Digital SLR question..

[N80]

I'm sure the H5 is a great camera with lots of features, but it, and all other point and shoots have pretty severe limitations in terms of versatility compared to an SLR. Something like the H5 might serve your needs perfectly but even a modest SLR like the D40 or one of the Rebels can use the finest lenses that those companies have to offer so the possibilities are limitless.

And try not to get too excited about 'zoom' figures. First, if it is digital zoom, image quality suffers considerably and second, even if it is true optical zoom, getting goos photos at high zoom ratios requires considerable attention to technique regardless of the type of camera. A lot of people make a lot of blurry pictures using long focal lengths. Lastly, it is common for beginning photographers to get all excited about long lenses and zoom ratios, because big numbers sound sexy and important. This often leads buyers to neglect the wide angle aspect of photography which I find much more fun and useful in day to day photography. Most point and shoots do not go very wide. They make adapter lenses that will go wide but that aren't all that great. So as you shop think about wide angle too and remember that with a DSLR you have the option of going as wide and as long as you wish.

 

[RobertN]

And try not to get too excited about 'zoom' figures. First, if it is digital zoom, image quality suffers considerably and second, even if it is true optical zoom, getting goos photos at high zoom ratios requires considerable attention to technique regardless of the type of camera. A lot of people make a lot of blurry pictures using long focal lengths. Lastly, it is common for beginning photographers to get all excited about long lenses and zoom ratios, because big numbers sound sexy and important. This often leads buyers to neglect the wide angle aspect of photography which I find much more fun and useful in day to day photography. Most point and shoots do not go very wide. They make adapter lenses that will go wide but that aren't all that great. So as you shop think about wide angle too and remember that with a DSLR you have the option of going as wide and as long as you wish.

I would agree with that. For zooms, I like lenses with a moderate range. My favorite is my 24-120. It covers a nice range. And, 24mm is a good wide affect, especially compared to a 28mm which seems standard(at 35mm focal lengths). That 4mm makes a big difference. My other lense that get's lots of use, is 80-200/2.8. That is a nice range too, and the fixed 2.8 gathers good light.

Interestingly, one of the fun lenses that I have had opportunity to use is a 20mm/2.8. I was taking pictures of old tractors for a photo class. It was really cool the views you could take, and the slight distortion when shooting at a slight angle.

 

[EddieWalker]

Eddie you just made things more confusing.. LOL

Eddie - Do you find the shutter lag is less with your S2 versus a normal point and shoot camera, or have you even compared them?

Playing with one of the Sony's in the store it had a much less lag than our current P/S camera.. But my mom said her Sony H1 had a terrible lag..

thanks

Brian

Brian,

One thing that's going on in this discussion is you have some guys here who know allot about cammeras and have a passion for photography. That's not me. I like to take lots and lots of pictures, so that if one comes out bad, I don't mind deleting it. I'm also not attached to anything I've bought and used in the past. I sold my Cannon SLR 35mm camera with all it's lenses for less then I paid for one of my lenses. It was a huge loss if we just look at the dollar amounts I spent on it, but it was also a nice payday for a camera that has spent the last five years in my shed and will never be used again. Why hold onto old technology when the new is so much better?

I think SLR cameras are mostly for guys who have allot of money into there lenses and will keep using them no matter what. If they enjoy it, that's amazing, but I sure won't recomend doing the same when buying something new. They might have there place in profesional photography for specialized situations, but for those of us with regular jobs and just want to take nice pics, then the high end point and shoot cameras are by far the best band for you buck.

I have a pair of 10x50 Swarvoski binoculars that cost over $1,000. I also have a Swarvoski rifle scope on my .338 mag rifle that cost $700. I'm a big fan on quality glass and will pay the extra for what it will do. If I was a photographer, I would buy the very best glass available and would go SLR for the camera. But there is a point when you have to decide what you really want and will use the camera for. Same thing with buying a car. The lexus 430 is about the best car made, but most of us don't need all the luxery or extras. Cameras are the same way.

Our Cannon S-2 doesn't have any noticable lag time if it's in focus. We push half way down on the button to focus it and the actual picture is instant. We've taken pics of the kids runing, playing and being very active without missing a beat. Just keep it focused and there is no lag.

I would never buy Sony again. I have been disapointed in every Sony item I've ever bought except my TV, and even then, it's failed to turn on several times. It's five years old and I wont get another five years out of it. It's a Sony, it will fail quickly.

Most seem to agree that Cannon and Nikon are the better brands. If you're gonna spend $300 on a camera, you might as well buy the better brand.

Attached is a picture that I took yesterday of a bluebird. It's at full 12x magnification plus a little digital zoom through my front window.

Eddie

 

[IslandTractor]

The pseudo SLR cameras from Olympus, Sony, Canon and others can be very nice solutions to traveling light with a more flexible camera and a higher quality lens than any point and shoot. However, as with all cameras, they will become outdated in a few years and at that point the entire investment is used up. With a true SLR, you may change out the body but the lenses, by and large, are transferable to your new camera. Accessories such as dedicated flashes tend to be usable with new models in the same line too. That means 1) you only replace the SLR body and 2) your old body can serve as a back up using the same lenses and accessories.

However, if you are traveling light and want just one camera for a world trip or a high quality outfit that fits in a briefcase, or you just are not quite into the technical aspects of photography enough to justify the outlay and time required with an SLR, then the "pseudo" SLRs can be a great solution. Look for one with meaningful features such as optical image stabilization rather than just the size of the zoom and also look for one with a decent wide angle as that is often more important for travel than telephoto.

 

[thatguy]

Is the Canon S2 still being made? I was searching the web last night for a price and found that it was no longer available at several venders. Now, I did see many sites with the Canon S3. The S3 has some very good features.


Regards,
Duber

The S3 replaced the S2 (which is what Eddie has).. you can go to this website and see the difference between the S2 and S3, which they say were "minor upgrades" Canon PowerShot S3 IS Review: 1. Introduction: Digital Photography Review

brian

 

[dmartin88]

We recently purchased a Sony Alpha series DSLR, so far, have been very happy with it. It supports the older style Minolta type lens but we didn't have any other lenses so didn't really have that as a concern. Played with quite a few and ended up with this one based on reasonable reviews, sale prices, and a friend who has one and was happy.

More features than I can use but in auto, it does a great job- bought a 200mm zoom lens that has allowed me to get some nice wildlife (mostly birds and deer) shots from quite a distance.

Still learning but the Sony has worked well for me, good luck, like tractors, a lot of choices and a lot of opinions!

 

[thatguy]

I'm sure the H5 is a great camera with lots of features, but it, and all other point and shoots have pretty severe limitations in terms of versatility compared to an SLR. Something like the H5 might serve your needs perfectly but even a modest SLR like the D40 or one of the Rebels can use the finest lenses that those companies have to offer so the possibilities are limitless.

This is where my problems arrise.. I like the SLR mainly for the flexibility of ISO, shutter speed, and lenses... BUT the super zooms (S3/H2/H5) would probably do everything that I would ever need from it..

I loved my Nikon N50 (beginning 35mm SLR), but it was used 98% of the time on fully automatic. I would occasionally use one of the specific presets such as sports/portrait/scenic etc.. So i keep thinking about spending $600 to $800 for a SLR when a $300 super zoom MAY do what i want.. I am going to have to play with both extensively and decide.. Maybe if the CFO/wifey will allow, we could get a super zoom and if we dont like it upgrade to an SLR later.. lol

brian

 

[BillyP]

This is where my problems arrise.. I like the SLR mainly for the flexibility of ISO, shutter speed, and lenses... BUT the super zooms (S3/H2/H5) would probably do everything that I would ever need from it..

I loved my Nikon N50 (beginning 35mm SLR), but it was used 98% of the time on fully automatic. I would occasionally use one of the specific presets such as sports/portrait/scenic etc.. So i keep thinking about spending $600 to $800 for a SLR when a $300 super zoom MAY do what i want.. I am going to have to play with both extensively and decide.. Maybe if the CFO/wifey will allow, we could get a super zoom and if we dont like it upgrade to an SLR later.. lol

brian

I don't know a thing about cameras. I do have an Olympus 740 UZ and if it wasn't for the shutter lag I'd be completely satisfied. I use it set to Auto and use the zoom quite a bit. I think it takes decent pictures. Good enough for me anyway.

 

[RobertN]

I loved my Nikon N50 (beginning 35mm SLR), but it was used 98% of the time on fully automatic. I would occasionally use one of the specific presets such as sports/portrait/scenic etc..

Interesting to see how people use them. I started with a full manual SLR years ago(sturdy, trusty Pentax K1000). Then we moved to a Nikon N70, and finally I have a Nikon F100. We also have a Nikon point and shoot digital.

My wife uses the N70 mostly. She uses apeture priority. I use the F100 mostly, and shoot either manual or apeture priority. I have tried the auto setting on both camera's but was not impressed with the results.

We tend to use the preset on the point/shoot.

 

[milkman]

Now that you're thinking that the super zooms might serve your purpose, don't buy without at least checking out the Fuju S9000, fast start up time and excellent reviews.