come from the results of dabbling with darkroom chemicals and Brownie 127 film 65 years ago, to the very acceptable colour stills and videos, achieved instantly from a pocketable device, and at a quality that I could not have achieved in the past without flash.

So although I realise that in many circumstances I could achieve better results with a DSLR (that would be suprseded in a year or two), I do not think that, for my purposes, the expense is warranted.
--
Cyril

 

[tsinvest]

part is right on the money. The sensor on P&S allows a good picture
right from camera in most any mode and, as you said, it stifles the
creative ability we would like in all reality. DSLR has many features
which make for better photography, IMO, and the general feel of one
is different. I love my G9 and will keep it, but I really missed my
30D. I bought a XTi last night and am planning on using only two
lenses, 35/2 and 17-50. That, with the G9 will take care of my
limited ability)
--
Russ

Hi Russ,

Just read your above post about your new XTi. Best of luck with it...it should fill the gap that you had after selling your 30D. Have fun!

--
My best, Tom

 

[rkhndjr]

Thank you Tom. So far I am thrilled. I love the XTi and immediately felt right at home with the functions.
--
Russ

 

[Lee Jay]

90% 5D/20D, 10% S3IS.

--
Lee Jay
(see profile for equipment)

 

[hammer9]

I have a a610 and a630 and just upgraded to a Pentax K200D dSLR. While I expected better IQ, I was blown away by the difference. The K200D has lower noise at ISO 1600 than the a630 at ISO 400 and more dynamic range. The kit lens that came with the camera is tack sharp and the images are rich and filled with detail. Plus creamy, dreamy bokeh. The K200D is easier to use in full sunlight since I'm not trying to squint at a LCD. And the camera uses AA batteries and SD cards.

Downside is that, although the K200D is a fairly compact dSLR, the thing is ginormous compared to the a630. So I take the a630 with me when I don't want to carry a big black dSLR.
*************************
Tom in Delaware
Photoblog: http://homepage.mac.com/galoot_9/blog/momentary.html

 

[deepmine]

I never leave my DSLR at home, and of course it'd be my camea of choice but it's not always close at hand, generally in the car or backpack... so I keep my p&s (currently a 720) in a belt pouch 24/7, so it gets more use.

Used in manual mode for street photography, I'm finding it a great little camera.

 

[Michael Stecker]

When it comes to critical focus (especially with macro), I always use my Canon A620 P&S instead of my 350D with Sigma 50 mm f/2,8 macro lens. The DSLR never seems to get an accurate focus, plus it has lower magnification and less depth of field. I find the only benefit of the 350D is slightly better dynamic range and a better viewfinder. Quite disappointing.

Mike
http://mstecker.com