Re: Thirteen Reasons to choose a Digital SLR over a Point and Shoot

While I'd love to have a DSLR, some of the following "information" about p&s
cameras just isn't right, so I had to add my 2 cents worth...



"SMS" <scharf.steven@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:B6LPk.5966$yr3.2878@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
With all the misinformation being posted by our friend with multiple
personalities, I thought that it would be a good idea to repost the facts
regarding the advantages of digital SLRs over digital P&S cameras. If I've
missed any of the advantages please follow-up with them.

Thirteen Reasons to choose a Digital SLR over a Point and Shoot

1. You shoot in low light.
Modern digital SLRs are able to produce low noise images at ISO speeds
up to 1600, depending on the camera. Point and shoot cameras, with their
small sensors, begin to exhibit noise at ISO 200, with some poorer
models being too noisy even at 100 ISO.

In general, this is true. But, for most p&s photographers, prints won't
usually get enlarged past 4 x 6, so the noise isn't that big of a deal.

2. You want to use flash attachments.
While a few higher end point and shoot digital models have hot shoes for
an external flash, most do not. Some Canon P&S models without hot shoes
can use a wireless flash, but it's not a great flash unit.

I disagree. The Canon HF DC1 is a great flash. It's easy to use and
produces good results in most situations. It's biggest drawback is its
price -- about $125 to $150. But, even after adding the price of the flash
to most 'A' series cameras, the total cost is reasonable for the results
obtained.


3. You need a wide-angle lens.
Digital SLRs have super-wide-angle zoom lenses available with an
effective focal length of as little as 16mm. There are no point and
shoot digital cameras with lenses that wide. With some point and shoot
cameras you can add on adapters to increase the wide-angle range, but even
the best adapters are of mediocre quality.

I'll agree with this one. However, anyone who wants a lens in the 16mm
range will probably be looking for a DSLR anyway.

4. You need a long telephoto lens.
Whether it?s doing wildlife photography in Alaska, or shooting at
sporting events, only a digital SLR can use long telephoto lenses. If
you only need a specialty lens for rare occasions, you can even rent one
for a couple of days. With some point and shoot cameras you can add on
adapters to increase the telephoto range but even the best adapters are of
mediocre quality.

I have to disagree again. My A720 comes with a 35mm to 210mm equiv lens.
It's pretty good for shooting animals, kids, etc. If you want better, there
are plenty of ultra-zoom lens p&s cameras on the market. The Canon
Powershot SX 1 / 10 is rated at 28mm to 560mm equiv... How much more zoom
does an amateur photog need?


5. You need fast auto-focus.
Most digital SLRs (with the exception of Pentax) use lenses with
internal high-speed focusing motors). Point and shoot digital cameras
cannot focus nearly as fast.

Not always true. The higher end p&s cameras aren't all that much slower at
focusing than the lower end DSLRs. For the money, most are pretty good.


6. You need low shutter lag.
Whether it?s photographing your child on a merry-go-round, or capturing
the crack of the bat against the baseball, you cannot obtain these shots
with a digital point and shoot camera because the time between when you
press the shutter and the image is captured is far too long. A digital
SLR has a mechanical shutter that opens instantaneously when the shutter
release button is pressed. In a point and shoot camera, the sensor is
activated electronically after it is used to focus the shot.

Total hogwash. Before the DSLR shutter can be activated, the mirror has to
be moved out of the way. It all boils down to timing. The more a
photographer uses his / her camera, the better they get at compensating for
shutter and focusing delays. Right now, all of the p&s shooters out there
are sitting back and laughing, thinking to themselves, "I guess I must have
been using a DSLR when I got those great shots of my kids baseball game, day
at the beach, ride on the merry-go-round...



7. You want to produce images that can be printed in large sizes.
Only a high-resolution digital SLR is suitable for poster size prints.


Strangely enough, not everybody wants to print poster sized prints. Some of
us are contented doing 8 x 10s, 11 x 14s, and there are a number of p&s
cameras that can take pics at ISO 100 clean enough to print at these sizes.

8. You want an optical viewfinder.
While a few point and shoot cameras have retained an optical viewfinder,
it?s been cost-reduced out of most models. Composing a picture on the
LCD screen, in bright sunlight, is very difficult.

If everybody wants an optical viewfinder, why aren't camera manufacturers
building them? And, why are DSLRs going "Live View"? I think you have that
one back asswards.


9. You want full manual control.
While some high-end point and shoot models have retained some level of
manual control, most have cost-reduced it out. On some Canon models,
there is third-party software that can get some of the manual control
back, but it's very flaky and complicated.

You really need to do more research. The Canon 'A' series and SX 1 / 10 are
just a few of the p&s cameras that feature full manual control. There's no
difference from using the manual modes on these cameras than using the
equivalent modes with DSLR units.


10. Expandability and upgradability.
Not only a wide variety of specialty lenses, but flash attachments,
filters, vertical grips, remote shutter releases, etc. If you eventually
want to upgrade to a better D-SLR body, a lot of the lenses and
accessories can be used on the new body if it?s from the same
manufacturer.

You need to be more creative.

If you start with the Canon SX 1 / 10, you can work with the same flashes
used on the EOS DSLR cameras. It's a great way to get started in the Canon
line. Just think what it would cost you to start off with a camera equipped
with a 28mm to 560mm lens going the DSLR route...

It is my understanding that the Canon SX 1 / 10 comes packaged with a remote
control. How many DSLRs do that?

You won't need a vertical grip with a camera that fits in the palm of your
hand...

As for filters, who uses filters now? Get a copy of Photoshop instead.


11. Rapid sequencing. For action shots, both of sports and people, you can
get the exact shot you want, even when the people are moving.

Hate to break it to you, but p&s cameras shoot multiple pics, too. Sure,
the burst rate isn't as quick, but your odds are still pretty good. And, if
you aren't prepared to lug the heavier DSLR around all the time, your odds
are WAY better with the p&s camera you have in your pocket than they are
with the DSLR back at home...



12. Cost. Say what? Yes, it?s true. With the free-fall of digital SLR
prices, you can now buy a D-SLR and a decent lens for less than the cost
of a high end point and shoot camera.

????

Even if you can find such a deal, I think I'd go with the high end p&s over
the low end DSLR...


13. Wide-range walk-around lenses. It used to be that people would buy a
wide-range ?SLR-like? P&S because they could achieve a wide zoom range
from wide-angle to telephoto without needing to change lenses, even though
the quality of these wide-range lenses wasn?t very good at the ends. Now
with several new wide-range D-SLR lenses, there is the option of not
having to change lenses. You can still use higher end wide angle and
telephoto lenses when the need arises, while enjoying the simplicity of a
wide-range zoom lens when you choose to be m

But, can you stick the DSLR in your pocket?

I don't go anywhere without my p&s camera.

How many DSLR shutterbugs can say that?

Don't get me wrong. I think that DSLR cameras are great, and I hope to
upgrade to one, eventually. But, after I upgrade, the DSLR will be used
only for images I will want to print very large, or for the ones I want to
catch in extreme lighting conditions. I'm guessing I'll still take more
pics with the p&s than I will with the DSLR.

Take Care,
Dudley


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