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  1. #1
    ¿Entonces... ya? azonicbruce's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
    Location
    El Paso, TX
    Posts
    65

    Have I gone mad? Completely insane? (Sell DSLR for compact)

    Hey folks, long time no visit. It's been really busy the past year. New job, lots of contract work, crazy. Still get a chance to do a photo shoot once in awhile. Latest was an MTB freeride competition. Fun stuff. Gallery here: http://60hzproductions.com/gallery/RRC5

    So I've been absolutely pleased with my used D30 ever since I bought it almost 2 years ago. Yeah, I've developed a dislike for the low-light performance and not-so-stellar autofocus, but I can't complain. It's been the fastest digital I've ever owned and has taken the best pictures of any equipment I've ever owned as well.

    So, I go into this Walmart today, and since I'm considering buying a digital camera for my wife for Christmas, I stop by the camera department. My eye catches hold of an Olympus Sylus 800. Holy moly! Is it just me or have compact digital cameras come a long way? Fast startup, and the lowest shutter lag I've ever seen on a compact digital (obviously still not as fast as DSLR, but a huge improvement). Huge LCD, nice and small.

    Sooo, I get to thinking, maybe there's a camera out there for ME that would be fit the bill. Maybe I'm going a little overboard in thinking I should sell my Canon stuff, but still, if I could find a camera that has near speed and quality of my D30, yet in a much more "portable" solution, I'd definitely be tempted. I've heard Photo John mention a couple of times that he and other are similarly searching for a similar "holy grail"

    So, any thoughts? Is there something out there yet that can compete, or should I wait a couple more years? I do think that it WILL happen someday; it's just a matter of time.

    Any brand or model recommendations?

    60Hz Productions
    Great pictures are taken with the mind...the problem lies in getting the dang camera to take the same picture!

  2. #2
    Captain of the Ship Photo-John's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Location
    Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
    Posts
    15,422

    The Holy Grail

    The Holy Grail

    That's a good way to look at it. I don't think it actually exists or that it could exist. It's like the perfect do--t-all bike, or the perfect camera bag. You need different version for different jobs. But...

    I had a Yashica T4 Super 35mm point-and-shoot. It was the simplest camera I've ever owned and one of my favorites. It had autofocus, a 35mm f/2.8 lens, and a spot meter. Can't get much simpler than that. Oh yeah - it took great pictures. The Zeiss lens and spot meter were an unbeatable combo. There was a little shutter-lag, but no big deal. I learned to compensate.

    So I want a digital version of that camera. The first problem is that all compact digitals use tiny sensors. So the image quality, in theory, will never be as good as a digital SLR. Unless they use one of the larger, APS-sized sensors in a point-and-shoot compact digital camera. I could use the same slide film in my T4 Super that I used in my EOS 3. I want the same equal image quality in a compact digital as I have in my digital SLRs. Why not? The sensors are out there. Put one in a compact. So far, Sony has come the closest. They recently released the DSC-R1 10-megapixel compact digital with an APS-sized sensor. If Sony can take that same sensor and put it in one of their P-Series cameras, I'm first in line - even if I do have to buy Memory Stick to use it. I want the pocket-sized compact I can take on rides, with no weight or size penalty, and dSLR image quality. I want it!!!!!!

    That's the Holy Grail. It wouldn't be a digital SLR replacement. At least not all the time. I'd never take a compact to the races. But I'd sure take it on every ride. And I don't do that with the digital SLRs. They simply weigh too much.

    The closest I've come so far is the Casio Exilim EX-Z750. Check out my pro review (see the pro review link in the navigation at the top of the page). It's truly pocket-sized, there's very, very little shutter-lag, the 7-megapixel sensor is great, and it has full manual controls for when you want them. It's a sweet little camera. But it's still not magic like my T4 Super was.

    Good to see you here again, Bruce. We've got an Olympus Stylus 800 Digital pro review on the way. I wouldn't replace your digital SLR with a compact, though. Buy a compact, sure. But don't expect it to replace the SLR. That's like replacing your 8-inch hucker bike with a singlespeed hardtail. They're both fun. But they just ain't the same, brother!
    Photo-John

    Your reviews are the foundation of this site - Write A Review!

  3. #3
    Captain of the Ship Photo-John's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Location
    Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
    Posts
    15,422

    Ps

    PS.

    Your photos are looking AWESOME!

    The temple photo is beautiful. And I liked the whole Provo folder. I think I made 5 trips to Utah this year - 3 to SLC and Ogden, and two to St. George. I should be back again soon. If you're still there, let's have dinner with Brian.
    Photo-John

    Your reviews are the foundation of this site - Write A Review!

  4. #4
    ¿Entonces... ya? azonicbruce's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
    Location
    El Paso, TX
    Posts
    65

    Re: Have I gone mad? Completely insane? (Sell DSLR for compact)

    Thanks John. Actually, I live in El Paso, TX now so if you're ever up for some rocky, desert riding, this is the place.

    That reminds me, I need to upload more photos. I have a ton but haven't had a chance to upload all of them. Installing that Gallery php module has helped alot, but I wish it were a bit more refined.

    Actually, my host now is making available various gallery modules. Coppermine, Exhibit Engine, Gallery 2.0, Instant Photo Gallery, Plogger, SimpleViewer, and Singapore.

    I kinda like the look/feel of SimpleViewer, http://www.airtightinteractive.com/simpleviewer/

    I'll be sure to check out that review...
    60Hz Productions
    Great pictures are taken with the mind...the problem lies in getting the dang camera to take the same picture!

  5. #5
    Be serious Franglais's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Paris, France
    Posts
    3,367

    Very happy with F10 except for a couple of things

    Quote Originally Posted by azonicbruce
    Hey folks, long time no visit. It's been really busy the past year. New job, lots of contract work, crazy. Still get a chance to do a photo shoot once in awhile. Latest was an MTB freeride competition. Fun stuff. Gallery here: http://60hzproductions.com/gallery/RRC5

    So I've been absolutely pleased with my used D30 ever since I bought it almost 2 years ago. Yeah, I've developed a dislike for the low-light performance and not-so-stellar autofocus, but I can't complain. It's been the fastest digital I've ever owned and has taken the best pictures of any equipment I've ever owned as well.

    So, I go into this Walmart today, and since I'm considering buying a digital camera for my wife for Christmas, I stop by the camera department. My eye catches hold of an Olympus Sylus 800. Holy moly! Is it just me or have compact digital cameras come a long way? Fast startup, and the lowest shutter lag I've ever seen on a compact digital (obviously still not as fast as DSLR, but a huge improvement). Huge LCD, nice and small.

    Sooo, I get to thinking, maybe there's a camera out there for ME that would be fit the bill. Maybe I'm going a little overboard in thinking I should sell my Canon stuff, but still, if I could find a camera that has near speed and quality of my D30, yet in a much more "portable" solution, I'd definitely be tempted. I've heard Photo John mention a couple of times that he and other are similarly searching for a similar "holy grail"

    So, any thoughts? Is there something out there yet that can compete, or should I wait a couple more years? I do think that it WILL happen someday; it's just a matter of time.

    Any brand or model recommendations?
    My Fuji F10 is excellent. It reacts quickly, goes all the way to a usable 1600 ISO and like most digital point & shoots you can do short videos with it. It's a 6Mpix device like my D70 and I can't really tell the two apart.

    There are just a couple of drawbacks with the F10 compared with the D70:

    1. There's no viewfinder. You have to use the (large) LCD on the back and it its not very visible in bright light
    2. It can't do RAW. The results I get on the D70 are better because I can do more image correction afterwards.

    Charles

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