Point and Shoot to DSLR experiences?

[DelSolMan]

Hello. Just some questions from a point and shooter that wants to move into the DSLR world. I really want to get a DSLR as I like more control over DOF and I understand that the larger sensors give significant advantage with noise at higher ISOs. If I get a DSLR it would be in the xt/xti/d40x price range.

First off, do you DSLR users carry your camera's with you often or is it a 'special occasion or photo trip only' thing. The obvious convenience with a point and shoot is you can put it in your pocket for the quick snap I'm just wondering how useful you find your camera as it is quite big for daily lugging around.

I'm wondering about live view. Talking to some DSLR users in the past, they have told me viewfinder is the way to go when framing shots. However I find live view on point and shoots (and some expensive DSLRs) to be very useful. However I don't have the budget to invest in something like a 40D system. Seeing as live view was just introduced to Canon's mid range DSLRs, it makes me wonder if the xti will be getting live view in the next update. Is seeing your target on the LCD as important as I am making it sound or is it something that you don't miss?

Last and this may be the most important for what I shoot. I know tripods are highly recommended with dark/night photography... however I usually want to be tripod free when I am walking around on vacation. If you had to take handheld dark or night shots and you had the choice of a point and shoot with lens stabalization...or a DSLR with higher ISO and no lens stabalization... which would you rather go with?

I'm asking the above because on my last trip to Tokyo I was able to get some sharp/unblurry shots with my Lumix with IS. This was done without a tripod. However at ISO400, the image was fairly noisy so I'm wondering if a DSLR with higher iso will help (if I can take a blur free shot in the same fashion).

Thanks for any input and if you have any P/S to DSLR experiences please share :D

[UrbanPoet]

Hello. Just some questions from a point and shooter that wants to move into the DSLR world. I really want to get a DSLR as I like more control over DOF and I understand that the larger sensors give significant advantage with noise at higher ISOs. If I get a DSLR it would be in the xt/xti/d40x price range.

First off, do you DSLR users carry your camera's with you often or is it a 'special occasion or photo trip only' thing. The obvious convenience with a point and shoot is you can put it in your pocket for the quick snap I'm just wondering how useful you find your camera as it is quite big for daily lugging around.

I carry it when i sense a photographic opportunity. For example if im going to the beach, or if im running errands d/t, an event, something like that...
DSLR isnt exactly like a p&s where you could carry around ALL the time. But i find that i've gotten used to it. I only carry it when i sense a good opportunity, or if i go out for the sole purpose of taking pictures.

I'm wondering about live view. Talking to some DSLR users in the past, they have told me viewfinder is the way to go when framing shots. However I find live view on point and shoots (and some expensive DSLRs) to be very useful. However I don't have the budget to invest in something like a 40D system. Seeing as live view was just introduced to Canon's mid range DSLRs, it makes me wonder if the xti will be getting live view in the next update. Is seeing your target on the LCD as important as I am making it sound or is it something that you don't miss?

Hmm... it would seem kinda weird taking pictures with a view finder on a DSLR. You can frame shots other wise and manual focus much more accurately, unless your using AF. but in some situations i find its better to manual focus.


Last and this may be the most important for what I shoot. I know tripods are highly recommended with dark/night photography... however I usually want to be tripod free when I am walking around on vacation. If you had to take handheld dark or night shots and you had the choice of a point and shoot with lens stabalization...or a DSLR with higher ISO and no lens stabalization... which would you rather go with?

I'm asking the above because on my last trip to Tokyo I was able to get some sharp/unblurry shots with my Lumix with IS. This was done without a tripod. However at ISO400, the image was fairly noisy so I'm wondering if a DSLR with higher iso will help (if I can take a blur free shot in the same fashion).

Thanks for any input and if you have any P/S to DSLR experiences please share :D

I still rather use the DSLR with higher ISO, perhaps larger apeture opening to take better low light photos. The larger sensor of a SLR will help with the noise compared to a P&S.

Theres also other techniques you could use to stabilize the camera. Such as stabbing your arm into the stomach, rest ing it on a knee/table/railing etc...
Holding your breath while taking the pic helps too!

[CameraBill]

I really want to get a DSLR as I like more control over DOF

That's a tall order with consumer grade zooms.


First off, do you DSLR users carry your camera's with you often or is it a 'special occasion or photo trip only' thing.

It's a special occasion thing. But my wife has the ultracompact Canon with her literally all the time.


I find live view on point and shoots to be very useful.

Only if you shoot with the cam on the ground or high above your head. The viewfinder also helps you to naturally brace the camera against your face to improve sharpness.


If you had to take handheld dark or night shots and you had the choice of a point and shoot with lens stabalization...or a DSLR with higher ISO and no lens stabalization... which would you rather go with?

The SLR.
However as Delsolman has said, technique is key to BOTH cameras. Expecting an SLR to do it for you is foolishness. I've got good night shots by putting my p&s on a rail, against a post, etc and using the LCD to compose.

[ryan_lau100]

I have three cameras, all with its own purpose.

Canon G5 for when I want a bit more control but not the weight of the SLR. Also mostly shots with a lot of light since the sensor sucks in low light bc of the noise. Was great when I went to Cancun and Dominican.

Canon SD500 for when I want to be superlight and when I'm looking for only snapshot type stuff.

Canon 20D for when I want most control and ability to shoot without restrictions of low ISO etc.

I find liveview only useful when you have a swivel screen so you can have it above your head in a crowd and still be able to frame what you are shooting. All have their purpose.

All of those SLRs you named are very small. If you travel without the grip and only two primes you can lower the weight very easily. You will be limited to what you can shoot with the range but you get quality, contrast, and sharpness. An alternative is to get a really wideranged zoom. Something like 28-300mm. You lose speed with this though as most of them have an aperture of 3.5 as wide open.

My advice is just go to the store if you haven't already and try each type of camera to see what fits your needs the most.

If you don't mind buying used check out craigslist as there is a huge used market with good quality lenses and bodies.

GL!

[CSAgent]

35mm film days - Nikon F50 SLR. Did not have a clue what I was doing, just the stock lense. Then camera broke through improper handling, bah!

Then went digital, Nikon P&S. Ah, live view LCD, cool and very ultra compact. Brought it everywhere!

Went DSLR - never looked back. Gave me much more control to fiddle with. Like UrbanPoet, I only lug this beast with my hotshoe flash, full tripod, set of 3 lenses from wide to long ranges on photo opportunities. If I'm doing sports that day, I bring the telephoto. If I'm doing an event, I bring the wide to mid-range zoom with the hotshoe flash. When I first got the DSLR, I use to bring it everywhere because I wanted to shoot photos for the sake of it. As I got better, I realized some events (like birthday parties, clubbing, bars) are not worth bringing it with me. Its a 6-7 pound camera with its battery grip, not very practical at all. (Only exception is if one or two people would ask me to bring it to shoot their birthdays since they want decent photos for once to remember their birthdays by.)

So, I went and got a decent P&S, the Fuji f31FD for those not so important events. Its a great camera, even at its highest ISO rating of 3200. Its not as great as my DSLR in terms of picture quality, but its still very good for a P&S.

A DSLR is a great tool to be creative with if you're into photography, it just can't be beat by any other prosumer cameras.

As for the live view in the new DSLRs, I think it negates the purpose. A DSLR is suppose to represent the apex of photography - when you use it like you would a P&S, you're using it like a P&S. A very expensive P&S I might add. The view finder blocks out external light sources, allowing you to frame accurately all of your shots. You're seeing a true representation of what you are taking. I haven't used a DSLR with Liveview though, I can only imagine what it must be like having come from a couple of P&S camera experiences.

LCDs on DSLRs today aren't also too good at blocking out glare when you're reviewing your shots without 3rd party accessories, imagine trying to frame your shots with a Liveview...;)

[DelSolMan]

Thanks everyone :) I think I'm convinced. This has helped me out a lot as all the reviews I read on the net talk about how great the piece of equipment is and not how it is used. I was going to sell my p/s but I think it would be better to keep it and get a dslr.