entry dslr or high end compact

[xjken99]

Currently I have 3 Canon film slr's with mulitple lens and a Kodak point and shoot digital. I am thinking of upgrading in the digital area but, I am not sure if I should go with an entry level dslr or one of the high end compacts. The photography I enjoy is of the hobby type. I don't need it for work or for pictures as art or sale. I simply want a decent digital that I can take some nice pictures that I can hang on the wall if I want (not that the Kodak can not do that). The compacts that I am looking at are the Canon SX20 and the Nikon P90 and Nikon L100. I like these because of the long zooms. Of the three I am leaning towards the Nikon L100 because of the price and the zoom falls in between the Canon SX20 and the Nikon P90. If anyone has any of these I would appreciate your reviews or comments. If on the other hand you have other suggestions I would like to hear them also. Or as the title says should i go with an entry level dslr?

 

[JustAnEngineer]

Which Canon EF lenses do you already own? Any Canon DSLR could make use of them. Note that the less expensive cameras have a 1.6x crop factor, so the field of view will be less than you're used to when using these lenses on an EOS 35mm film camera.

 

[Derrel]

That question comes up frequently all across the web, and the answers vary tremendously based on who is asking, and who is answering. The physical size of the camera, and its portability/pocketability, as well as its speed of operation (shutter lag, focusing abilities) and its overall imaging abilities (lens aperture/zoom range/flash range)--all those things are factors only YOU can weigh for yourself.

Somebody said the best camera is, " the one you have with you, " and that's where the smaller,more-pocketable cameras come into their element. But thoe same cameras, many of them, are slow to focus and slow to shoot, so sometimes pictures you see slip away while you're waiting for the camera to get a focus lock, or to advance to the next shot, and so on.

The very small d-slr bodies are what they are, but now there are a few larger-sensor compacts with interchangeable lenses, from Panasonic and Olympus, in the micro 4/3 size that are in between compacts and compact dls-r bodies. Samsung has also introduced a new camera to this class, and Nikon has one supposedely ready for April to July unveiling. Wish I could be more help. My compact experiecnce is with the Pansonic DMC TZ3, which has a small,pocketable profile, but also a 10x zoom lens with Optical Stabilizer and a Leica-branded, moderately fast Vario-Elmar f/3.3 to f/4.9 lens that has a 4.6mm to 46mm focal length ranged, as well as the Nikon D40 compact slr. Both are good, for what they do. In lower light, the Nikon locks focus much faster,and produces better images, but it's too big for many occasions.

 

[schumionbike]

I had used long zoom point and shoot cameras before and while their zoom range can be useful at some point, the DSLRs are just much more fun to use, they react much quicker, give the phographer much more connection to the scenes he's taking the photo of. DSLR does make photography much more fun. DSLR image quality are also better but that's really up to the photographer anyway. The only negetive of DSLRs is that they are can be pain to carry around but a point and shoot with long zoom range are not small enough to put in your pocket or in a purse anyway.

 

[usayit]

I have a lot of fun with my two P&S; Panasonic TZ5 (super zoom) and LX3 (high end compact).

on the other hand...

no way would I consider either a replacement for a real DSLR or similar. I would put your money into a DSLR.

 

[xjken99]

Which Canon EF lenses do you already own? Any Canon DSLR could make use of them. Note that the less expensive cameras have a 1.6x crop factor, so the field of view will be less than you're used to when using these lenses on an EOS 35mm film camera.

My film slr's are pre EOS. They are use the older FD lenses. I am just not sure if I want to invest in another slr system and wonder if I would be satified with a high end compact.

 

[JustAnEngineer]

For $615 total, you could get something like the EOS Rebel XSi + EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS + EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS. That's more than you'd spend on a very good point & shoot.

 

[Mike_E]

Hi end compact. Just don't get rid of the SLRs you already have.

 

[Iron Flatline]

You're going about this the wrong way around. Shooting with a DSLR is fundamentally the same as shooting with a film SLR. The medium with which you capture the shot, and the way you develop/process the image afterward is different, but getting the shot is the same. If you enjoy shooting with your SLR, then you will also enjoy digital. If you consider shooting with your old Canons a pain, then ask how the experience might be different with a DSLR... If the things that bothered you about shooting in the past persist in the digital age, then opt for a compact and just worry about capturing fun moments.