Do I NEED a DSLR?

[Robmarriott]

I'm off on holiday next month for just over a week and considering taking a camera with me rather than just relying on my iPhone (12 Pro) to capture any nice scenery/landmarks/French people.

I don't really want to spend a huge amount of money if I do buy something, so I'm right on the cusp of decent compact or low end DSLR money.

I have had a couple of Panasonic Lumix compacts in the past and they've been excellent, I also had a Canon DSLR a few years ago (maybe a 1100D, or a 1200D?), which was OK but obviously a lot more bulky. I don't take a huge amount of photos and can't see myself sitting in a field in the morning mist waiting for a deer to prance by...

So my question is;

What will suit me best, a decent compact, a budget DSLR, or will my iPhone actually do the job and save me a chunk of money?

[BrokenSkunk]

No one can answer that for you. It depends on how you personally rank the following:

• Full manual control
• Weight and bulk
• Image quality
• response time
• abilty to swap lenses
• ergonomics

And how much importance you give to each.

[FunkyGibbon]

As above + this from another recent thread:

Whoozit said:

Best thing to do? Head into a local camera store if you have one, and pick up a few cameras+lenses in your price bracket and pick one that feels right in your hand.

[Robmarriott]

BrokenSkunk said:

No one can answer that for you. It depends on how you personally rank the following:

• Full manual control
• Weight and bulk
• Image quality
• response time
• abilty to swap lenses
• ergonomics

And how much importance you give to each.

I appreciate that this is the photography sub-forum but I'm not a photographer so I don't know that any of those are really of a concern to me;

Full manual control - Seems like something I could mess up easily and get shots which look pants?
Weight and bulk - I can see this being the decider, a compact is more likely to be something I grab and take with me to places I think, but then I have my phone which might do almost as good a job as a compact
Image quality - My old Lumix DMC-LC7 took great pictures and that was ten years ago, the newer ones are presumably better
Response time - I'm not even sure I'd notice
Swapping lenses - I understand the advantage here so that's something to consider
Ergonomics - Previous compacts I've had were ok but again, I see why this is important. Compacts have a wrist strap for a reason I guess.

[rampageturke]

I think if you don't see yourself needing anything outside the focal lengths provided on the iphone then you should just stick with that. Nearly all of my holiday snaps in the past have been with similar focal lengths you'd find on a phone (35mm-ish, 15mm-ish).

From experience, learning how to properly utilise a DSLR whilst on holiday isn't a great combo. Maybe something to consider for next time if you are interested still?

[CanAm]

Robmarriott said:

So my question is;

What will suit me best, a decent compact, a budget DSLR, or will my iPhone actually do the job and save me a chunk of money?

For me, with a lower budget, is there a decent bridge camera, or am I better going with a compact?

[FunkyGibbon]

Robmarriott said:

Image quality - My old Lumix DMC-LC7 took great pictures and that was ten years ago, the newer ones are presumably better

.

If you liked the DMC-LC7 you will like the modern Lumix range, John Lewis usually have a good selection of them, as do Currys/PCWorld.

See which fits in your hand the best for your budget. They do ones with swappable lenses if you fancy exploring the benefits of that if it fits in your budget scope.

[C n C]

Robmarriott said:

BrokenSkunk said:

No one can answer that for you. It depends on how you personally rank the following:

• Full manual control
• Weight and bulk
• Image quality
• response time
• abilty to swap lenses
• ergonomics

And how much importance you give to each.

I appreciate that this is the photography sub-forum but I'm not a photographer so I don't know that any of those are really of a concern to me;

Full manual control - Seems like something I could mess up easily and get shots which look pants?
Weight and bulk - I can see this being the decider, a compact is more likely to be something I grab and take with me to places I think, but then I have my phone which might do almost as good a job as a compact
Image quality - My old Lumix DMC-LC7 took great pictures and that was ten years ago, the newer ones are presumably better
Response time - I'm not even sure I'd notice
Swapping lenses - I understand the advantage here so that's something to consider
Ergonomics - Previous compacts I've had were ok but again, I see why this is important. Compacts have a wrist strap for a reason I guess.

Given your responses above, the fact that the best photos you will get in any situation will be from the camera that you have with you (and you'll always have the phone with you), and the iPhone 12 Pro takes decent photos, I think you're probably best off just using your iPhone.

...and this is advice coming from someone who pretty much always lugs around a full frame DSLR/mirrorless with a couple of lenses when on holiday!

[BrokenSkunk]

OK, I suggest you get a copy of Tom Ang's Digital photography masterclass.
If you can't be bothered to read it (or buy it having thumbed it in a bookshop), then you will almost certainly be just as happy with a phone as a DSLR.

Why bother with a cumbersome expensive bit of kit if you're not going to put the effort into learning how to use it, or notice the difference between it and your phone?

It's a bit like buying a sports car, putting it in economy mode and only using the first third of the throttle. You're not doing anything with it that the blandbox it replaced wasn't perfectly capable of.

Phone cameras are pretty good these days, there are lots of cases where they can produce images that are just as usable as something taken with a 'proper camera'. I think one needs a good reason to justify the weight and expense of a dedicated camera & it doesn't sound like you have one.

Edit:
Here's a gratuitous sitting in a field in the morning mist waiting for a deer to prance by shot. Just because...
Good_morning_dear

Edited by BrokenSkunk on Wednesday 27th July 12:09

[Frik]

I've got the same phone and it can take some fantastic photos. Try to use the x2 zoom as it takes much better portraits. The only thing it really can't do is telephoto stuff, but then that doesn't sound like something you'd miss from your description.

Sounds to me like you need to practice taking better photos with your phone before you start thinking about better equipment.

[MesoForm]

C n C said:

Given your responses above, the fact that the best photos you will get in any situation will be from the camera that you have with you (and you'll always have the phone with you), and the iPhone 12 Pro takes decent photos, I think you're probably best off just using your iPhone.

...and this is advice coming from someone who pretty much always lugs around a full frame DSLR/mirrorless with a couple of lenses when on holiday!

I agree with this - if you're not going to be printing the photos then a modern iPhone will be taking nearly as good photos as a DSLR with the kit lens and set to auto. Moving away from the kit lens and auto mode costs money and time so unless you either want to zoom right in (needing a telephoto) or create some arty photos (taking time to learn how to use the modes and invariably needing a tripod) then the phone would be the best choice.

[Robmarriott]

BrokenSkunk said:

Why bother with a cumbersome expensive bit of kit if you're not going to put the effort into learning how to use it, or notice the difference between it and your phone?

That’s kind of my point I guess. If I buy a compact or just use my phone, I definitely won’t learn anything. If I buy the DSLR, just by the fact that I have it, I am encouraged to put that effort in.

[andburg]

I pocket a Canon TZ100 rather than carry an SLR.

The only thing i miss is switching quickly to manual focus when at the zoo or somewhere you may be shooting through mesh/leaves. You can do it but its nowhere near as easy as doing it on the SLR

[some bloke]

Probably not a lot of help but I have a lumix TZ80 and a Canon 60D dslr. If I am going somewhere I know will be photogenic I will take the canon and a couple of lenses.Otherwise, I take the Lumix pocket camera, which I can do about 90+% of the canon shots with. The only thing it's not great for is (for me) a shallow depth of field shot but I can get by.
I often just use a phone for snapshots though. If you are thinking about a DSLR, I'd get one and get familiar with it before your holiday, otherwise you may find it frustrating.

[Simpo Two]

If you take your photography seriously and want to be ready to get the best out of any situation, take a DSLR kit. The obvious downside is size and weight; another aspect to consider is that being Photographer may be incompatible with Holidaymaker, especially if your companions want you to sit quietly with them and read a book rather than jumping up every 30 secs to photograph a seagull... I toured NZ once and my passenger grew quite used to face-planting the dashboard every time I saw something interesting and hit the brakes.

From what you say, I think you'd be better off with the phone. If you just want quick easy snaps of what you see, they do a remarkable job and often more easily or better than DSLRs. For example they seem to handle high contrast scenes far better than my Nikon D500, which even with Active D-Lighting set to 'high' gets nowhere near.

Robmarriott said:

That’s kind of my point I guess. If I buy a compact or just use my phone, I definitely won’t learn anything. If I buy the DSLR, just by the fact that I have it, I am encouraged to put that effort in.

If you want to learn about photography, then that's another matter - get a DSLR. But don't expect to get stunning results without some input.

Edited by Simpo Two on Wednesday 27th July 12:53

[Bluemondy]

In all honesty I've been leaving the DSLR at home of late when travelling. It's just so damn heavy to lug around.

I think a great comprise might be a 1" sensor compact. Your getting a much larger sensor than bridge/phone cameras, but compact enough to be portable.

Might be a decent midway solution?

[Robmarriott]

Bluemondy said:

In all honesty I've been leaving the DSLR at home of late when travelling. It's just so damn heavy to lug around.

I think a great comprise might be a 1" sensor compact. Your getting a much larger sensor than bridge/phone cameras, but compact enough to be portable.

Might be a decent midway solution?

That’s what I was considering, namely a Panasonic LUMIX TZ100.

[andburg]

Can't really fault my tz100 too much.

I paid £224.99 as a refurbished item direct from Panasonic outlet with a full years warranty, still seems an absolute bargain.

Its not perfect, the touch focusing isn't great and the buttons are all bit small but you get used to it

[Turtle Shed]

You need a DSLR only if you want to do the things a DSLR can do that a good phone camera cannot.

These days, as far as amateur use is concerned, I reckon that's only shots that require a telephoto lens.

Also, no DSLR can take a photo if you don't have it with you, and you won't want to carry a DSLR with you all of the time,

Stick with the phone.

[HalfManHalfJaffaCake]

All good suggestions- one left field one from me is the Panasonic LUMIX FZ330. Yes it’s a bridge camera and most I would avoid like the plague, but this one has a constant f2.8 maximum aperture throughout its zoom range and that makes it hugely flexible - it just works. Add water and dust resistance and for holiday shots it’s great.