DSLR or Compact

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Steve T

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Asked this on another thread...


How does a basic 1000d with a kit lens stack up against a decent /good compact and in particular, a g12, mainly used for product photography, random and family shots, but not serious hobby/enthusiast use or anything too intense. Can't make up my mind what to go for.
 
Compact Advantages:
All in one lens
Pocketable
One expenditure
Cheaper
Macro shots possible without a specialist lens

DSLR Advantages:
Faster Focus
Less shutter lag
Possible to achieve shallow DoF
Better performance in mediocre light conditions

Have you looked at the Panasonic GF2 with 14-42mm lens? This gives you the best compromise between the two. If you want shallow DoF, you will also need the 20mm f1.7 lens, however.
 
I recently bought a Canon S95 compact, one of the best comapacts out there. It isnt a bad camera, BUT I am used to a D300 and 50mm prime, or 70-200 VR lens and SB900 flash and you really do see a difference. That said, for slipping in a pocket the D300 is pretty useless!!!

I got the S95 as I wanted to be able to take a small camera out at times rather than lug around the Nikon and for that its fine. But if I could only have one camera it would be a DSLR
 
Thanks for the comments guys, I have a 1000d but am still getting to know it. I'm just tempted to sell all the dsl kit and go for a simple point and shoot as the learning curve is getting me down a bit. Every day it seems there is a new type of camera coming out, I thought a dslr was the ultimate when I started but I'm not sure now.
 
Steve T said:
Thanks for the comments guys, I have a 1000d but am still getting to know it. I'm just tempted to sell all the dsl kit and go for a simple point and shoot as the learning curve is getting me down a bit. Every day it seems there is a new type of camera coming out, I thought a dslr was the ultimate when I started but I'm not sure now.
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Steve please please read the link in my signature , i was at exactly the same point as you a few weeks ago but i stuck at , i also have a 1000d.
 
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Steve T said:
Thanks for the comments guys, I have a 1000d but am still getting to know it. I'm just tempted to sell all the dsl kit and go for a simple point and shoot as the learning curve is getting me down a bit. Every day it seems there is a new type of camera coming out, I thought a dslr was the ultimate when I started but I'm not sure now.
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Before I'd even got my DSLR, my father (an experienced DSLR user) said to me, "You won't get as good a picture with it as your compact to begin with, but when you do understand it all, you'll take far better photos with it."
 
I own a G11 and a 450D so feel in a good position to comment.

I would say for the casual user who is not looking for 'artistic' images and will be taking product images in good light and the odd family snaps you would see very little difference in image quality. In fact, unless you are going process your images in lightroom / photoshop / etc, I would argue the images 'straight out the camera' are better in the G11 due to the better scene modes.
 
If your requirements demand taking pictures of small children, any compact is going to have far too much shutter lag. It will drive you mad.

Compact cameras are quite good for scenic shots in daylight, but that's about it. For everything else they're completely inadequate.

I expect you have a cheap kit zoom with your D1000?

Get yourself a 50mm f1.8 for less than £100 and start shooting it at f2.8 on aperture priority and you'll see a world of difference.
 
Steve T said:
Thanks for the comments guys, I have a 1000d but am still getting to know it. I'm just tempted to sell all the dsl kit and go for a simple point and shoot as the learning curve is getting me down a bit. Every day it seems there is a new type of camera coming out, I thought a dslr was the ultimate when I started but I'm not sure now.
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It's a 2 sided coin really.

There's ALWAYS going to be new cameras with more features, etc being released. That's just life. What it doesn't do is make your camera any less capable than it was the day you bought it.

In a nutshell, a DSLR is the ultimate, but yours is in the entry level so it's obviously not going to be on a par with pro-style kit. There's still nothing wrong with it though. I, and no doubt many on here will have, bought a 350D a few years ago and essentially your camera is essentially better than that.

I was upgrading from a Sony P200 & a Canon S3iS to it and it took months for me to get a single photo that I could say was better than what I was taking on either of the other two cameras. During this time I'd carry around both the S3 & 350D so that I would at least have a handful of shots I could print out. At one point I was probably at the same low that you were and the 350D ended up back in the box for a long while. It came out occasionally and gradually bits and bobs started to click and it's all just carried on from there.

Why did you go for a DSLR? What are you shooting with it?

I'd agree with others and say PERSEVERE! Play with it, shoot random stuff just to get the hang of it. If you save it and your practice happens when you're taking photo's that you really want/need to come out right, it can be very disheartening. Pick up a few magazines or books and learn the basics. It won't take long to fall into place, it's the getting better and better that takes time.
 
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Again, thanks for all the feedback guys. I think I have to stick with the dslr now, the owners manual is falling to bits and I need glasses from scouring the net. I've just put too much into this to give up now, thanks again.
 
Danny_Two said:
That's rubbish. Have you ever actually used a high end compact?
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I TOTALLY AGREE. The image quality is comparable, it might take a little more work if going very large, but the image files are every bit as good.

I will agree, that for motorcycle racing (picture is Danny's name box) the compact is not going to keep up, but slower action can be anticipated and the shutter lag on the newer ones is not that far behind - equal to some low end SLR types.

I use a compact for regular professional publishing work and have produced several covers and it gets DPS use on a regular basis. It doesn't like anything over ISO200 though (the newer ones are better).

It is stupid to summarily dismiss a compact in that way.
 
Not a compact, but I'm always impressed with the way my Fuji S100 FS handles hi ISO. 800 is more than useable at 100%.
 
SLRist said:
If your requirements demand taking pictures of small children, any compact is going to have far too much shutter lag. It will drive you mad.
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I've heard / read this complaint a lot but there are ways around it if your camera has a manual mode as the delay when you press the shutter is while the camera meters and sets focus, do these things for the camera and it'll take a pictrure pretty much as fast as you want it to.

Something like my LX5 and previous LX2 are great to use in manual, set the shutter and aperture you want, zone focus and you can snap a bullet (or motorbike) in flight.

bike.jpg
 
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