DSLR vs digicams?

[Takosan]

I have owned a CoolPix800 in the past & now use a Canon G3. I always wanted a SLR (film) but now that DSLR are bountiful, I'm on a fence so to speak.

Other than the cost of ownership (develop a traditional film vs printing & archiving on media, etc), in a more general sense what do a 4MP DSLR bring that a 5MP digicam @ 50% of DSLR's pricetab can not bring to the table?

Thanks,
Robert

[Robotnik]

Originally Posted by Takosan

in a more general sense what do a 4MP DSLR bring that a 5MP digicam @ 50% of DSLR's pricetab can not bring to the table?


Robert

What company makes a 4 megapixel DSLR now? I thought most DSLRs available now are 6.3MP and above. Maybe you're refering to the Sigma camera? These have an advanced Foveon sensor which mean their resolution is actually very high.

[Takosan]

Sorry I should have given a better comparison.

But basically wondering when the MP is equal (close) what else does the DSLR bring to the table as far as image quality goes over digicams? Or even what affect does a 6MP DSLR have over 8MP digicam?

Robert

[Robotnik]

Originally Posted by Takosan

Sorry I should have given a better comparison.

But basically wondering when the MP is equal (close) what else does the DSLR bring to the table as far as image quality goes over digicams? Or even what affect does a 6MP DSLR have over 8MP digicam?

Robert

It is the actual physical size of the DSLR's image sensor over that of the fixed lens pro-sumer digicam's, which gives it better image quality in some circumstances.

Against that, you must couple the DSLR with a good lens that costs more, vs the digicam which has a lens designed for it anyway.

In your example, you might be looking at the 8MP Sony F828 digicam vs the 6MP Canon Rebel Digital or 10D DSLR? The Sony digicam has an excellent Carl Zeiss 7x zoom lens with a T* coating designed to get the best results for the Sony image sensor and electronics, whereas with the Canon DSLR you must pay considerably more to get a lens with the same capabilities as that of the Sony.

[marokero]

A larger sensor that can gather more light is one thing. Another is the shallower depth of field inherent to larger sensors. With DSLR's you can go to ISO 1600 and get good results in available light. Also, speed of workflow; everything should be a quick turn of a dial or a press of a button to adjust exposure and then shoot asap without taking your eyes off the viewfinder. And then comes the choice of focal lengths, or interchangeable lenses you can purchase for specific tasks. A lens that claims to do everything from super wide to a long tele, and with a large aperture, is full of compromises. Forget about accessory lenses that only work for a specific digicam (the next generation of digicam requires incompatible accessory lenses and so on). DSLR's have lens mounts that remain constant for decades, and third party manufacturers have their own lens offerings for each mount as well (Sigma, Tokina, Tamron, etc). My two cents

[Gandalf065]

The reasons why I got a DSLR were:
-Faster operating time (shot to shot, focusing, ect)
-Huge lens/flash/accessory availibility and choice
-Overall sturdier construction
-Ease of use in non-automatic modes
-Optical viewfinder

Thats all I can think of at the moment, but you get the idea.

[NHL]

Originally Posted by Takosan

Other than the cost of ownership (develop a traditional film vs printing & archiving on media, etc), in a more general sense what do a 4MP DSLR bring that a 5MP digicam @ 50% of DSLR's pricetab can not bring to the table?

I'm with Marokero:
1. Shallow Depht Of Field.
2. -> Flexible, ie the need for fast large aperture lenses!
3. Higher usable ISO, and lower noise.
4. Speed of operations: faster camera response, rapid autofocus, and usable shot to shot in RAW...
5. Longer operating time (shoot over 1000's shots on 1 battery)

The only negatives: Weight and size! This is why most dSLR owners own a digicam as well! :lol: :lol: :lol:

[sjm817]

Originally Posted by NHL

The only negatives: Weight and size! This is why most dSLR owners own a digicam as well! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Dont forget cost. How much for a DSLR with 28 - 200mm stabilized?

BTW, nice collection of equipment you have there!

[ursa]

going back to the original question -

You can't take some shots without going to a dSLR. If you need/want near instantaneous shutter speeds a dSLR will beat a P&S. Here's the shot that I couldn't take with my Canon G2 - my son on a swing from about 10 feet away. The focus / shutter lag made this picture hit or miss. I never could get the exact instant I wanted to capture.

If you're the type of photographer that wants a 28-300f5.6-6.3 lens and isn't going to get any more than that then a dSLR probably isn't what you should get. But - if you want a faster wide angle lens or an ultralong telephoto lens or want to set your exposure and focus settings easily - then maybe a dSLR is for you.

The big difference is control over the image as the camera takes it. I rarely use photoshop, usually I get the image I want in the camera and don't need PS to fix it later. You can't do that on a P&S, either there's parallax or you're using an EVF/LCD whose resolutions are much less than the actual image.

The number of megapixels is only one part of the equation although there's a tendency to fixate on that spec. Nikon's new D2H is only 4MP but it has a huge image buffer - the target market for that camera values this much more than six or eight megapixel images.

Comparing a D2H with my G2 (both 4MPs) is silly.

I think you'll find that someone that has invested in a dSLR probably has a second digicam because they recognize that some situations call for a dSLR, some for film (shudder) and others call for the P&S digicam. Wedding photographers carry both medium format and 35mm because they recognize and value each system's strenghs and weaknesses. And cost is definitely part of the equation.

[PeterP]

Nikon for one with their new D2H, a 4mp 8fps pro dslr.
Although they will probably loose market to the newly announced canon eos 1d mk II, at 8mp and 8fps. In both cases the price of the bodies at 4200$cdn(D2H) and over 6000$cdn(1d mkII) is not for the average home consumer.

Originally Posted by Robotnik

What company makes a 4 megapixel DSLR now? I thought most DSLRs available now are 6.3MP and above. Maybe you're refering to the Sigma camera? These have an advanced Foveon sensor which mean their resolution is actually very high.