Can someone please explain...
Discussion
What a compact zoom (such as a canon powershot 3 is)is?
In relation to a compact (like my ixus) or a proper dslr (like a d350).
The reason I ask is that I love taking pictures, I have an ixus 500 and it is great however sometimes I have a hankering for a dslr. Not becuase I want to do all the manual stuff it is just that a dslr seems to procude pictures with more'depth' to them than my Ixus (and I don't mean more pixels).
I presume that this is becuause they have better lenses, more light getting onto a bigger sensor etc.
So what I want to know is, what is a canon powershot s3 (and its ilk)?
Is it a compact with a big zoom bolted on, or will irt have a bigger sensor, better optics? Will I get better pictures?
What is it?
Next week we will have a powershot s2, a d350 and an ixus 500 in the office so we intend to take pictures of the same subjects with them all so we can see. However I would like to know what the differences are and I know one of you will be able to help.
Thanks
D
(who has just had to type this in twice as my laptop has just died, thankyou Mr Dell)
In relation to a compact (like my ixus) or a proper dslr (like a d350).
The reason I ask is that I love taking pictures, I have an ixus 500 and it is great however sometimes I have a hankering for a dslr. Not becuase I want to do all the manual stuff it is just that a dslr seems to procude pictures with more'depth' to them than my Ixus (and I don't mean more pixels).
I presume that this is becuause they have better lenses, more light getting onto a bigger sensor etc.
So what I want to know is, what is a canon powershot s3 (and its ilk)?
Is it a compact with a big zoom bolted on, or will irt have a bigger sensor, better optics? Will I get better pictures?
What is it?
Next week we will have a powershot s2, a d350 and an ixus 500 in the office so we intend to take pictures of the same subjects with them all so we can see. However I would like to know what the differences are and I know one of you will be able to help.
Thanks
D
(who has just had to type this in twice as my laptop has just died, thankyou Mr Dell)
As I understand it:
Compact - Small "Point & Shoot" Camera, ideal for snaps.
Compacy Zoom - Still a bit point & shoot, but will have a longer optical zoom lens.
Prosumer Camera - these look a bit like an SLR, but do not have changeable lenses.
Digital SLR - Now we are getting serious.
All types have pros & cons. The image quality should get better the further you go down the list, but I have seen some stunning images taken on cheap compact & some dross that I've taken on my D70
The SLR will give you the capacity to take some stunning images, but don't forget that you will probably need a few lenses & probably a tripod & and external flash. All starts to add up.
I'd say go and have a test of all types that are around your budget & see what suits.
If you have the budget, then something like a D50 SLR is a good step up from a compact, then add a few lenses (ebay's ideal), then when you want to updrade the body, your lenses will still fit, so you have not wasted any money.
Hope that helps
Chris
Compact - Small "Point & Shoot" Camera, ideal for snaps.
Compacy Zoom - Still a bit point & shoot, but will have a longer optical zoom lens.
Prosumer Camera - these look a bit like an SLR, but do not have changeable lenses.
Digital SLR - Now we are getting serious.
All types have pros & cons. The image quality should get better the further you go down the list, but I have seen some stunning images taken on cheap compact & some dross that I've taken on my D70
The SLR will give you the capacity to take some stunning images, but don't forget that you will probably need a few lenses & probably a tripod & and external flash. All starts to add up.
I'd say go and have a test of all types that are around your budget & see what suits.
If you have the budget, then something like a D50 SLR is a good step up from a compact, then add a few lenses (ebay's ideal
), then when you want to updrade the body, your lenses will still fit, so you have not wasted any money. Hope that helps
Chris
chris.mapey said:
As I understand it:
Compact - Small "Point & Shoot" Camera, ideal for snaps.
Compacy Zoom - Still a bit point & shoot, but will have a longer optical zoom lens.
Prosumer Camera - these look a bit like an SLR, but do not have changeable lenses.
Digital SLR - Now we are getting serious.
Compact - Small "Point & Shoot" Camera, ideal for snaps.
Compacy Zoom - Still a bit point & shoot, but will have a longer optical zoom lens.
Prosumer Camera - these look a bit like an SLR, but do not have changeable lenses.
Digital SLR - Now we are getting serious.
Yup, but ...
Compact - Small "Point & Shoot" Camera, ideal for snaps.
Yes. Should be very pocketable and can, in the right circumstances, produce excellent results for typical photo purposes. You probably need to be very creative to get consistently creative with them. Cheap though and little to go wrong. Good for the beach as the lens unlikely to be jammed by sand. Small sensors, therefore almost always a deep field of focus.
Compact Zoom - Still a bit point & shoot, but will have a longer optical zoom lens.
Same but more money and with a zoom lens of reasonable ability usually. More facilities added to justify the price but many will remain unused. Excellent results for not much money but pay more if you wish ...
Prosumer Camera - these look a bit like an SLR, but do not have changeable lenses.
Yep, but the lenses are often up to the standard of typical SLR lenses. The Canon Pro 1 for example had a lense system rated at L spec which in Canon terms is a Pro level optic. You just could not change it.
The Pro1 zoom is operated manually just like an SLR but, using the remote capture software supplied, you can control the camera AND the zoom from a computer. At 8Mpix it has the same sort of resolution as a DSLR and a similar size of lens glass plus the sensor size will be larger than a compact. But then so is the camera and whilst not huge it ain't going to fit in a shirt pocket!
The Canon S3 IS seems to be positioned just below the Pro1 target market as it was but at much reduced price. (Today I heard of someone buying one for just £288 which is absurdly good value.) It lacks some Pro features but gains in other areas.
Digital SLR - Now we are getting serious.
Yep, though the lower and basic kits are not much different to the Prosumer units until you add lenses. They are, however, generally built for a heavier duty cycle and longer life expectancy of the major components, thoguh whether that is important depends on how many shots you plan to take.
Put it like this ...
The S3 IS is a 6Mpix camera which, I can assure you, offere a LOT of performance for the money. Add in the (35mm equivalent) 37-432 mm zoom (plus another 4x digital if you get desparate) and you would start to struggle to find a DSLR system without spending a lot of cash.
For another £100 or maybe less, you could add a Wide angle adapter which would give a 28mm equivalent lens at the wide end. And for the same again a 1.5x tele adaptor which will give about a 650mm optical zoom capability.
The list price for a Canon 600mm lens for a DSLR (which I am sure is an absolutely stunning lens and worth every penny) is about £7,500 ...
I still use 35mm film for SLR stuff at the moment but I think that will stop as soon as my film stock is used. My used Pro 1 and the new S3 IS completely and utterly outperform most of my 35mm kit, other than for shutter release speeds, and I am beginning to suspect they might just be good enough for far more subject matter then I though they could be used for. Still fancy a mid range DSLR or two though. Trouble is with lenses and accessories I doubt I could satisfy my desires for less then £5k.
GetCarter said:
LongQ said:
I doubt I could satisfy my desires for less then £5k.
...your point being?
Hehe.
I'm a cheapskate when it comes to budgeting for DSLR kit?
The real point I guess is that I have been surprised at the capability of the a couple of prosumer units (not that the S3 IS really aspires to the PROsumer label I guess) and I think it would be very difficult to justify £5k when £500 may get quite close. Time will tell.
More pertinently I have an business application that the Prosumers happen to suit much better than a DSLR would so I'm not at all sure that a full blown system would get much use. And for that smallish is good.
The bottom line is that at the cost conscious end of the market there may not be a lot to choose betwen a Prosumer system (or even some compacts) and a DSLR. At the upper levels ones spends larger sums because one has the professional need OR one can afford it, desires it and doesn't need to count the cost too much.
So long as theres wenough light and the subject is in the right focal area any camera should do OK for snaps
Beach snaps of friends any camera can do.
Its when you want control over Depth of field, shutter speed etc annd in adverse conditions (low light etc) or non standard focal lengths that a dSLR realy shows its stuff. Another positive thing for the SLR is its pure performance, start up time, shutter lag (none), focusing speeds, continuous shooting speeds etc, just destroy even the prosumer cameras.
Given that theres more controls, & typicaly the auto functions arnt very well developed for snaps, its possible to take a worse photo with a SLR than a P&S under some conditions.
Beach snaps of friends any camera can do.
Its when you want control over Depth of field, shutter speed etc annd in adverse conditions (low light etc) or non standard focal lengths that a dSLR realy shows its stuff. Another positive thing for the SLR is its pure performance, start up time, shutter lag (none), focusing speeds, continuous shooting speeds etc, just destroy even the prosumer cameras.
Given that theres more controls, & typicaly the auto functions arnt very well developed for snaps, its possible to take a worse photo with a SLR than a P&S under some conditions.
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