Thinking of a big change to the way I shoot from 5D to P&S

[rogertb]

I love my 5D Mk II and am loathe to think about moving to another system but thought I'd get some thoughts from you chaps. When countryside walking I carry my 5D with the 70-300 attached and sometimes another lens or two etc etc. this makes for a heavy bag but I can manage it ... but ... I don't think I've taken a good shot for over a year (ie a shot that I thought "it was worth humping all the kit around for that one image"). I take pics for a local auction house so I need macro capabilities (jewellery), I've heard that a p&s can offer good dof for the close-ups but are they any good for wildlife ? I know this is a big question and I've tried to keep it brief. I have loads of gear and could fund (if I sell it all) a good replacement (I cannot afford to keep both) but will I regret it ... I spent many years working my way up to a full frame and adding lenses, spare batteries, tripods, strobes, bags etc but in reality I use very little of it. My son recently bought a good p&s and loves it and the images are excellent quality. I think I'd miss a viewfinder and interchangeable lenses but I am a hobbyist (OK I earn a few £s a month at the auction but I shoot 1,000 images over a few days, this is not 'art') ... I'll stop now or I'll ramble for hours. Roger

 

[twhite87]

Have you thought about a CSC? I've got a Sony A5000 with a 16-50 and a 55-210 which I love for walkabouts. I still don't think it compares to my 5D3 and lenses, but it's certainly a good trade off for weight when out and about.

 

[stupar]

You should maybe look at something like the Sony RX100 or Fuji X100 style cameras.
Whilst not sure on their macro capabilities they are solid performing pocketable cameras that can shoot RAW if you still want to fiddle in post but have a fixed lens which make things far more portable.
There are other brands of camera that are similar in purpose but the above two are rhe ones i know most of.

Whilst not exactly an identical situation but similar -
I had a Canon 5Dmk2 with all the lenses and accessories that filled and weighed down a big rucksack.
I eventually sold it all off and moved into mirrorless (fuji XM1 first to test the water which has now been replaced by a Fuji XT1)
I get to keep a camera on me that allows me to take great photos but without all the extra baggage.
So even though i have gone from full frame to crop, I have never looked back yet and feel i am not missing anything as a landscape and portrait shooter.

 

[wardy07]

Roger I did pretty much the same thing a few months ago and never stopped regretting it! The fact that you're asking if you will, suggests to me that there are strong doubts in your mind already and once you've surrendered the equipment and have only a small P&S to show for it, I believe you'll be thinking "why did I do this".
The problem I've found is that you start wondering what you could have captured if you'd had your big boy kit and that's the mind set I got into very quickly.
I know you said it's a burden carrying the body and lenses around but factor into that the variety of different shots you can get with the kit and what you would get from a lesser system. I went to Sony RX3, then to Olympus M43 as I believed I needed to change lenses again. In reality it was the DSLR I wanted back.
I'm now back on the trail of rebuilding which isn't easy if you're budget restricted which you seem to suggest you would be in that you can't afford both systems at the same time. You own a 400 mm lens now and you wouldn't get the same results from P&S as the range won't be the same nor would the quality of shot imo.
One suggestion, if you don't use the 400 lens, have you thought about selling that to fund a decent P&S to try out first, then you still have the majority of your DSLR kit if you didn't get on with the smaller camera system?
These are just my opinions based on a similar experience but others may offer a different viewpoint. I was advised not to throw all my eggs into one basket when I downsized but I ignored it and regretted it ever since.

 

[tijuana taxi]

My story is the total opposite to that told by Chris, went from pretty much the same as the OP to the much smaller and lighter Fuji X system and haven't regretted it at all.

I was getting increasingly fed up and knackered with carrying such a weighty backpack especially on days with a fair bit of walking. Consequently the camera gear was getting used less and less as the weeks passed by although I did miss taking photos very much.

Started reading a good few positive reviews of the Fuji kit so bought an X-E1 and 18-55mm lens from the refurb shop for a very reasonable price. Took it out for a long day walking in the Worth Valley including a ride on the steam railway, good test with various subjects covered.
Really delighted when I got home and downloaded the photos, after a few more days to make sure I traded the 5D MkIi for a X-T1 and have never looked back. Sold most of my lenses and bought a few of the excellent Fuji ones, the 55-200 compares well with my Canon 70-200 f4 is, so can't be bad.

The change has made me enjoy my hobby much more again and no longer do I dread carting all the kit about. My daughter on seeing and using my lighter kit has made a similar move, she also uses a camera much more again these days.

Maybe do something similar, buy a cheapish s/hand mirrorless camera with interchangeble lens and see how you get on, if no good seĺl it on again.

 

[lostsoulal2]

Sounds like a compromise could be the answer for you; maybe a bridge camera? slightly larger than a point and shoot compact camera.
The Sony RX10 (mark 1 or II) will give you the equivalent focal length of 24–200 mm or if you want the extra reach look at the Panasonic FZ1000.

 

[4wd]

It's not as if you must sell the 5D immediately, must admit since I got a Canon S100 the 5d has been little used.
You will find your SLR knowledge helps you get far more from a good compact than an "average" user on auto.

 

[TimHughes]

Fortunately budget has allowed me the luxury of dslr and compact so I didn't have to choose one over the other. Before trading in all your dslr kit I would encourage you to get clear in your mind what you are looking for from photography and then decide. Eg candid snaps, artistic landscapes, portraits etc. maybe the dslr with one lens would do the trick?

 

[mikew]

I wouldn't part with your Canon i would and did add a bridge camera for my longer walks,if you can compose to fill the frame and mainly want your images for PC viewing a bridge camera could be the answer.i had the P610 and got on well with it,last year i changed it for a P900 which hasn't been used much yet but here is a sample of wildlife from it.





This guy does all his work on a bridge camera

https://www.flickr.com/photos/114781512@N02/

Nothing matches a DSLR but it depends on your needs

 

[rogertb]

Thank you all so much ... really interesting that others have had similar experiences, this, of course also has resulted in the two opposing opinions ie reinforcing my dilemma. The X-T1 looks really good but with a lumpy lens I guess it's still pretty heavy ... of course I realise that if I want the quality I have to take the weight hit. The Panasonic FZ1000 looks really interesting - good reach and no bag of lenses to carry around. Then there's the Sony A500 ... interesting. This gives me an excellent start for my research and I cannot thank you all enough for taking the time.

 

[AJQS]

It's true compacts do offer much greater DOF for Macro, but the trade off is that the optics are poorer so the pictures aren't as good. It's also common for macro capabilities to be limited to the wide end of the zoom range, making for some very unflattering or awkward images.

There are some long zoom P&S cameras that have great wildlife capabilities, though I cannot name them off hand, I've merely seen results over the years that have impressed me.

 

[Nawty]

It's true compacts do offer much greater DOF for Macro, but the trade off is that the optics are poorer so the pictures aren't as good.

Have you not seen this thread?

https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/t...-dslr-primes-a-journey-of-exploration.531050/

OP, I ended up ditching my FF kit after trying m43 as a 'travel camera' after which I didn't touch the DSLR. I did it in stages though but the only result of this was that my FF kit devalued over the year I didn't touch it.

Like above, I bought something cheap just to try and then fell in wholesale, you could try the same?

 

[rogertb]

Further reading suggests that the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000 is not really up for macro and very poor dof (I shoot a lot of jewellery very fast so no budget for focus stacking in post) so I guess that shortens the list - pity I liked the idea of a fixed lens super zoom ...

 

[Nawty]

Further reading suggests that the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000 is not really up for macro and very poor dof (I shoot a lot of jewellery very fast so no budget for focus stacking in post) so I guess that shortens the list - pity I liked the idea of a fixed lens super zoom ...

For that specific task you could look at the Olympus EM1 which does focus bracketing AND focus stacking in camera and the results are surprisingly very good.

 

[JohnX]

I shoot Pentax, (weather resistant K20D + K5II + DA* lenses), and like the OP found I was lugging the kit around and not using it much, which resulted in the kit getting left at home.

To revitalise my photography I bought a Fuji X20. Great little camera, and it got taken (and used) everywhere, BUT, I missed the quality and flexibility of my DSLR's and lenses.

Next step was to buy a smaller Pentax DSLR, the K-S1 (got all sorts of poor press even from Pentax users, but actually it's a great little and light body) and I now carry it together with a selection of Pentax Limited primes in a small shoulder bag.

If it helps the OP, I found the Fuji got me back into my hobby, but the small Pentax body is now my preferred option, although the bigger kit still gets used if I need weather resistance.

The answer is, (should you need an excuse?), you need the appropriate kit for the circumstances in which you plan to shoot, which is a great excuse to buy more kit and keep what you've got!

 

[robinchun]

I recently purchased a Fujifilm X30 , great buy on Amazon, though I notice its gone up again!, and it made me fall in love with photography again..a lot of the time I just couldn't be bothered with lugging around my D7000 and kit..the specifications and functionality of the X30 are great for someone coming from a DSLR and though a small sensor the quality is amazing, also from JPEGS, though you've got RAW too..I'd defo recommend you check it out..

Robin

 

[alfbranch]

Further reading suggests that the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000 is not really up for macro and very poor dof (I shoot a lot of jewellery very fast so no budget for focus stacking in post) so I guess that shortens the list - pity I liked the idea of a fixed lens super zoom ...

Any camera do proper macro for hardly any money

https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/t...-shoot-travel-camera-for-macros.618768/unread

Nick usually uses a FZ200 I think.

M4/3 can be small too or big if necessary

XZ1 & 5 comparison 2 by Alf Branch, on Flickr

XZ1 & 5 comparison_ by Alf Branch, on Flickr


As said the E-M1 has in camera focus stacking when used with the 60mm macro

 

[pingu666]

you can certainly do compact and kit lens ish focal lengths, for longer focal lengths then the other option is bridge, most recent i tried was a leica one which was increadably light, but they are a fairly decent size.

i tended to use a sigma dp on neck strap, and then dslr with tele lens or ultra wide, or 85mm 1.4 on a sling strap.

ricoh gr or x100 would be even smaller/lighter i guess

 

[UaeExile]

Thank you all so much ... really interesting that others have had similar experiences, this, of course also has resulted in the two opposing opinions ie reinforcing my dilemma. The X-T1 looks really good but with a lumpy lens I guess it's still pretty heavy ... of course I realise that if I want the quality I have to take the weight hit. The Panasonic FZ1000 looks really interesting - good reach and no bag of lenses to carry around. Then there's the Sony A500 ... interesting. This gives me an excellent start for my research and I cannot thank you all enough for taking the time.

If you're considering Fuji, the 18-55 "kit" is small, compact and f-ing brilliant.

 

[magicaxeman]

Over the years my ever worsening physical abilities have made weight a primary concern for me and led me to try pretty much every format out there from compacts/premium compacts, bridge cameras, small csc's like the Nikon 1 series, micro 43, APS-C csc's, lighter DSLR's such as the canon xxxD series.

My findings are:

A - its always a trade off between smaller sensor size & iQ - The smaller the sensor size the lower the ISO where noise starts to become an issue, so whereas on the Fuji X-Pro1 I will happily shoot @ ISO 3200, on for instance the Olympus OM-D EM1 I restricted myself to ISO 1600 & on the Nikon P7800 compact to ISO 800.

B - Though body weight can be an issue its lens weight where the biggest problem lies especially if you want good fast glass with the average 70-200 f2.8 weighing in at well over a kilo as you know and longer lenses getting even heavier.
I found the Fuji lenses a little lighter than they're APS-C counterparts from other brands and certainly very sharp but the real weight saving comes with Micro 43 lenses, a 60mm macro f2.8 weighing under 200 grams, a 45mm f1.8 weighing the same, a 100-300 F5.6 at 560 grams and the superb Olympus 40 - 150 f2.8 at 765 grams so thats an 80-300 equivalent lens at half the weight of its nearest counter part.

Looking back over my wild life images the Canon 500D/Tamron 70-300 VC gave the best results, even when shot wide open & at higher ISO's but the raw's took a lot of processing to get really good images, next was the Fuji's with the added bonus that the jpgs where so good straight out of the camera I no longer HAD to shoot raw & process to get a good image.
I also had some great images from the EM1 micro 43 but I've just got the new body & lens so its to soon to comment really though I'm starting to feel that the combination of the pen F with its 20mp sensor & no AA filter and the 40-150 F2.8 could be the way to go for me with the faster glass meaning I can keep the shutter speeds up and still shoot at a low ISO, I guess time will tell.

The Nikon P7800 wasn't bad either with its fairly small size,long zoom range & fairly fast aperture ( f2.8 - f4 if memory serves me correctly) good controls, great rear screen but no view finder and it was that latter point that led me to change it more than anything else.

So its worth going to your local shop and trying a whole raft of different cameras, different form factors, different brands & styles and see what suits, but as already said don't dive in and get rid of the DSLR until you've spent some time with the new camera and are certain your making the right move.

 

[rogertb]

Again more excellent advice thank you all ... and magicaxeman I really must try and get to a friendly shop and get my hands on some of these options ...

 

[troutfisher]

I had exactly the same dilemma a load of good canon gear that sat in a cupboard and never got used so I kept the specialist ( for me FF Lenses -15mm FE, 24mm TS-E) kept the 5D Mk2 and bought a Sigma 50mm 1.4.
I sold all the rest ( 7D and 5 L lenses) and bought a fuji XT-1 with an 18-135 and a 27mm f2.8 and never looked back, I now take my camera everywhere I go.

 

[UaeExile]

Again more excellent advice thank you all ... and magicaxeman I really must try and get to a friendly shop and get my hands on some of these options ...

Always the best way to go. Some of these cameras sound great until you get them in your hands and they feel awkward and unintuitive.