Powershot SX10IS
This is the 21st post in a 31 Day series: Creative Inspiration. Check out all the posts here.
DSLR vs P&S
"I need a DSLR!" I hear that statement all the time! When people are frustrated with their point & shoot camera, they typically think a DSLR will solve all of their problems. They see photos taken with DSLRs and they immediately notice the difference. Yes, it is true, there will be a slight initial improvement in your photos due to the lens quality and the superior metering in a DSLR, but basically if you don't know how to use your point & shoot, you are not going to know how to use your DSLR. Likely, a DSLR will confuse you more as using it out of auto mode is more challenging than any point & shoot (P&S). And a DSLR is a lot more expensive than even the most expensive P&S.
I propose you either upgrade your point & shoot or spend a little time learning enough about your current point & shoot to improve your photos.
[DSLR stands for Digital Single Lens Reflex. Basically it refers to any camera in which you can change the lens. If you can't change its lens, then it is a Point & Shoot.]
If you are frustrated with your current camera, you may feel like you would like to move on to a DSLR.
But before you do that, I would encourage you to figure out why you are frustrated with it and decide if you need to spend the money needed for a DSLR to solve those problems or if your problems can be solved by purchasing a higher end, though relatively inexpensive, Point & Shoot (P&S) or learning more about your current camera (the user's manual is really your friend).
With all of the amazing high end P&Ss out on the market now, you can find a lot of camera for a much lower price point than a DSLR (with or without kit) and don’t forget to figure in the cost of those additional lenses!
DSLR: Rebel XSi (450)
There are plenty of high quality P&S on the market that are perfect training cameras. They allow you to learn about shutter speed, f stop (aperture), ISO, flash, metering, depth of field, etc, etc and still produce fantastic high quality photos. Many now allow you to have full manual control over the camera. They include manual mode, aperture priority (where you control the aperture, the camera chooses the shutter speed), shutter priority (you choose shutter speed, camera chooses aperture), flash control including choosing 1st or 2nd shutter.
Of course, there is significantly more potential with a DSLR but:
*the learning curve is higher,
*the weight is heavier and
*the cost is significantly more.
DSLR: Rebel XSi (450)
If you do not know how to use shutter speed and aperture priority, if you don’t know how to adjust your current camera so it performs better in low light, and if you don’t know how to override it’s automatic settings, I would suggest upgrading to a higher end P&S. It will allow you the maximum amount of control so that you can learn all about those things and when you outgrow that camera and you’re ready to upgrade to a DSLR you will really understand what you need and what you are looking for in a camera.
P&S: Powershot SX10IS
One common word of advice I hear often that I whole-heartedly agree with, is do not upgrade your equipment until you outgrow your old piece of equipment and you know why and what you need next. Exhaust all the features (within reason) on your current camera before you move on to your next.
DSLR: Rebel XSi (450)
If your camera is not performing correctly, perhaps you are not using it correctly. Open your user's manual and make sure there isn’t something you can do to improve the situation. For example, on many P&S you can increase the shutter speed by switching to sports mode. This increases the ISO, turns off the automatic photo review (when you look at the photo on the screen right after you take it) and allows the camera to take continuous photos faster. Of course, many cameras also have a continuous shutter mode (usually indicated by a stack of rectangles), this mode will give you a similar effect to the sports mode.
P&S: Powershot SX10IS (taken by my ten year old son)
Common frustrations with camera:
1) You want less lag-time between photos.
You would need to find a camera with higher maximum frames per second (fps) than your current camera.
2) You want sharper photos.
There are a list of reason why images are not sharp enough. Some are related to the camera, some to the situation and some to the photographer.
From the camera end, you would want to look for faster automatic focus technology as well as better lens quality. You do not need manual focus to get sharper images. Higher ISO (more light sensitivity) and a larger maximum aperture (will let in more light faster) also is a big factor in getting sharper images.
The aperture is the number with the f/ in front of it. The lower the number the larger the maximum aperture (lens opening size) – the number is actually a fraction. Think of it like f1/2.8 or f1/15.
Unless you are confident a DSLR is the next camera for you, I think it is worthwhile to seriously consider a higher-end P&S before making your final decision.
I will do a quick analysis of the 2 Canon cameras I might consider for myself. And compare them to the entry level Canon DSLR. (I am choosing Canon because I am the most familiar with their DSLR and P&S lines.)
DSLR: Rebel XSi (450)
Before I begin, I wanted to mention that all of the higher-end Canon P&S’s can be operated in full manual mode. You have complete control of the shutter speed & aperture and can also opt for aperture priority or shutter priority (that’s where you choose one and the camera chooses the other to give you correct exposure).
Many professional photojournalists that I have talked to shoot in aperture priority mode most of the time. They are just skilled enough to know when to switch to manual. I should also mention that without the purchase of any additional lenses these P&S also:
*allow you to shoot in macro and
*can be mounted on a tripod.
P&S: Powershot SX10IS
The Canon G12 is arguably Canon’s best P&S camera. The MSRP is $499 USD. The zoom lens on this model has a film equivalent of 28mm to 140mm range – this gives you a wide angle all the way to a very decent zoom. The wide angle is wonderful for shots in tight locations and the zoom is great to get the bokeh everyone loves as well as great portraits. The lens is quite fast with the maximum aperture at the 24mm end at f/2.8. That is incredibly large for a P&S! My $1500USD pro level 16-24mm lens has the same maximum aperture! The 140mm end has a f/4.5 maximum aperture which is very good for a mid-range zoom. It’s not ideal for indoor photos without flash, but better than any kit lens I’ve seen or any non-pro zoom lenses I’ve seen.
Its maximum shutter speed is 1/4000 of a second. That is faster than any SLR or DSLR I have ever owned.
DSLR: Rebel XSi (450)
In the most optimum of situations it can take up to 4.2 frames per second. That is faster than any DSLR I have seen. Usually this is the big weakness of the P&S as it does not compare with most DSLRs in this area. But you have to be realistic about how fast is fast enough for what you are taking photos for. There are very rare occasions where you will need a faster rate of frames per second than this camera can give you.
This camera weighs more than 12 oz due to the large zoom range.
DSLR: Rebel XSi (450)
Another P&S of note is the SX130 also part of the Canon Powershot range. This camera is only $229USD The zoom range on this camera is 28mm – 336mm which is phenomenal, however this makes me nervous. That camera will need one powerful motor making it heavy and also making it a much higher risk for breakage and motor burnout. I have also used a Canon Powershot with a strong zoom like this before and I’ve had an extremely hard time getting it to focus in low light situations much worse than my Powershot SX10IS which is a much older model (but with a less powerful zoom). So, I am skeptical of these cameras with such huge range of zooms. I would read all the reviews on this one and make sure you read reviews from people who have had the camera for at least a year to see if it lasts and to see if they have improved the focusing issues. They have an extensive series of P&S with even larger zoom ranges that look like they are worth considering. I would encourage you to pour over their comparison page at Canon.com and then read lots and lots of reviews to see how they perform.
http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/digital_cameras?pageKeyCode=65&category=0901e0248006113a&compare=0901e024801f482b&compare=0901e024801cff65&compare=0901e024801f482c
DSLR: Rebel XSi (450)
The other thing you can do to see how a camera performs is to go to Flickr.com and search for the camera model you are interested in. You will be presented with pages and pages of sample images. This is a fantastic way to see the potential of your camera of interest.
Canon G12 - http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=Canon%20G12
Canon SX130 - http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=Canon%20G12
When searching to see photos taken by a DSLR be sure to search by lens including maximum aperture of the lens.
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Rebel EOS XSi DSLR
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Powershot G12
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Powershot SX30 IS
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Cost
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$649 USD with kit
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$499 USD
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$229USD
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Max Shutter Spd
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1/4000 second
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1/4000 second
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1/3200 second
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Max shots/second
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3.5 shots/sec
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4.2 shots/sec
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3.6 shots/sec
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RAW option?
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Yes
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Yes
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No
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Max ISO
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1600
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3200
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1600
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Self-timer
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10 & 2 sec delay + continuous
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Up to 10 shots in a row
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Up to 10 shots in a row
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There are several more P&S in the Powershot line that I would recommend adding to the comparison. I was quite amazed at how these cameras have improved even in the past few years since I last purchased a camera in Spring 2009! I can’t believe how incredible these cameras are!
P&S: Powershot SX10IS
I have no specific recommendation for you since choosing a camera is a very personal decision. That being said, I do encourage you to keep your options open and seriously consider a high-end P&S before you spend your money on a DSLR unless you are certain you are ready.
If you’d like to see some of my photographs, you can see my Flickr photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/74155750@N00/
****NOTE: I would recommend buying a camera that is either a Nikon or a Canon. They are the top companies in the industry and spend the most money on research and development. Cameras by other manufacturers will not have the same caliber of technology available.
