When do you use your compact?

[blackrose89]

When I was getting my DSLR, people told me to hold on to my bridge. I've heard most professionals have access to their compacts. For what reason do you use your compact? Easy access to quick shots? Any particular time you use a compact rather then your SLR?

 

[KenC]

I have my G11 with me pretty much all the time, while I don't carry the SLR unless I'm going out specifically to do photography, so I use it for all sorts of things. Occasionally, even if I have the SLR, I will pull out the G11 anyway, for one of two reasons: 1) I need a lot of DOF and need to hand hold, and I know the G11 will give me more DOF at a given focal length than the SLR, or 2) I'm in a not so great neighborhood or in the middle of the street and the G11 will be faster.

 

[Automagic]

Only for quick shots and not so friendly areas.

 

[Overread]

When? Generally about 1 min after my mother hands me hers or a few moments after my sister leaves her laying around the house and I pick it up (mostly out of bordem).

Thus far I don't have my own and, honestly, I don't expect to buy one either. I find shifting from a DSLR to a compact camera hard now, most compacts are compact, small and light (which is great) but they lack controls and features I'm used to with the DSLR. I find the maze of auto modes never has the mode I want and I've no idea what the various modes are thinking or will give me. I also miss some of the creativity of having selective focus.
Lacking any form of manually controllable manual focus also hurts - electronic focus controls work only at the extreme ends - in the middle its nigh on impossible to get them to where you want.


Bridge cameras improve on a lot of those failings - offering some manual controls with regard to settings and often a similar shape (including mode dial) to a DSLR. However I likely won't be getting one of these either

To me the market has grown a little more and the keen DSLR shooter now has a new item out there that, whilst not cheap, is certainly suitable as the small camera. This is the mirrorless hybrid cameras - the Panasonic G series, Olympus PEN series as well as their new OM-D series. These offer small size cameras (the PEN series are almost identical to the small wallet cameras in body shape), but with high quality features. Giving you interchangeable lenses, manual focusing, slightly larger sensors than in most bridge or point and shoots (helps with quality and also improved selective focusing), a more pro build, more regular DSLR similar features and menu controls.
In short they are closer to mini-DSLRs than the bridge cameras, and yet with the micro4/3rds sensors capable still of the wide zoom range coverage even with smaller lenses.

In my view they are the ideal workhorse of the DSLR shooter wanting something smaller, but also capable and similar to what they are used to.


My dream - Olympus OM-D (called the E-M5 just to be confusing ) + flash + macro lens + something in the 200-300mm zoom range (which translates to something near 400-600mm in angles of view as compared to on 35mm sensors).

 

[480sparky]

I use my compact any time I've away from my vanity and mirror at home.


Oh, wait........... sorry......... wrong forum!



Actually, I don't have a compact. I'm patiently waiting for Nikon to figure out how to make one that shoots raw.

 

[one90guy]

When ever I leave the house, ok I forget a lot, I carry a Ricoh FF-3AF. Just about every time I do not have it I see something that would be a interesting photo. Camera is a little heavy but I wear cargo pants so its not a problem.

Sometimes friendly spots are not. I like to go out to the Jacinta Battle Grounds and I avoid weekends and holidays. And I picked up some new equipment, a Beretta Model 96.

David

 

[Josh66]

Any time I want something that can fit in my pocket.

 

[baturn]

When I don't bring my DSLR...which is when ever my primary goal is not photography.

 

[Yangpei]

I have Canon S95 that I use often. It allows me to shoot In RAW and has pretty fast lens. Plus, it's small enough to carry in a pocket or bike jersey.I also have a Lumix GF1 system with 3 or 4 lenses and EVF that I bring when lugging my dSLR and lenses aren't practical - like a trip to France last year to bike several stages of the Tour de France. I have much of the same FL lenses in micro 4/3rds as my dSLR system, but obviously not as high quality glass.My d90 only gets out when I specifically am going out to take pictures, as the lenses / accessories are bulky.

 

[2WheelPhoto]

When i'm not using my DSLR I don't shoot.

Wait, Once in a while I might use my smartphone for a worthless pic

 

[Judobreaker]

I use it to photograph my DSLR setup on certain shots.
Handy if you want to have a visual reminder about how you did a certain shot.

Besides that I don't really use it a lot, but my mom does. ^^

 

[mrelsewhere]

Nick Laham shooting A-Rod with what appears to be a compact:
PhotoBlog - New York Yankees baseball players pose for media day


Correction: MSNBC's story is misleading, according to the photographer. He's shooting A-Rod with an iPhone 4S in the photo, but those amazing headshots were taken with a Mark IV.

 

[DiskoJoe]

are we talking about a piece of P&C or an actual compact like a nex? Personally I dont use my canon elph anymore. I gave it to my 4 year old. LOL

 

[MReid]

Anytime I am out just messing around and don't want to carry the big cameras.
Also it is very hard for me to take a casual photo with my dslr I always want to mess with it to make it the best it can be.
With the compact I just click merrily away.

 

[Ysarex]

I use my compact almost daily. Everywhere I go it goes. At home it's on my desk. When I'm out it's either in my pocket, in the map pocket of the car door, or hanging from my wrist. In fact I use my compact far more than I use my SLR -- it's fair to say it's my main camera. I used it today and took some very good photos with it. My compact is a Samsung EX1.

Joe