Why Go To DSLR?

[greghalliday]

there are TONS of differences - but I'd probably say the biggest one is ISO.

sure, other cameras offer you 800 or 1600. but my minolta 5D's noise looks better at 3200 then any digicams look at 400 or 800... optics too... of course.

VERY true. I would buy a DSLR for this reason alone. It makes such a difference in actual usability that any story I could tell regarding this would border on hyperbole. Close to 70% of the images I took on a recent winter trip to Prague would have been unusable had they been taken with my A60 P&S (an otherwise great 2MP camera). ISO 800 on my 20D looks like ISO 100 or 200 on the A60. Even the images taken at ISO 1600 and 3200 are acceptable. I have not used a digital P&S that gives me as nice an image from even ISO 400.

Just my 2 cents.

Greg

[Ronnoco]

VERY true. I would buy a DSLR for this reason alone. It makes such a difference in actual usability that any story I could tell regarding this would border on hyperbole. Close to 70% of the images I took on a recent winter trip to Prague would have been unusable had they been taken with my A60 P&S (an otherwise great 2MP camera). ISO 800 on my 20D looks like ISO 100 or 200 on the A60. Even the images taken at ISO 1600 and 3200 are acceptable. I have not used a digital P&S that gives me as nice an image from even ISO 400.

Just my 2 cents.

Greg

Almost all of that difference however is due to 2MP of your P. & S. versus 8 MP of your 20D. A point and shoot with 8 mp. versus your 20D would be a much more worthwhile comparison.

Ronnoco