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#11
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advanced super-zoom vs. digital SLR... what should I get?
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#12
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advanced super-zoom vs. digital SLR... what should I get?
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#13
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advanced super-zoom vs. digital SLR... what should I get?
Pete D wrote:
LOL, this is all wrong! You top-post a convincing argument, backed by facts, sir. (*) BugBear (*) Sarcasm, obviously |
#14
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advanced super-zoom vs. digital SLR... what should I get?
Graham Fountain wrote:
Firstly, AF in a DSLR is significantly better than in a P&S. It is far faster, and far more accurate. On manual focus, the focussing screens in DSLR's are a long way short of the focus screens of older 35mm cameras. They are duller, lack microprisms etc. But, despite those limitations, I haven't seen a P&S that comes close to a DSLR for manual focus. Despite the DSLR viewscreens being quite ordinary, they are still a zillion times better than anything using an EVF. If manual focussing ability was the only criteria, and I had to choose between an olympus e500 (the worst viewscreen I've seen in an SLR) and something like a Pana FZ30, I'd take the Olympus any day. This I have never understood. I have never (not once) managed to accurately focus using just the screen on any SLR. Not on my D200, not on my 7xi, not on my XD7. I also have never managed to accurately judge DOF on any of these, despite years of use (well the 7xi has no DOF preview, but the others do). Yet I keep reading people say they focus using only the screens (without split-screen or other aids). Am I missing something? I mean, I can get focus in the ballpark, but always found that I could easily spot that it was out of focus when I projected the slides. Not to mention 100% crops in digital. |
#15
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advanced super-zoom vs. digital SLR... what should I get?
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#16
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advanced super-zoom vs. digital SLR... what should I get?
So, finally, i'd say you're best bet really would be to buy a nice P&S "first" and if you find that it is limited, or it isn't performing the way you wanted, then consider going the dSLR route. Since IF it can do everything you need, you'll have saved yourself a lot of money. But if it doesn't you will loose a fair bit more money than you would have if you went for the dSLR in the first place........ One thing which you should seriously considder is buying a second hand dSLR so somebody else takes the first owner depreciation hit and then start buying the lenses you want as and when you want them. That way you can upgrade the body in a few years and still have a great set of lenses. There is no right or wrong answer. dSLR's give you infinate flexibility but at considderable expense and weight. P&S give a competent package at an excellent cost but there is no upgrate path (other than part-ex or the bin) I have owned a number of P&S's in addition to a dSLR and each has it's own merits and pitfalls. |
#17
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advanced super-zoom vs. digital SLR... what should I get?
Exactly what I would have written. FWIW I use P&S, and I love the image
stabilisation on my S2 which lets you hand hold at 72 mm (equivalent of 420 on 35 mm) at 1/60 or so. |
#18
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advanced super-zoom vs. digital SLR... what should I get?
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#19
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advanced super-zoom vs. digital SLR... what should I get?
wrote:
Here are some of the questions I have: - Am I really going to notice the difference in image quality in, say, and 8 x 10? Go to www.dpreview.com and go to the galleries for the cameras you are interested in. Download a couple of images for each and print them. What I see is that at 8x10, the 8MP dSLRs are noticeably better than anything with a small sensor. Whether that "noticeably" is "significant" for you is definately in the YMMV area. - How do the advanced super-zoom cameras do in low light situations vs. the SLR? I've heard that SLRs are better, but is it a big difference? The difference is _huge_ in the range from 50mm to 150mm equivalent, since lenses such as the Sigma 30/1.4, Canon or Nikon 50/1.4, and Canon or Nikon 85/1.8 are superb and (somewhat) affordable. At the long end of things, the (US$700 or so) Canon 70-300/4.0-5.6 IS lens will easily _edge out_ the super zooms, but if your superzoom is f/2.8 at the long end you are using most of the ISO advantage on the dSLR to make up for the slower lens. Some of the recent superzooms are slower at the long end, so the dSLRs are pulling noticeably ahead. The dSLRs in general produce better images at ISO 1600 than the superzooms produce at ISO 400. And you can put fast lenses on a dSLR. For example, the Canon 50/1.4 lens on the 300D or 350D at ISO 1600 is seriously amazing for portraits and concerts where you can get close to the stage. (Note that this doesn't apply to the 10MP and higher Nikons. Those cameras have trouble at ISO 1600. We'll see how the 10MP Canon 400D does. If you are interested in low light, grab a 350D before they're gone.) Any other reasons that I should go one way or the other? DSLRs are expensive*, heavy, and changing lenses is a pain. *: More accurately, dSLRs aren't so much expensive as a monster sinks of money afterwards, since there are so many fun lenses to buy. David J. Littleboy Tokyo, Japan |
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