What are some negative things to consider with dSLRs?

[JinE]

Lesbs wrote:

bill.guenthner wrote:

I have never found a need to take pidtures in situations where it is so dark you can't see throughthe viewfinder. If it is that dark, more than likely the P&S picture will come out horrible or will be near to impossible to focus anyway so why bother?

I agree. All the P/S's Ive own in low light the LCD or the EVF did not gain up and it was pretty much useless in low light. Even if I did get lucky and eyeball the composition I was pretty much assured it would not get focus lock.

[MrPogo]

The biggest disadvantage for me (going from a Fuji S602z to a Nikon D50) is how much much it would cost me to get anywhere near the same macro performance: the S602z could focus about a quarter of an inch away from the lens, and you could have a tiny moth etc filling the frame. To get a lens that can do that on an SLR would cost a fortune, so I've kept the previous camera for macro work!

[PeterP]

It can be done with a cost of around a 169$ and is usable with any lens you own for your DSLR.
Buy a set of Kenko extension tubes, with all 3 tubes in a set attached a 50mm lens will focus at a couple of millimeters.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...ughType=search

And you retain the ability to use clean high ISO's that a DSLR is capable of.

MrPogo wrote:

The biggest disadvantage for me (going from a Fuji S602z to a Nikon D50) is how much much it would cost me to get anywhere near the same macro performance: the S602z could focus about a quarter of an inch away from the lens, and you could have a tiny moth etc filling the frame. To get a lens that can do that on an SLR would cost a fortune, so I've kept the previous camera for macro work!

[eric s]

While I am a big fan of extention tubes, don't forget that you have to mate them to a good lens to begin with.

And you have the DOF problems that the larger sensor gives you (smaller DOF.)

Eric

[MrPogo]

I'll have to look into those (I was never quite sure what they did :lol. I've got the Nikon 50mm f1.8 and a Sigma 24-70mm f2.8. Hopefully one of those will be up to scratch for such usage...

[eric s]

MrPogo,
They work by moving the distance the lens can focus in. In other words, you loose infinity focus but you gain closer focus. When mated with a zoom they can work really well. They take some getting used to (because changing the focal length kinda works like focusing) but they do work well and they are cheaper than a macro lens.

For example, I use them with my Canon 100-400 and they work well enough for me that I haven't purchased a Macro lens.

Eric

[Lesbs]

slipe wrote:

Lesbs wrote:

Most cameras anymore have assist lamps that will focus out to around ten feet in the dark. And the flash lights the picture. I've taken lots of pictures where it is too dark to see the subject through an optical finder.

Ten feet is not much and working thatclose to your subjectis not alwayspossible. On the average P&S camera "dark" usually translates into "noisy" pictures unless you are using a flash. Flash photography is not always an option in dark situations.If I can see with the naked eye in a dark situation, then on my DSLR I can usually also see through the viewfinder. so I would literally have to be bumping into walls before my viewfinder is useless. On a point and shoot, the viewfinder is smaller and dimmer, andin that situation I would agree that a viewfinder would be virtually useless.

Truth is anyone who is serious about taking pictures in toughsituations, needs to bite the bullet and buy more than one type of camera. There are many here who buy a DSLR and also own a compact P&S. Another option would be something like the Sony R1, which combines a DSLR type sensor in a P&S camera. Only problem is it doesn't come cheap.

I agree. All the P/S's Ive own in low light the LCD or the EVF did not gain up and it was pretty much useless in low light. Even if I did get lucky and eyeball the composition I was pretty much assured it would not get focus lock.

This is a seriously flawed statement.

For many years I used a Minolta 7i that would go into "night-vision" mode in zero light. I've taken many images with it, that were made in total darkness, with perfect focusing by the camera (although it was closer to a DSLR than any P&S camera). The technology was there.......however, most companies ignored it.

[Tom LaPrise]

The EVF on my DiMage Z1 gains up in low light, as does the LCD on my little Canon A410. The A410 even has a focus assist lamp. Great for taking pictures of nocturnal critters or gloomy rooms. That said, I really miss the viewfinder of my Canon AE-1 when I'm in situations my Z1's autofocus can't handle... (no assist lamp on that camera!)... the magnified central part of the image I get when I'm in manual focus mode leaves me guessing more often than I'd like.

[Lesbs]

Kalypso wrote:

This is a seriously flawed statement.

For many years I used a Minolta 7i that would go into "night-vision" mode in zero light. I've taken many images with it, that were made in total darkness, with perfect focusing by the camera (although it was closer to a DSLR than any P&S camera). The technology was there.......however, most companies ignored it.

Since the poster is referring to units he has owned and the results hehas experianced,I don't believe his statement is flawed at all.

My P&S cameras all work in zero light and I'm sure most of the newer and more expensive modelsdo.