should i get a dslr or compact?


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hengweijin

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Jan 14, 2009
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as the title states, i'm a person who loves to take photos, mostly streets and candid.
i've been lurking in CS for quite a while and read on quite abit of the articles upon DSLR.

i've been considering to get a DSLR for a while, but many of the threads state that its a unstoppable bbb spree once you step into the circle.

on top of that, there are many recommendations that people should get a PnS cam or compact to practise your shots till you find the limited capability of the cam, till then then upgrade to a DSLR. Dont just dive down to a DSLR cause its 'big black pro-looking' camera and ending up under utilise it plus burning up alot of cash.

currently i'm using a old sony compact which cant satisfy my needs. slow shutter speed, lag time, very weak images in the dark, weak flash, lousy zoom, etc etc..

i'm not sure about getting a compact cause i'm not sure whats out in the market and not sure if it is able to satisfy the needs of mine.

should i get some PnS cam which provides better specs or should i dive into a entry-level DSLR?

please help. would be good too to recommand any PnS/DSLR with your replies..

thanks alot in advance.
 

If you gonna jump into the dslr, you gonna need lot of time n money in order to having taking great photos, investment is not small too, dry cabinet, lenses, etc... would set you back quite a bit too.

if you find your current camera too limiting, maybe try out a prosumer range like canon sx10 with manual controls.
 

if u wan to buy a compact, i'd suggest u get those $199 ones. cus, to me, no point spending more $$$.

but then, a 2nd hand DSLR is not ex. my fren jus bought a A350 w kit lens for his wife for $400.

as for the BBB virus, its entirely up to u.

i ve a canon 30D w kit lens and tokina 12-24. but i can do w/o tat ultra wide angle anytime.

if you dun find a DSLR bulky relative to a compact, i'd suggest u go for one. u can treat a DSLr like a compact, but kind of hard to treat a compact as DSLR (the shutter lag, low light performance, inaccurate framing etc kills all the fun for me).
 

PnS and DSLR are very different. Are you ready to invest in the lenses and flash? Each has it's own pros and cons so do your study and decide for yourself cos you are the one using the cam eventually. There are also prosumer cams that can take external flash eg the old Nikon Coolpix 8700, Sony R1 and Fuji FinePix 9600.
 

but then, a 2nd hand DSLR is not ex. my fren jus bought a A350 w kit lens for his wife for $400.

Whoa A350 with kit lens for $400?
thats super super cheap for 2nd hand
:eek:
 

Forget about taking photos.. Save up the money for other hobbies...
 

as the title states, i'm a person who loves to take photos, mostly streets and candid.
i've been lurking in CS for quite a while and read on quite abit of the articles upon DSLR.

i've been considering to get a DSLR for a while, but many of the threads state that its a unstoppable bbb spree once you step into the circle.

on top of that, there are many recommendations that people should get a PnS cam or compact to practise your shots till you find the limited capability of the cam, till then then upgrade to a DSLR. Dont just dive down to a DSLR cause its 'big black pro-looking' camera and ending up under utilise it plus burning up alot of cash.

currently i'm using a old sony compact which cant satisfy my needs. slow shutter speed, lag time, very weak images in the dark, weak flash, lousy zoom, etc etc..

i'm not sure about getting a compact cause i'm not sure whats out in the market and not sure if it is able to satisfy the needs of mine.

should i get some PnS cam which provides better specs or should i dive into a entry-level DSLR?

please help. would be good too to recommand any PnS/DSLR with your replies..

thanks alot in advance.

Get a DSLR unless u want something very portable and only an occassional shooter.
 

Wah that's a steal, can let me know where did your friend get this? I don't mind getting one at this price too. ;p

perhaps i didnt get the exact model right.

its the older Sony entry level DSLR w kit lens and 2 gig card.

bought from our ever reliable CS BnS.
 

Buy a bridge cam ?
 

Maybe it will enable CS bro & sis help u decide better if u can let us know ur budget ?
Coz if budget is limited, best is not to venture into DSLR yet
The basic body, lens & accessories will easily reach $1k zone
Although u can save some by buying 2nd hand in the BnS section here..
 

but if TS really wanted to buy a DSLR, but due to budget, decided on a compact/bridge camera, he/she will eventually spent more.

and mid/higher end compacts and bridge cams are by no means cheap.
 

as the title states, i'm a person who loves to take photos, mostly streets and candid.
i've been lurking in CS for quite a while and read on quite abit of the articles upon DSLR.

i've been considering to get a DSLR for a while, but many of the threads state that its a unstoppable bbb spree once you step into the circle.

on top of that, there are many recommendations that people should get a PnS cam or compact to practise your shots till you find the limited capability of the cam, till then then upgrade to a DSLR. Dont just dive down to a DSLR cause its 'big black pro-looking' camera and ending up under utilise it plus burning up alot of cash.

currently i'm using a old sony compact which cant satisfy my needs. slow shutter speed, lag time, very weak images in the dark, weak flash, lousy zoom, etc etc..

i'm not sure about getting a compact cause i'm not sure whats out in the market and not sure if it is able to satisfy the needs of mine.

should i get some PnS cam which provides better specs or should i dive into a entry-level DSLR?

please help. would be good too to recommand any PnS/DSLR with your replies..

thanks alot in advance.

If you find your present compact is not meeting your needs, then forget about getting another compact or bridge cameras as they will more or less be the same...

And higher ends compacts and bridge cameras are even more expensive than entry dslr for some models....

A Sony A200 with kit lens should be available for about $700-800 at street price and it's more than enough for most photography you mentioned.

And the performance, features and image quality of a entry level DSLR (even with kit lens) will blast away all the compacts and bridge cameras anytime!!! :thumbsup:
 

but if TS really wanted to buy a DSLR, but due to budget, decided on a compact/bridge camera, he/she will eventually spent more.

and mid/higher end compacts and bridge cams are by no means cheap.
Therefore is very important to know the TS 's budget,
Its help the TS to plan long term & not buy on impulse

In prev thread, I only advise him not to venture into DSLR yet if budget is limiting
I never advise TS to buy compact/bridge camera in my prev thread

Only want to mentally prepared him for the cost involved for DSLR
Can always save up more if he decided DSLR is his final decision
 

Therefore is very important to know the TS 's budget,
Its help the TS to plan long term & not buy on impulse

In prev thread, I only advise him not to venture into DSLR yet if budget is limiting
I never advise TS to buy compact/bridge camera in my prev thread

Only want to mentally prepared him for the cost involved for DSLR
Can always save up more if he decided DSLR is his final decision

Yes, agree.

But if his present compact cam cannot satisfy him already, buying another compact won't solve his problem and he will spend more into selling and buying a dslr eventually...

Anyway, it's his decision and his wallet...we can only advise...
 

my budget its roughly 1k max if i want to step into DSLR.
if a PnS would be roughly 500 odd?

i'm more of a part-timer shooter, i only shoot photos when i head out in the streets or with friends. DSLR could be bulky but i guess i'm able to carrry and hold on to it without any problem.

as stated by some of the CSer, the compacts would not make much of a different with my old compact if i get a new one. is it really true? mine is like a super old model. not sure what is offering out in the market now.

if getting a DSLR, Sony A350 would be a good choice? I read on some of the threads stating that people should look at Nikon D90 or Canon 450/1000 series at lease. i didnt read up much on other brands. however, if getting a DSLR, i would shift more towards a canon as my friend owns a couple of lens which can be shared. But the camera would not fit into my limited budget.

advise to look for mid range cams or die die stick to getting a DSLR. Sony A350 or hang tight and save up more $$$ to get a Canon 450/1000?

thanks in advance.
 

Hi,
would not under estimate the chore of bringing out a dslr if I were you. Unless I'm headed out specifically to shoot, my slr sits at home, and a compact goes out with me instead.
Unless you know for certain that you'll be getting a couple of lenses and thus need the ability to change lenses, I'd stick to a prosumer instead.
And, I do think that you'll find the current prosumers or compacts light years ahead of what you currently have, so dont rule those out as quickly. Most of the more advanced models have almost as many functions as the basic dslrs, so you'll be able to tweak and adjust as you wish.

My take is that you'll need a higher budget(no slight intended, because the fact is that dslrs cost more) before you move in dslrs, or consider getting a used model. Buying used is a very good idea because you'll save a fair bit, and you wont feel like dying when the body gets user marks etc.

I've no idea about which brands you should get since I'm on film but am sure others would chime in soon enough.

rf


my budget its roughly 1k max if i want to step into DSLR.
if a PnS would be roughly 500 odd?

i'm more of a part-timer shooter, i only shoot photos when i head out in the streets or with friends. DSLR could be bulky but i guess i'm able to carrry and hold on to it without any problem.

as stated by some of the CSer, the compacts would not make much of a different with my old compact if i get a new one. is it really true? mine is like a super old model. not sure what is offering out in the market now.

if getting a DSLR, Sony A350 would be a good choice? I read on some of the threads stating that people should look at Nikon D90 or Canon 450/1000 series at lease. i didnt read up much on other brands. however, if getting a DSLR, i would shift more towards a canon as my friend owns a couple of lens which can be shared. But the camera would not fit into my limited budget.

advise to look for mid range cams or die die stick to getting a DSLR. Sony A350 or hang tight and save up more $$$ to get a Canon 450/1000?

thanks in advance.
 

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