How long does the "DSLR" Have left...

[SimonH]

The DSLR has as long as it takes for the CSC to adopt an optical viewfinder, an autofocus system which can compete with the DSLR and a feel-in-the-hand that compares with the DSLR.

Given the nature of the beast, I think the only one of these requirements that stands a chance is the autofocus system, and to do it I think will require some future, as yet not conceived, dynamic Lytro lightfield-oriented focusing system.

A CSC that feels like a DSLR? Different horse, on a different course. An optical viewfinder? Another horse, another course.

 

[Simon photo]

What's the difference? so long as what your holding captures a good image then your golden right?

 

[arad85]

I sold a 5D2 and L lenses to move to a Panasonic G5/7-14,12-35,35-100 combination. Not only are my photos always in focus now (yes, I'm a pixel peeper), I now don't worry about carrying the camera around and I have money left in the bank.

Are my photos as good as they were - actually, I think they're better.....

 

[ernesto]

Will non-DLSRs take over DSLRs for serious user soon?
Yes, in sales alone

Will the DSLR completely disappear?
No. The lower end may do but the higher end will still be in use by those that demand them and there are already enough lenses in existence for another lens to never need to be developed!

Is a CSC a better option for 80% of users?
Yes

 

[LCPete]

I'm with Phil on this one the mirrorles cameras may be perfectly good for shooting static subjects and have very good IQ
but for many things such as fast moving subjects they are not there yet not up to it
I do wildlife and macro
It would cost a fortune for me to sell my lenses to change systems and would be worse off
I don't know much about the mirrorless lenses do they do an equivalent to the 100L macro and 100-400canon lenses ?

 

[ukaskew]

I think a full-frame DSLR / CSC future is plausible, with APS-C DSLRs quietly fading away.

Olympus and Panasonic have built a remarkably fleshed out system in a very short space of time, they are quickly plugging the gaps in the M4/3 line up, certainly quicker than Nikon have been to give DX users what they want. I've jumped between Nikon DX, Micro 4/3 and Canon FF, the differences are much smaller than what many people would assume.

AF Tracking is mentioned quite a bit with CSCs, but they're getting there (and quickly), after a bit of setting up I was back to my old self very quickly when I had a season shooting with Micro 4/3 (Rallyday 2011, Britcar 24hr 2011), but as always people are quick to dismiss things based on what they read.

 

[Phil V]

I'm with Phil on this one the mirrorles cameras may be perfectly good for shooting static subjects and have very good IQ
but for many things such as fast moving subjects they are not there yet not up to it
I do wildlife and macro
It would cost a fortune for me to sell my lenses to change systems and would be worse off
I don't know much about the mirrorless lenses do they do an equivalent to the 100L macro and 100-400canon lenses ?

That's where the 'system' isn't as generic as some would have you believe, the Canon mirror less is APSC so with a small spacer all your lenses fit.

Where's the size saving? You've still got a massive lens, but now it's attached to a camera that's half the size.:shrug:

Now, a Canon CSC as nice as some of the better ones, with a couple of compact lenses makes a great travel kit, and could be pressed into use as a 2nd body with our regular lenses. That'd be cool, but the limitations still exist and aren't going away any time soon.

To be taken seriously, as a DSLR replacement, they need:
A 'studio' mode, to turn off the 'useful' feature of having the VF show the effects of our exposure settings.
Better evf's, I can see its the future, but they're not good enough by a long way.
Better AF, knowing that the focus is 'good enough' for most users does nothing for those of us that need a camera that can focus on a moving subject.

It'd be nice if the people for whom the CSC is the right camera, could understand that sticking their fingers in their ears and constantly proclaiming that, doesn't mean that they're perfect for everyone. Some of us have genuine needs that can't be met by a CSC.

 

[meonshore]

I was in work today, i overheard two chaps talking about how they are selling all there DSLR equipment as the mirrorless or micro four thirds will soon take over the DSLR?

Unless those two people were the heads of the imaging divisions of Sony or Canon (or possibly Nikon) then I'd say that was out of their hands...

The marketing seems to be working well though

For all the discussion above my post it is personal preference for what people want to carry. I do see a lot of more "senior" photographers switching to MFT because of the weight of DSLR systems - which I understand.

I can't see it or the other CSCs replacing the DSLR class of systems for a significant period of time - if ever. The industry, particularly the professional part of it, places significant demands on both quality, and flexibility of the tool and whilst you might find converts in the elderly and consumer parts of the photographic community as is evident from several posts on here you'll be prying DSLR systems from the cold dead hands of many others.

 

[AndyWest]

DSLR sales are down 7%, Compact sales down by 21% for the 2nd year running and Mirrorless (CSC) camera sales are up by over 70%. Figures from AP i think but interesting even if partially true.

 

[AJQS]

So everybody buysa DSLR for it's autofocus tracking do they? Get real. People walk into jessops and buy a DSLR because they think it makes them an instant photographer. THAT's the target market for CSC, as backed up by the recent Sony ad campaign.

When it comes to AF yes if you want to argue technicalities tracking focus will always be better on DSLR, but it's not faster, and let's get real is the least important factor in choosing a camera for 90% of people.

EVF - lots of people don't like them, I have no issues with them personally. You can use them in the dark unlike optical, you can alter magnification, crop and information display with far less hassle than optical and you can review images and change settings all without having to remove the camera from your eye. I for one find that handy.

So why am I using a DSLR now? Well the main criteria for me is the look of the images. Panasonic did a VERY fine job for landscapes, but the grass quite literally is greener with a Fuji, even if it means having to use several things I hate otherwise! You really do appreciate a CSC a lot more when the bag that used to hold a GH1, 5 lenses and a couple of film cameras as well as lunch now only holds a camera body and 1 lens!

 

[Spiritflier]

That's well said Alan.

I use both systems and there's no way I'd ditch my 5DMKIII in favour of my G3. I bought the G3 to take to work with me and not have to worry too much if it gets damaged or pinched.

Micro four-thirds for me isn't a 'serious' system... It's a fun one! Don't get me wrong, the image quality from the G3 can be very good but it's not as good as my 5DMKIII and as others have said, doesn't have the same 'feel'.

It'll be interesting to see how well the system develops over time though.

 

[Musicman]

It'd be nice if the people for whom the CSC is the right camera, could understand that sticking their fingers in their ears and constantly proclaiming that, doesn't mean that they're perfect for everyone. Some of us have genuine needs that can't be met by a CSC.

Er, Phil, I think the only person on this thread floating the idea that CSCs could or should be suitable for doing everything that a DSLR does is you. Nobody has said that they're perfect for everything. Just as in the days of film, 35mm SLRs didn't eclipse the need for medium format for weddings, advertising and landscape, nobody has said that anyone should be shooting a Premier League football match with one as their primary camera.

What you have been told is that mirrorless cameras can (and probably will) take significant parts of other markets.

 

[welshwizard645]

I hope DSLRs have a long life left in them,

I've owned a Canon G5 and looked recently at a G5, Give me an optical viewfinder anyday. Plus with my big clumsy hands the smallest I feel comfortable with is my K-5.

People have been predicting the demise of Olympus and Pentax for years now, they're still here and knocking out wonderful SLRs, people who don't have £6-800 to spend won't give up on APS-C DSLRs just yet. The market will get smaller but won't disappear, so there is life in the budget DSLR in my opinion.

When I read the title I thought how long would it be before DSLR became just 'SLR'....

 

[clicktor]

I've owned DSLRs and big white lenses and it comes down to your needs at a current point in time. For me currently in my life, I am quite happy to rely only on my Micro 4/3rds setup because having something that is "good enough" and very compact is the highest thing on my priority list. If I wanted to go out and shoot moving targets in low light from 100 yards, I'd borrow/buy something suitable.

I dislike this labelling of m4/3rd owners as "mirrorless fanboys" who claim to talk down DSLRs. I don't think many people who buy into m4/3rds really do so thinking it's better than a DSLR. They do so knowing the compromises with educated purchases.

 

[Rick_Luke]

A significant factor in the decision to buy the 5D3 for me was based on the AF system, given that the majority of what I enjoy doing is Wildlife and Motorsport so I am sure I am not on my own when choosing a new camera that the AF system will be a contributing factor to which one you ultimately choose.

 

[18-270]

It is the intention of the industry to phase the CSC market over the top of the entry level DSLR. This is not a revelation, to have a good understanding of our consumer market we normally sit a few years behind Japan. The CSC or "Mirrorless interchangeable lens camera" (CSC is a British term, Jessops introduced it) is almost half the sales over in the land of the rising sun (About 42%) Here/Europe it's just under 20% (About 17%) But it's climbing quickly!

A good indicator is the uploading use on picture sharing sites such as Flickr. EG: Nikon J1 http://www.flickr.com/cameras/nikon/1_j1 and also the aforementioned G3: http://www.flickr.com/cameras/panasonic/dmc-g3/ But you could counter argue and say, well look at the D7000! http://www.flickr.com/cameras/nikon/d7000/

Really there is and always will be room for both. The consumer end will buy more CSC but that includes the customer base that until now would not buy a DSLR and will buy in to the CSC, this also inflates the CSC sales figures. The enthusiast will more likely than not buy both. Image results vary from user to user so what takes the better photograph is really a mute point. I took a J1 sailing recently and loved the thing!

 

[ukaskew]

I dislike this labelling of m4/3rd owners as "mirrorless fanboys" who claim to talk down DSLRs. I don't think many people who buy into m4/3rds really do so thinking it's better than a DSLR. They do so knowing the compromises with educated purchases.

I do wonder how this came up, I certainly haven't seen much 'fanboyism', in fact plenty of M4/3 owners also own/use DSLR kit and as you say, are fully aware of what their gear is and isn't capable of. The G and OM-D owners threads are generally very pleasant and helpful places to be.

I hate the fanboy label, it happens everywhere, PS3 vs XBox, FWD vs RWD cars etc etc, people like to argue for the sake of it, but it's perfectly possible to enjoy one thing whilst appreciating another.

What I did find interesting from a year of motorsport shooting with M4/3 is that what was a very sociable activity whilst I owned big Nikon glass quickly became a very solitary experience. The quality of my photography didn't drastically change, but I may as well have been invisible, which certainly wasn't the case before. There are certainly still an awful lot of people who believe bigger = better.

 

[HoppyUK]

DSLR sales are down 7%, Compact sales down by 21% for the 2nd year running and Mirrorless (CSC) camera sales are up by over 70%. Figures from AP i think but interesting even if partially true.

It is the intention of the industry to phase the CSC market over the top of the entry level DSLR. This is not a revelation, to have a good understanding of our consumer market we normally sit a few years behind Japan. The CSC or "Mirrorless interchangeable lens camera" (CSC is a British term, Jessops introduced it) is almost half the sales over in the land of the rising sun (About 42%) Here/Europe it's just under 20% (About 17%) But it's climbing quickly!

A good indicator is the uploading use on picture sharing sites such as Flickr. EG: Nikon J1 http://www.flickr.com/cameras/nikon/1_j1 and also the aforementioned G3: http://www.flickr.com/cameras/panasonic/dmc-g3/ But you could counter argue and say, well look at the D7000! http://www.flickr.com/cameras/nikon/d7000/

Really there is and always will be room for both. The consumer end will buy more CSC but that includes the customer base that until now would not buy a DSLR and will buy in to the CSC, this also inflates the CSC sales figures. The enthusiast will more likely than not buy both. Image results vary from user to user so what takes the better photograph is really a mute point. I took a J1 sailing recently and loved the thing!

Source for these sales figures? I'm assuming it's GfK, though a quick google doesn't come up with much in the way of recent research. And I think it's actually very difficult to get hard numbers nowadays, as so much is sold on-line and imported and therefore difficult to track by normal methods (retail audits).

Personally, I have a hunch that in the over say £200 interchangeable lens sector, CSC are now already outselling DSLRs by volume.

I think Canon's stance is interesting. They were very late to the table with the mirrorless EOS-M, and that's pretty luke warm. But they continue to put out lots of new DSLR lenses, many of them with video-centric features, and are clear market leaders in the high-end DSLR-based video business.

It's almost as if Canon is by-passing CSC and putting all its eggs in the enthusiast/pro DSLR and video baskets. On the other hand, Nikon's vision of CSC in the smaller-sensored 1-series is conceptually the best IMHO.

 

[dkh]

So everybody buysa DSLR for it's autofocus tracking do they? Get real. People walk into jessops and buy a DSLR because they think it makes them an instant photographer. THAT's the target market for CSC, as backed up by the recent Sony ad campaign.

When it comes to AF yes if you want to argue technicalities tracking focus will always be better on DSLR, but it's not faster, and let's get real is the least important factor in choosing a camera for 90% of people.

So, 90% of people don't photograph people and pets? Let's not go into children at the local park.

When the majority of people buy a product, they don't research it for things like will it focus on children running around in a park. They watch an ad on TV that says that this is the bling they need - it's called marketing.

 

[HoppyUK]

So, 90% of people don't photograph people and pets? Let's not go into children at the local park.

When the majority of people buy a product, they don't research it for things like will it focus on children running around in a park. They watch an ad on TV that says that this is the bling they need - it's called marketing.

Very true. Almost by definition, anyone posting on here is a long way from the average camera buyer, even if they're spending a few hundred quid.

Sorry to say, but in the great scheme of things, we are camera geeks.

 

[18-270]

Source for these sales figures? I'm assuming it's GfK, though a quick google doesn't come up with much in the way of recent research. And I think it's actually very difficult to get hard numbers nowadays

Mine are based on the current figures available to my wife, who is the head of buying at a large UK camera company. My opinion on the sales direction is from close involvement with the photographic industry and listening to opinions of those that monitor and control it.

My personal option about the camera system is from use. (EG)

 

[HoppyUK]

Mine are based on the current figures available to my wife, who is the head of buying at a large UK camera company. My opinion on the sales direction is from close involvement with the photographic industry and listening to opinions of those that monitor and control it.

My personal option about the camera system is from use. (EG)

Right, looks like AJ on the link Your missus should have some interesting numbers then - could she give us an accurate steer on say CSCs vs DSLRs by percentage volume over the last six months?

Well over a year ago I was reliably told that UK sales of CSCs were around 25% of interchangeable lens camera sales and you only have to walk into Jessops or John Lewis (both local to me) and look at their displays to see where the sales emphasis is these days - and they are way more prominent than DSLRs.

Thanks.

 

[18-270]

Right, looks like AJ on the link Your missus should have some interesting numbers then - could she give us an accurate steer on say CSCs vs DSLRs by percentage volume over the last six months?

Well over a year ago I was reliably told that UK sales of CSCs were around 25% of interchangeable lens camera sales and you only have to walk into Jessops or John Lewis (both local to me) and look at their displays to see where the sales emphasis is these days - and they are way more prominent than DSLRs.

Thanks.

I'm unsure of the challenge? Are you saying I'm lying or mistaken? I am fully aware of what you'll find in a Jessops store I was a Jessops store manager for three years until I went back in to full time photography early this year. The reason why the sales floor is mainly CSC is because both want the major sales percentage and are fighting for it at the sharp end. Being reliably told and looking at actual sales data are different things. The figures will change when the new data from many sources will come out for Sales Meetings in January.

 

[HoppyUK]

I'm unsure of the challenge? Are you saying I'm lying or mistaken? I am fully aware of what you'll find in a Jessops store I was a Jessops store manager for three years until I went back in to full time photography early this year. The reason why the sales floor is mainly CSC is because both want the major sales percentage and are fighting for it at the sharp end. Being reliably told and looking at actual sales data are different things. The figures will change when the new data from many sources will come out for Sales Meetings in January.

Please don't take me the wrong way, it's not a challenge, just clarification of some facts. I'm just asking a simple question, that your missus should be able to answer easily without disclosing anything too confidential that would be of immense usefulness to this thread. If she could just verify what you've already posted, stating volume or value, that would be great, anything more a bonus

My information comes from managing directors of major UK importers who make it their business to know these things, and pay research companies large sums for accurate data across the market. Your previous post suggests that DSLRs outsell CSCs by six to one, and on that basis CSCs are doing badly, unless you're talking about a professional camera dealer, though I'm assuming you mean Jessops.

 

[18-270]

Please don't take me the wrong way, it's not a challenge, just clarification of some facts. I'm just asking a simple question, that your missus should be able to answer easily without disclosing anything too confidential that would be of immense usefulness to this thread. If she could just verify what you've already posted, stating volume or value, that would be great, anything more a bonus

My information comes from managing directors of major UK importers who make it their business to know these things, and pay research companies large sums for accurate data across the market. Your previous post suggests that DSLRs outsell CSCs by six to one, and on that basis CSCs are doing badly, unless you're talking about a professional camera dealer, though I'm assuming you mean Jessops.

Five to one is closer but six to one about right, I only have access to sales values for jessops so no that can not be quoted. GFK have sales data for you, and news, you just have to look here and here. Other sources are here and here. I can assure you 17% of interchangeable sales is a good estimation.

 

[SnappyHappy]

Did you read my post?

What's the point in buying something that's 95% as good?

Unless for you the benefits outweigh the disadvantages - I appreciate for some people this is already the case.

When they are better than DSLR's it'll be a simple decision, whilst they're 95% as good as a DSLR....... well that's a simple decision too

Phil, for me and my goals, that's pretty much what I did. D90 and a few DX lenses for the Fuji X10. You might think this mad, but....

It does mostly 90 odd % of what the d90 does for my target (my kids)....WB/iso/ae etc...all at the touch of a button (d90 doesnt offer anymore buttons than this on the body really)

Built in flash is great for fill (sb600 was brill, but again OCF was only about 5% of my work - worth it for this small amount?)...ebay the flash and lets head away for the weekend and do some photos thats worth more in memories than the small mount of lowkey stuff i did

Image stabilisation, and a really tidy little lens (2.8 at full zoom of about 115mm i think) ok, sensor is tiny, but i can still get reasonable shallow dof if i try....compromises, thats what its about. Its not 1.8, but again, you try shooting kids in a park at 1.8....your miss rate will bring frustration...well, ok maybe thats just me those apertures just arent always practical.

No bag of lenses and flash for me at the park! Again, i might miss a few small percent, but really....pah...

I can do Velvia mode as well, a bit gimmicky, but who cares, i dont complain about the results ok, there are probably ways to achieve in PP, but again, i do minimal PP....

The fuji produces nicer jpgs straight out of the camera, skintones are wonderful. I thought Nikon was fine until i switched. Again, RAW, well i dont shoot it, so really dont need it....meh...

ISO - maaaybe not even 1 stop in it FOR ME...i use the EXR mode to get the best, but of course this means resolution down to 6mp....again...i dont print anything above a4...sooooo...non issue again.

I love carrying it about, if i tried, well the d90 and cheapo 35 1.8 will do better as the light goes, but i just feel my style has changed since i switched and i now capture better memories than technically brilliant but well, almost dull photos if that makes sense. Its FUN...i dont intend to make money from this, of course, you are different (thumbs)

And i can forget about my GAS.... ...or will i start looking at x pro?

Been a couple of months, and not missing it like i thought i might.... I dont do weddings, sports or wildlife of course. But thats the point - its about me and my work, not what people think should be using. The fuji gets it done no probs.

Just my view from my end of the world...just giving examples of one person and their style/requirements. I wont be the only one who walks into jessops with these views. (i dont do jessops, but you get the idea )

In summary, yes the small compromises are worth it to me.

And another thing (almost done)....the size of dslrs are so bulky when you stop using them and go and pick one up for a bit, nothing like slrs of the 70's...you will know this, but just saying for others who are very young, slrs really were smaller...(like for like here, not comparing the abilities of a d4 with a pentax me etc)...not talking about VR lenses either etc all adds bulk.

Cheers.

 

[SimonH]

...

The case you make, I think from where most people here are viewing, is for the addition of - rather than replacement by - a compact camera with more limited capabilities.

There's a strong case to be made for many DSLR photographers having a very capable, unobtrusive, compact camera always to hand, but for most I don't think it's a one-or-the-other choice.

 

[Musicman]

I do wonder how this came up, I certainly haven't seen much 'fanboyism', in fact plenty of M4/3 owners also own/use DSLR kit and as you say, are fully aware of what their gear is and isn't capable of. The G and OM-D owners threads are generally very pleasant and helpful places to be.

For the record, I own and use

35mm FF Canon DSLR and EOS film bodies

An m4/3 Panasonic G2

35mm manual focus film SLRs by Canon, Olympus, Praktica and Yashica

35mm film rangefinders by Yashica, Mamiya, Olympus, Fed and Canon

Mamiya medium format film SLRs

Yashica and Lubitel medium format TLRs

and an iPhone

I'm hardly a 'fanboy' for any particular manufacturer or system.

 

[HoppyUK]

Five to one is closer but six to one about right, I only have access to sales values for jessops so no that can not be quoted. GFK have sales data for you, and news, you just have to look here and here. Other sources are here and here. I can assure you 17% of interchangeable sales is a good estimation.

Thanks for the links, though they're a bit out of date in such a fast moving market growing at hundreds of per cent by some measures and one that was badly skewed by the tsunami. I think the last quarter of 2012 will be telling, and given that a DSLR in value terms can equal two, three or four CSC units, I would respectfully suggest that in volume terms DSLRs and CSCs are much closer than your sales value figures suggest.

From one of your links, dated April (must be this year): "...compact system cameras will continue to grow in market share, when compared with DSLRs. In Japan, trends show that CSC sales have already overtaken DSLRs, with recent predictions by Panasonic suggesting that the UK will also see the same trend by 2015."

 

[Phil V]

I'm fairly certain that most DSLR owners will be happy with a CSC*.

But I was fairly certain that most DSLR owners never needed a DSLR, they were consumer users, buying them because they wanted a 'good' camera. The bridge and high end digital compact never quite achieved that status.

*But that's a long way from believing that the CSC can replace an SLR, the SLR will just return to being the niche product that it's been for most of it's history.

And now at weddings instead of the clueless cousin of the bride telling me his iphone is perfectly capable of the same IQ because it has 20 megapixels, it'll be Uncle Joe with his CSC telling me I could do it better and save my backache by using a CSC

Meet the new boss - same as the old boss

 

[SnappyHappy]

I agree with all of that, Phil...you are correct, most probably never needed one in the first place. I as trying to say that, but babbled on and on... thats my view on how it will end up as well.

 

[18-270]

Thanks for the links, though they're a bit out of date in such a fast moving market growing at hundreds of per cent by some measures and one that was badly skewed by the tsunami. I think the last quarter of 2012 will be telling, and given that a DSLR in value terms can equal two, three or four CSC units, I would respectfully suggest that in volume terms DSLRs and CSCs are much closer than your sales value figures suggest.

From one of your links, dated April (must be this year): "...compact system cameras will continue to grow in market share, when compared with DSLRs. In Japan, trends show that CSC sales have already overtaken DSLRs, with recent predictions by Panasonic suggesting that the UK will also see the same trend by 2015."

I'm not interested in this back and fourth. You're just for reasons that elude me calling me a lair :bang: If you knew as meany people in the industry as you claim then you'd be fully aware of who I am and what I base my information on I'm not going to argue with you I was simply responding to a thread on the internet.

 

[HoppyUK]

I'm not interested in this back and fourth. You're just for reasons that elude me calling me a lair :bang: If you knew as meany people in the industry as you claim then you'd be fully aware of who I am and what I base my information on I'm not going to argue with you I was simply responding to a thread on the internet.

Nobody's calling anyone a liar, though you are also doubting my sources. You seem to be talking about value, I am talking about volume/units - it's entirely possible the two could agree.

The information on the links you provided, and for which I'm grateful, says that in some markets (Japan), CSC and DSLR sales are already neck and neck by volume. Japan always tends to lead in these things, but also the UK is usually quicker to follow than either the US or Europe, surprisingly.

 

[gadgeteer]

The DSLR won't die per se. But the market will evolve.

It's easy to forget that most people sporting DSLR's are not professionals or even serious enthusiasts. The vast majority of owners will be people who just want good quality photos of their holidays, kids and family days out.

I have a friend like that. He could easily afford the top of the range DSLR and pro grade lenses. But he's not bothered about having a Canon 1DX with L lenses. He'll happy sacrifice the ISO & AF speed for a camera that will fit in a small bag and light to carry. All he wants is some nice photos of his wife & kids smiling on the beach.

Personally I think that the mirrorless market will consume the budget end of the current DSLR range. So those people who are buying the 1100D's and D3200's. DSLR's will continue to improve and push the boundaries. In a few years time I reckon FF DSLR's will be the norm. As a result, pros will use DSLR's, everyone else mirrorless.

 

[bl0at3r]

Another prime example of why threads like this should be deleted immediately by the mods...

A whole bunch of grown men (and women) arguing, willy waving and bitching about whatever camera or system they are trying to self-justify this week.

Who cares what camera you have or I have - go out and take some pictures, capture some memories and have some FUN (yes - including the people who do it for a living).

The DSLR will live on for the die-hards, but other systems will catch up eventually.

 

[Phil V]

The DSLR won't die per se. But the market will evolve.

It's easy to forget that most people sporting DSLR's are not professionals or even serious enthusiasts. The vast majority of owners will be people who just want good quality photos of their holidays, kids and family days out.

I have a friend like that. He could easily afford the top of the range DSLR and pro grade lenses. But he's not bothered about having a Canon 1DX with L lenses. He'll happy sacrifice the ISO & AF speed for a camera that will fit in a small bag and light to carry. All he wants is some nice photos of his wife & kids smiling on the beach.

Personally I think that the mirrorless market will consume the budget end of the current DSLR range. So those people who are buying the 1100D's and D3200's. DSLR's will continue to improve and push the boundaries. In a few years time I reckon FF DSLR's will be the norm. As a result, pros will use DSLR's, everyone else mirrorless.

Although I agree with your sentiments re people not wanting to lug SLR's, I don't think it's just the budget end of the market that will suffer. People don't buy cheap DSLR's because they're inexperienced, or expensive ones because they're pro's. They buy what suits their budget, and whilst the price of a CSC is closer to a mid-range DSLR, that's the market they're biting into, as the ranges fill out, they'll cut across all sectors.

 

[donut]

I'm not interested in this back and fourth. You're just for reasons that elude me calling me a lair :bang: If you knew as meany people in the industry as you claim then you'd be fully aware of who I am and what I base my information on I'm not going to argue with you I was simply responding to a thread on the internet.

have we got a rolling on the floor ****ing myself laughing smiley anywhere ?

 

[ShrubMonkey]

Another prime example of why threads like this should be deleted immediately by the mods...

Exactly mate, for threads like this you have the forums on DPReview

 

[ukaskew]

Another prime example of why threads like this should be deleted immediately by the mods...

A whole bunch of grown men (and women) arguing, willy waving and bitching about whatever camera or system they are trying to self-justify this week.

The only argument I can spot is one about sales figures and the status of forum members in the industry.

I thought the general discussion was quite interesting (and civil), but it only takes one or two to derail things.

 

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have we got a rolling on the floor ****ing myself laughing smiley anywhere ?

It's not that funny! :shrug: This year is my first product endorsement so I'll be public famous soon also! Well, I'll have a stand at Focus does that mean I'll get noticed

The only argument I can spot is one about sales figures and the status of forum members in the industry.

I thought the general discussion was quite interesting (and civil), but it only takes one or two to derail things.

Indeed, I can't see an argument only toing and froing that was getting nowhere but hardly an argument! :bonk: people are allowed to disagree, boring old place if we all agreed. If this was an argument then we should both stand and be counted and receive our award for, the most civil internet "argument" of all time!

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