P/S or DSLR

[easy_e65]

I think this is just my second post so you can tell I'm new around here. I have currently a 5-6 year old Sony P/S, which does an ok job of taking pictures, but it has a limited memory stick size as it uses an older tech.

Anyway, what I am getting at is: I'm looking to upgrade to something more current. I think I want to get a DSLR, but I'm not sure of the advantages over a P/S. I like the feel of the Canon XTi, I like that I can manually adjust the lense, it just "feels" like photography.

My main concern is I would be spending too much money on too much camera. Mostly I take pictures of the standard family stuff, birthdays, weddings, holidays, the wife, the dogs, etc, but I find that even consecutive shots of the same subject doesn't produce the same results. I don't know whether it is the camera (unlikely) or myself (more likely).

The root of the question is, would a high end P/S produce casual pictures of comparable quality to a DSLR? Or rather what can a DSLR do that a P/S can't, even with the most experienced user? I really want to get the most bang for my buck as far as variety of shots zoom, macro, portrait, etc.

If anyone has made it through the rambling, any suggestions would be great, plus I don't really plan on buying a new camera for a few months, I just need one by May, the wife is graduating college.:mrgreen:

Thanks in advance,
E

 

[That One Guy]

if you are just a "snapshot" shooter then stick with p&s

if you want to take your photography to a new level and have creative control over it, then get a dslr.

keep in mind that dslrs have automatic modes, but dslrs do take some time to learn and use them well.

 

[Rachelsne]

I agree

but if you want to get a camera that will teach you basics with out spending a huge amount go for an advanced point and shoot which allows you to change important things like aperture, shutter speed and white balance, it will allow you to learn the basics if you decide you dont like using manual modes you can always switch back to auto mode

 

[Alpha]

Canon G9

 

[Cero21]

Canon S5 maybe? It has all the advanced features and a nice zoom.

 

[easy_e65]

I looked at both the G9 and the S5, but also the SX100. Shallow though it may sound, I really like the aesthetics of the SX100. Would any of these make for a good stepping stone? or should I just learn as I go with a DSLR? As far as "taking creative control" wouldn't any manual camera settings work to that effect? Or is something lost in translation?

Thanks again for the help so far,
E

 

[Socrates]

The root of the question is, would a high end P/S produce casual pictures of comparable quality to a DSLR? Or rather what can a DSLR do that a P/S can't, even with the most experienced user? I really want to get the most bang for my buck as far as variety of shots zoom, macro, portrait, etc.

E

1. NO P&S in the world can produce the same shots as can a DSLR. Period. The major reason is the physical size of the sensor. The dinky sensors on P&S cameras are conducive to electrical noise at high ISOs and they make it physically impossible to create a shallow DoF. Here's an example that I've used many times in this forum:
http://web.mac.com/george.dick/Photos/Katie.html

2. If you've never used an SLR (film or digital), be forewarned that it does have a steep learning curve. Of course, they all have P&S modes but that defeats much of the reason for going to an SLR.

3. SLRs are bulky and generally a pain to carry around, especially with several lenses, an external flash head and a Stroboframe bracket for the flash. You can't take many pics with the camera that you left at home.

 

[easy_e65]

Thanks for all the help so far. I'm still not convinced that I need all that a DSLR offers but the depth of field is a really cool look. Is that the "biggest" difference? Assuming I would only be able to use the stock lense that comes with the DSLR(18-55mm f/3.5-5.6)?

I like the P&S's built in zoom, as I will need to shoot some pics of the wife on graduation day. I guess just the instant versatility of the P&S is comforting, while the endless possibilities of the DSLR is intriguing.

While not necessarily practical I would like to get the whole shebang for around $500, memory card and camera. That pretty well puts me into the P&S category though.

Thanks,
E

 

[Jermz_01]

stick with the P/S... get an inexpensive tripod and a few memory cards all for around your $500 range and call it a day...

some will argue the whole "which is better and why" and that's cool... but if you are just wanting to take some basic shots and not looking at spending a lot of time learning a new camera, learning all the lingo / jargon, and looking to make a living out of photography... save the cash!

good pictures are taken by good photographers... they just also happen to have some nice equipment usually ;-)

 

[Viperjet]

Get the XTi and a decent lens (not a kit lens) and you will be able to get much better image quality than with your p/s.

 

[nabero]

Get the XTi and a decent lens (not a kit lens) and you will be able to get much better image quality than with your p/s.

That's true...but there's no way that would fit into a $500 budget.

 

[easy_e65]

Thanks for all the help everyone. I think I'm going to go with the Canon S5, really learn some photography basics and then work into a DSLR, maybe after those pesky student loans get paid off. I thought for sure when I paid mine off 4 years ago I was done. That is what I get for thinking, eh? Can't wait to start learning how to take better, more consistent shots.

E

 

[easy_e65]

That's true...but there's no way that would fit into a $500 budget.

The camera body of the XTi is $520 on B&H, is there a good lens for $100-$150, that would allow a decent zoom and good all around performance? Or perhaps 2 lenses to cover the P&S basic zooming ability?

E

 

[nabero]

The camera body of the XTi is $520 on B&H, is there a good lens for $100-$150, that would allow a decent zoom and good all around performance? Or perhaps 2 lenses to cover the P&S basic zooming ability?

E

I don't know a whole lot about lenses...but I can't imagine you'd find what you're looking for in that price range. I might be wrong...and if I am...then let this serve as a bump so someone who knows more can let you know

BTW...When I first started thinking about photography I bought a fuji finepix s7000 (though older, I think it's fairly similar to the g9, etc. mentioned earlier). I found it to be a good stepping stone. A camera like that allowed me to take great pictures on auto--no learning curve--point, click, nice picture. But it gave me the option to "play" with the settings.

But that's just my experience...good luck!