Point-and-Shooter vs. SLR

[Shaun(OfTheDead)]

Hi.

How many of you mostly use 'point-and-shooter' (compact) cameras and how many use SLR's?

If you use both, please choose whichever you prefer using.

[Datura]

Voted SLR

[Shaun(OfTheDead)]

woo hoo!

Fun

[Shaun(OfTheDead)]

I'd like to get a nice compact cam when I can afford it too. Thinking of a Powershot.

[asp_funda]

P&S doesn't necessarily mean compact camera. There are bridge/prosumer cameras as well which are in P&S category only but they can give entry level dslrs a run for their money.

Also, Olympus & Panasonic have now brought out micro four-thirds cameras which are not SLR (Single Lens Reflex) but unlike non-SLRs till now they support changeable lenses, thus having best of both worlds.

And I'd say it was about time, SLR technology is more than 50 years old & while it made sense in analogue cameras, it never made any sense to me in digital cameras!!

[ParkinT]

And I'd say it was about time, SLR technology is more than 50 years old & while it made sense in analogue cameras, it never made any sense to me in digital cameras!!

I agree. Also, the imitation sound-of-a-shutter in Digital Cameras has always annoyed me!

[Sperlock]

SLR for me, though I like to have a compact/point and shoot near me when I am on the go and don't have my SLR with me, just in case an interesting shot comes up.

[agarcia831]

prefer SLR...just like the feel and weight of a larger camera, I think.
need to use mine more, though...haven't shot very much in the last few years.

[Shaun(OfTheDead)]

P&S doesn't necessarily mean compact camera.

Point taken.

[operator]

My point-and-shoot has begun to crap out on me, so I just picked up an iPhone to replace it. I'm missing the zoom and comfort of the point-and-shoot, but love how I always have the iPhone for those quick interesting shots that appear daily.

[auth1]

I try to carry a P&S around with me whenever I go out. I like the convenience, plus, some of them are getting quite good these days.

[austinparkar]

Ill prefer SLR

[molona]

I have a compact camera, a small lumix. I like it because I can take it anywhere. Obviously, I don't do professional shooting so... it is more than enough for me

[Stomme poes]

I gots Ye Old Standard, the Pentax K-1000 : ) While I love it, I don't bring it with me when I go places where I would likely want to make photos, such as to YAPC (Yet Another Perl Conference) or on vacation because it's heavy after carrying it a while... that and I don't want to break it. Where I used to live there was this old Russian guy named Peter who knew all old cameras inside and out and could fix anything (making his own parts if necessary and lots of ancient parts at his shop) but now I'm very far away from him, and I don't expect a modern camera shop to be able to fix anything I break.

I guess what I would find ideal is my Pentax with the preview abilities of a digital camera and less weight. I'm sure something exists like that but I'm actually not really a camera or a gadget person, so I don't keep up.

[ryanhellyer]

I'd like an SLR, but if I had one, I'd rarely use it as I generally don't want to carry a big bulky camera bag everywhere with me. I currently use a Canon S1IS but even that's a lot larger than I'd like.

My next camera is likely to be an itty bitty thing I can keep in my pocket all the time.

After that I might buy an SLR as well, but the itty bitty camera will be coming first, simply because I'm a lot more likely to be taking photos on it. Plus, I'm usually taking photos of scenery so lighting is usually not a problem and there's no need for a short focal depth, so any old half-decent camera can usually do the job fine (ish).

[linhaiyan]

Now mobile phones pixel is also high, but still not a good professional digital.

[Adelante]

SLR for me, I like the fact that the image sensors are so much larger and less prone to noise. This shot was hand held with available light @iso3600 on my trust Pentax istDL




There are some great P&S units around, my favourite features of these are the fantastic amount of optical zoom that's available.

[ryanhellyer]

SLR for me, I like the fact that the image sensors are so much larger and less prone to noise. This shot was hand held with available light @iso3600 on my trust Pentax istDL

Where is that?


I shot the following photos at Hastings Cave in Tasmania with a Canon S1IS on a tripod with no flash. There's no way I could have shot it handheld without a flash as it was nearly pitch black.

[Stormrider]

I'm not exactly a photographer, and photos I take tend to end up on websites, but I have a really great little compact camera I use - Casio Exilim EX-Z 1080. It does perfectly well for what I need, and I'm just not into it enough to get an SLR or 4/3.

[Rubble]

I have been using a Canon A650IS which has quite a few manual settings as well. Most of the photos on my gallery are from it: My gallery
I have just tried using the CHDK software again but have bitten the bullet and ordered a Canon 500d which should be here on saturday.
My daughter can not wait to get hold of the A650IS when I get my new camera; the wife then gets my daughters old camera !

There is a version of CHDK for the SX200IS Shaun(OfTheDead) which should give you more options: CHDK

[cydewaze]

I've had a P&S for the past few years (Canon Powershot S3 IS) and loved it, but it had its limitations. For Xmas I just got a Rebel XSi DSLR. Sure, I like the SLR better, but each camera has its use. I can't bring my Rebel into a concert for instance.

It's nice having one of each

[akritic]

Use a prosumer bridge. It features a 35-300mm zoom lens (non-detachable of course) and so allows for maximum learning possibility without any trouble selecting lenses.

[Shaun(OfTheDead)]

There is a version of CHDK for the SX200IS Shaun(OfTheDead) which should give you more options: CHDK

I read it and I still don't know what is CHDK. What is CHDK?

Isn't that what comes up when Windows crashes?

[Rubble]

CHDK is some software you can put on your memory card and when you turn the camera on it is loaded at the same time as the camera software.
You can then use the normal camera settings or in my case push the print button and you get another menu with a load more options.
The ones I was interested in were RAW and bracketing ( my camera does not have these as standard ).

You can get better video, histograms, indications of over or under exposed areas of the photo etc.
http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/One_Page_...ck_Users_Guide

[BJ Duncan]

It is just like comparing McDonalds with a Home-Baked Meal. (P&S -vs- SLR).
There are some advantages of having the McDonalds, convenient, quick, small initial costs etc, but a home-baked meal gives you much better long-term advantages, better food and you can customise your "receipe" as required.

I'm hungry now, might go warm up the oven! :-}