Do You Just Have a DSLR, Or Do You Have A P&S For Carrying Around?

68lbs

68lbs

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April 2008
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I don't know whether it's my inexperience with the DSLR and the fact I'm still learning, but I think I would have got better results on my recent travels with the family if I'd had a P&S. Largely because there were quite a few low-light opportunities, I only had the built in flash which causes a shadow with my usual lenses and I was having to shoot handheld at a much higher ISO or larger aperture (do you call smaller f number larger? I do) than I really wanted, leaving DoF much shorter than I would have liked in many cases.

I took nearly 1000 shots last week but some are such high ISO the IQ is just cack, whilst others have missed the point completely because I sacrificed DoF to lower the ISO.

To add insult to injury, I was getting comments like "oh, and there's David Bailey over there", only to find i'd produced images more akin to me having drunk a bottle of Baileys!

I know that I can (and will) get much better results with the Canon 400D when I have time to use the tripod, plan the shot, etc.

But for every day 'carry around a camera, take lots of pics' etc, I am struggling. Would I be better off with something like a Canon G9 with built in flash etc shooting in RAW? I seem to remember seeing something like a Sigma P&S too in a mag that has a sensor the same size as the 400D too?

Seems a bit like going backwards, but I am not sure what I could have done other than carry around EVERYTHING which is just impractical for me a lot of the time when you're trying to do all the other usual family things - keep the missus happy, daughter, etc.

Am I doing something wrong?

I'm probably expecting too much and just shouldn't expect great pics if I'm taking them willy nilly using only half my gear. :shrug:
 
I try and keep a P&S with at all times. Strange things happen when you're out and about.
 
I've got a G9 as a walkaround, great wee camera, does excellent video too.I don't use the built-in flash though, if I think I'll need one I use it with a Nikon SB-600 and either a neutered Nikon SC-28 or one of the Ebay/Cactus flash triggers to take the flash off-camera.

rh1944 said:
I try and keep a P&S with at all times. Strange things happen when you're out and about.
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I forgot mine yesterday - and came across a brilliant wee jack russell dribbling with a football, the G9 would have meant I could have taken a quick video of it and probably got £250 from one of those video clip shows :bang:
 
I have a G9 for that reason sometimes its not practial to carry around all your gear and some situations are designed fro p&S cameras :)
 
I've got a panny fz8 and my nokia 95n which isn't bad for a phone either.
 
Yup - got a Pentax Optio M30 (I think). Handy for taking skiing, lightweight hillwalking, giving to the kids to take pics with etc...
 
68lbs said:
What about tripod, lenses and flash?
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I take Slingshot AW200 everywhere too....and a small lightweight tripod which is fine for the less demanding stuff....

I always have a 70 to 300mm, 50mm, 14 to 24mm, flashgun and tripod, yes - everywhere. Its because I am scared of being burgled too :lol:

I am a little eccentric, its great :D

Gary.
 
I'm frequently take the D200 around with me, like Gary, but I still dont have a proper bag... It just goes in its pelicase in my normal bag.

I found that when I have the nifty fifty on, its small enough to go under my jacket. I don't want/need a point and shoot.
 
30d when specifically going photographing at one location and a choice of a sonyh1/fujisf100/sonyw50 when walkabouts
 
Im a photography student and to be honest the best thing i ever did was get rid of my p&s. Simply because i never bothered to use my SLR as the p&s was always the easy option. Only once i sold my p&s did i actually start to become familiar with the functions on my SLR and it has made be a better photographer for it. I knew if the SLR was the only camera that i owned then i would soon get to know how to use it - which i did. Its just my opinion, hope this helps.
 
Invested in a G9 recently and haven't regretted a moment. Picture quality is superb, starts up within a second, and has been mentioned, does video too :)
 
EdinburghGary said:
I take Slingshot AW200 everywhere too....and a small lightweight tripod which is fine for the less demanding stuff....

I always have a 70 to 300mm, 50mm, 14 to 24mm, flashgun and tripod, yes - everywhere. Its because I am scared of being burgled too :lol:

I am a little eccentric, its great :D

Gary.
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Digging you mates into the ground? No I wouldn't say eccentric at all Gary ;)
 
I have a fuji s2 and take it out everytime I go out with the dog -always with my lowepro bag,extra lens and batteries just in case. ;)
 
Ixus 750 for me.
 
had a compact but never liked using it so sold it. DSLR is always in the car.
 
Ixus mark I for me - bought in Singapore in 1999 and still going strong! Probably upgrade it one day, but it's so compact and takes good pics so I'll continue to spend my saved pennies on my DSLR until it is pushing up the daisies!
 
Sometimes a big camera is a major faff and even if you're not missing shots just because of the time and effort it takes to get it set and use it, you're often missing out on parts of life just because it's such a barrier to be behind.

I have a little p&s camera which still lets me have full manual control over everything when I want it but never gets in the way when I don't.

There are times though that even the p&s is too much faff to have around and then I'm quite happy to use the 2 pixie effort in my phone when the need to make an image strikes.
 
Most of the places I go I drag my bag with me.... I take the kit with me all the time, I am in London everyday and I try to have a wander at lunch time.
 
Deano said:
Im a photography student and to be honest the best thing i ever did was get rid of my p&s. Simply because i never bothered to use my SLR as the p&s was always the easy option. Only once i sold my p&s did i actually start to become familiar with the functions on my SLR and it has made be a better photographer for it. I knew if the SLR was the only camera that i owned then i would soon get to know how to use it - which i did. Its just my opinion, hope this helps.
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Deano, I'm with you on this for the same reason, yep I often yomp miles with a full Lowepro Vertex 200AW on my back. May not be always rewarded by good pix opportunities, but look on the bright side it keeps you fit eh? :)
 
My 5D comes out for holidays, days out and special occasions. On a daily basis I carry a Fuji F31 all the time. It even comes to bed with me, in case I wake up to a burning house or something, so I can get some pictures.
 
Full kit is with me every day in the car or slung over my shoulder! Sad but true :)
 
That's a very good question, and I'll give you a good answer.
I always keep a "knockabout" fully charged up P & S (with spare pair of rechargeable batteries) with me at all times as my trusty Fuji A900 can take all the knocks and changeable weather and humidity associated with my daily routine (does get bashed about inside my workbag, even though it's kept inside a little sack).
Whereas I leave my D40 safe at home for serious stuff (experimental indoors shot), if it has to come outdoors with me then it'll be for special photographic time out (like, perhaps a steam train may be passing through Folkestone).
After all, I don't feel comfortable bringing a £300 (a lot of money on my wages) DSLR into my greenhouse workplace!
 
40D goes everywhere - everything except the tripod with it. Also carry a little Fuji 8.2 megapixel P & S because 'you never know'....... (it's on holiday in Barbados with my bro at the moment). By the time I get the Canon out of the rucksack, the opportunity's normally past! Fuji has got me some nice spur-of-the-moment captures over the past year. :)
 
I've got a G9 and love it, I travel a lot with work and by the time I've done a day with 2 1 series I don't then want to carry them around all night as well! The G9 is great for getting touristy stuff, pictures messing about with mates, and videos too.
 
I carry around an olympus xa2 film compact atm its got £1 cheap kodak just as testing but soon i'll have 800 film in so i'm ready wherever whenever.I simply chose it as its small and light also the iso grain on that 800 film will be better than any digital p&s plus the camera was £25!
 
Ixus 500, fits well in the pocket and uses Compact Flash meaning I can share memory between the two cameras. Tried a G9 and it wasn't pocket sized enough for me to cart round the streets.
 
As well as my 40D I've also got a Samsung G800 phone which is 5Mp and 3 x optical zoom! Great for point and shoot out and about. Produces slightly soft images but a bit of pp and they ain't bad for a phone.
 
I take my dSLR everywhere i'm going to want to take 'serious' pictures, but the misses has a Samsung NV8 that we take for when the pictures don't realy matter as much (drunken evenings spring to mind)

We go to a fair few car events so I use the dSLR all day, usually messing about with long exposures in evening then take the NV8 out to whatever entertainment is on. Sometimes I've regretted not having a quality camera to capture some stuff but you just have to party that little bit harder to get over it :D
 
I have an Ixus 75 for those moments when an SLR just isn't right! It's a smashing little camera, and was bought when I was only supposed to be buying a tripod head in Hong Kong!! :D
 
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