DSLR vs. Compact Camera indoor no-flash

[elgmedull]

I have tried to use a DSLR-camera indoor with no flash by putting the ISO at maximum and use a slow shutter-speed. But I am not able to match my compact camera when it comes to brightness and depth-of-field. When I make the aperture larger the images of course gets brighter, but the depth-of-field becomes very bad. I have to use F/5.6 to get something that looks as close to as bright as the compact-camera, but then the depth-of-field is not nearly as good.

How can I use a DSLR-camera to get a picture indoors with no flash with a good depth-of-field and bright enough so that it is close to match my compact camera?
It seems like I have misunderstood something.

I am using a Canon Rebel XTi with the original lens and a Canon Ixus 95is.

 

[Big Mike]

Welcome to the forum.

Digicams (compact digital cameras) have very tiny sensors and the actual focal lengths are quite small...which means that they will naturally have a much deeper DOF than a camera with a larger sensor like a DSLR.

Actually, most people have the opposite concern to you...they want to get a shallow DOF and are disappointed that their digicams are just not capable of that in most situation.

The reality is that if you want more DOF, you will need to stop down the aperture...which will, of course, require you to have more light (or to use a slower shutter speed).

 

[elgmedull]

Thanks!

I probably used the wrong word when I wrote "bad" DOF. I know that in many circumstances it is nice to have a narrow DOF. But sometimes it actually happens that you want to have everything from near to far in focus, and that you want to do that indoor. Let's say that you want to take a picture of something/someone along the wall and you are standing in an angle and want everything in focus. How can you do that with a DSLR if you are prohibited of using a flash or tripod, and you are under low-light surroundings? Is it in these cases that a compact camera may be the best alternative?