i shot film SLR, then moved to dSLR when the 10D came out. i've never owned a dgicam before.
There are some reasons why i don't have a digicam. (When i say digicam, i mean the generic digicam, not those with very special features.)
i believe my top two reasons are:
1. Digicams use motorized zooming. Even the crappiest zoom lens on a SLR/dSLR can zoom from end to end at twist of a hand. This allows split second framing when action/expressions are happening. Something i cannot live without.
2. Autofocus speed. Again, for the same kind of candid/people pictures that i like to do. This reason alone makes almost all digicams unsuitable for event/wedding photography. With most digicams that ive tried, i cannot even tell (from the LCD) where the focus point is (usually a very big square) and what exactly is in focus. Very uneasy feeling.
It is true that a good digicam/prosumer lens is better than a crap SLR lens. But at 4R print size, i think most lenses (except the very top ones) are about equal. Oh yes - even a cheap SLR lens gets better background blur than the small prosumer lenses. This usually makes a difference even in casual point n shoot portraits.
i wonder if those who came from a similar background (film SLR) care to comment? Specifically, is there anyone who shot extensively with film SLR and actually prefer a digicam to a (film) SLR?
Hey, i'm not shooting down digicams. Just giving the opinion from 'the other side'. i do agree with all the other advantages of a digicam - angled viewing, etc. Especially angled-viewing. Wish'd the 10D had it.