Can anyone dissuade me from getting a DSLR?

zcar21 · Jun 6, 2013

Two advantages of point and shoot are size and weight, just put it in your pocket and take it anywhere. My father just got a superzoom p&s and it has some manual setting and is lighter than a dslr. With good light a p&s can take good picture, also you can save money to go out places to take pictures.

ronlane · Jun 6, 2013

[h=2]Can anyone dissuade me from getting a DSLR?[/h]
Nope, because if we write something on here, then our spouse or s.o. might see it and use it against us as a reason for us to not get something related to our cameras.

Sounds like you really want the dslr. As stated, get that used one and try it, if you don't like it, then you shouldn't have trouble getting your money back.

cynicaster · Jun 6, 2013

I agree with all of the points being made on the merits of DSLR, but still, I’m of the mind that DSLR is a pointless waste of money unless you already know (or genuinely plan to learn) how to use the equipment. If all you plan to do is walk around with your “professional looking” camera with kit lens, set to green box auto, and firing pop-up flash, then you’ll do just as well for much less money with a decent P&S. In fact, you might even do better, because P&S cameras tend to have some nice features not found on DSLR’s; features that are geared toward users who would rather let the camera do everything for them (creative “effects”, stitching modes, and the like).

Canon and Nikon love to perpetuate the myth that a DSLR camera automatically means crazy awesome pictures, but don’t believe the hype. You need to work your brain and learn if you want to get your money’s worth out of the tool. I couldn’t believe it—a few weeks ago, I was walking across the bridge at Deception Pass in Washington while traveling for business, and I saw this guy with a Canon DSLR and great big grey lens shooting pictures of the water and horizon, and I noticed he had it set on green box auto mode. So there is a guy holding a few thousand dollars’ worth of gear in his hands, using it like a piece of gear he got for free with the purchase of an HP printer. Don’t be that guy.

I had a PowerShot Canon before I got into DSLR and it had all the main manual controls and lots of other nice “post novice” features like exposure compensation, exposure lock, flash exposure lock, different metering modes, etc.

This post probably reads as though I’m trying to dissuade you, and really, I’m not. I just think these points are germane to the discussion.

jakehinds · Jun 6, 2013

Thanks guys. It seems like most of you said just go for it, and I guess I will. I have no other want's, so why not go big? And I would get that camera that somebody posted earlier, but its more expensive than the two I listed! haha, And I've heard so many good things about prime lens'. I may have to pick one up! And It's not my birthday till September, just planning ahead

PhotoPro001 · Nov 1, 2015

jakehinds said:
Thanks guys. It seems like most of you said just go for it, and I guess I will. I have no other want's, so why not go big? And I would get that camera that somebody posted earlier, but its more expensive than the two I listed! haha, And I've heard so many good things about prime lens'. I may have to pick one up! And It's not my birthday till September, just planning ahead

I don't know what or if you got or have decided on, but both Nikon and Canon have super zooms that have great sensors, tremendous long (40-60x) zooms and are put out by great manufacturers.

astroNikon · Nov 1, 2015

PhotoPro001 said:
I don't know what or if you got or have decided on, but both Nikon and Canon have super zooms that have great sensors, tremendous long (40-60x) zooms and are put out by great manufacturers.

This thread started over 2 years ago.