20D as point & shoot?

Something just occurred to me... I have an Olympus Camedia point &
shoot. (I'm really happy with the model that I have.) Now if I buy the
20D, will I be able to use that effectively as a point & shoot? I just
assumed no, because I have an 35mm slr that's about 25 years old that
cannot function effectively as a point & shoot.

If the 20D does work good as a point & shoot then I'll be able to sell
my Olympus to my brother (who also loves the camera).

What do you think?

Mike

If the settings in Auto is OK then it should, that is what Auto is for. If
you want to change any of the settings you can do this also.


"Robert Bobb" wrote in message
...
Something just occurred to me... I have an Olympus Camedia point & shoot.
(I'm really happy with the model that I have.) Now if I buy the 20D, will
I be able to use that effectively as a point & shoot? I just assumed no,
because I have an 35mm slr that's about 25 years old that cannot function
effectively as a point & shoot.

If the 20D does work good as a point & shoot then I'll be able to sell my
Olympus to my brother (who also loves the camera).

What do you think?

Mike

Rob,

Yes you can 'point and shoot' with a 20D it has all the consumer zone stuff
built in (portrait, landscape, etc.) but why anyone would want to use such a
capable camera in such a limited way is beyond me (how much more can Av and
Sv be to get to grips with?)

Regards

DM

"Robert Bobb" wrote in message
...
Something just occurred to me... I have an Olympus Camedia point & shoot.
(I'm really happy with the model that I have.) Now if I buy the 20D, will
I be able to use that effectively as a point & shoot? I just assumed no,
because I have an 35mm slr that's about 25 years old that cannot function
effectively as a point & shoot.

If the 20D does work good as a point & shoot then I'll be able to sell my
Olympus to my brother (who also loves the camera).

What do you think?

Mike

In article , Robert Bobb
wrote:

if I buy the 20D, will I be able to use that
effectively as a point & shoot?

Absolutely. In fact, it will perform MUCH better than a P&S (POS?):
Shutter/AF "lag" is virtually non-existent and you can "switch away" from P&S
to more creative settings whenever you wish.

I just assumed no, because I have an 35mm slr that's about
25 years old that cannot function effectively as a point & shoot.

Perhaps your criteria are different from mine: My AE1 (1979) and T90 (1989)
served me well for P&S, even considering their manual focus.

If the 20D does work good as a point & shoot then I'll be able to sell
my Olympus to my brother (who also loves the camera).

You may start your negotiations. I am VERY pleased all aspects of my 20D.


JR

To get the most out of a 20D you really need to be aware of all the
setting. I tend to shoot in Av mode to get in the sweet spot of
whatever lens I am using, then watch the shutter speed and adjust the
ISO if needed.

I don't want the camera deciding for me the trade off between shutter
speed, aperture and ISO.

But if you really wanted to, sure you could use it in full auto mode
and it would work ok as a point and shoot. But there will be a number
of us that kind of cringe at the though of doing so.

Scott

"Robert Bobb" wrote in message
...
Something just occurred to me... I have an Olympus Camedia point & shoot.
(I'm really happy with the model that I have.) Now if I buy the 20D, will
I be able to use that effectively as a point & shoot? I just assumed no,
because I have an 35mm slr that's about 25 years old that cannot function
effectively as a point & shoot.

If the 20D does work good as a point & shoot then I'll be able to sell my
Olympus to my brother (who also loves the camera).

What do you think?

Mike

yes, but watch out for Auto Focus which can give issues like choosing the
'wrong' point (ie a point you didn't want), not just on a 20D.

"dylan" wrote in message
...

"Robert Bobb" wrote in message
...
Something just occurred to me... I have an Olympus Camedia point &
shoot. (I'm really happy with the model that I have.) Now if I buy the
20D, will I be able to use that effectively as a point & shoot? I just
assumed no, because I have an 35mm slr that's about 25 years old that
cannot function effectively as a point & shoot.

If the 20D does work good as a point & shoot then I'll be able to sell my
Olympus to my brother (who also loves the camera).

What do you think?

Mike

yes, but watch out for Auto Focus which can give issues like choosing the
'wrong' point (ie a point you didn't want), not just on a 20D.



Thus, "Program" rather than "Automatic..."

--
Skip Middleton
http://www.shadowcatcherimagery.com

also, If you want to replicate most point and shoot cameras you will
need a lens that offers 28-105mm actual which would be the Canon
17-85mm lens and then just set the 20D on P for program. The greatest
advantage besides image quality would be reduced shutter lag and
useable ISO settings to 1600 which really enhances ability to shoot in
low light.

Art

"Robert Bobb" wrote in message
...
Something just occurred to me... I have an Olympus Camedia point & shoot.
(I'm really happy with the model that I have.) Now if I buy the 20D, will
I be able to use that effectively as a point & shoot? I just assumed no,
because I have an 35mm slr that's about 25 years old that cannot function
effectively as a point & shoot.

If the 20D does work good as a point & shoot then I'll be able to sell my
Olympus to my brother (who also loves the camera).

Yes, it works fine as a P&S. Also, the "P" mode (for Program) is sort of in
between and you might learn to like that mode. It's automatic but let's you
easily fiddle with ISO, focus points, aperture, etc. I sometimes switch to
the Sports mode when out looking for birds as they can kick up in a hurry.
It's a very quick way to boost the ISO, select continuous shooting and AI
servo focus, all at the same with just a flick of the dial. I fail to see
how some posters can bash the auto modes to the point where one might think
that they are totally useless. I wonder if some these folks ever take a
variety of shots. I mean, a studio photographer has a different agenda than
a general user!

"Robert Bobb" wrote in message
...
Something just occurred to me... I have an Olympus Camedia point &
shoot. (I'm really happy with the model that I have.) Now if I buy the
20D, will I be able to use that effectively as a point & shoot? I just
assumed no, because I have an 35mm slr that's about 25 years old that
cannot function effectively as a point & shoot.

If the 20D does work good as a point & shoot then I'll be able to sell
my Olympus to my brother (who also loves the camera).

What do you think?

Mike

Yes, it can (ofcourse) - but then why bother with "Auto" mode. The most auto
that I ever go on my 20D is Av or Tv. I cant imagine why you would want the
camera to decide the Aperture and Shutter. You probably think I sounds
sarcastic ( I dont mean to) - but after about a week of owning your 20D, you
will know what I am talking about. Also I recommend reading the following
short book:

"Understanding Exposu How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or
Digital Camera (Updated Edition)"

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...076148-6590562


From my point of view, the _only_ purpose of a P&S (if you already have
DSLR) would be compactness. Its worth keeping around for those situations
where you cannot lug around your gear.