Prosumer or P&S?


Status
Not open for further replies.

oriki

New Member
Mar 20, 2008
88
0
0
Hi ppl...

I need help to get a camera..
Need 1 before my bali trip next wed.

I'm undecided whether I shud get a P&S camera, narrowed down to Fuji 100fd.
Think I can live with pink banding issue.

Or shud I get a prosumer camera like the Nikon P80, Fuji S8100fd?

My budget is around $500-$600.

I'm a newbie to photograpy, used to like to pictures during my pri/sec school days in the 80s-90s with normal film cameras. But not at all good in it haha

I've been reading the reviews for the cameras, and there's never a "perfect" camera.

Since the price difference of P&S and Prosumer cameras like the Fuji 100fd and S8100fd respectively, is around the same I think, which one should I get?

Thanks in advance.
 

Hi there,
I was in a similar situation not too long ago. I was also a member from photographic society in my Sec sch days. If its really your interest, i suggest getting one with super ccd sensor like s100fd. With a budget $500-600, I think you might want to increase it slightly or get 2nd hand.
You've got alot of things to consider as well, for instance, the power source. AA batteries are avaliable readily but for those NP-140 Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery aren't.
 

Hi killingb...
thx for the advise...
s100fd is around $1K.. hmmm over budget liao hehe

yup, AA batteries are definitely more convenient..
 

if you need zoom, you can try getting a 2nd hand proconsumer fz7/8/18.
just make sure you can stand the shadow noise.
 

If you are already familiar with slrs, then you should probably go for a prosumer as it gives you more control and allows you to do more.
 

Hi oriki,
I'm not familiar with Fuji cameras. But i went the website to check out their specs.

Perhaps the biggest difference will be the zoom, performance and price. If you prefer lots of zoom, then no doubt S8100fd will satisfy you. You will pay the higher price for optical zoom loh, since optical zoom is harder to manufacture.
You should then take S8100fd to compare with P80.

I think the best way is to get down to a store and check out the performance of the cams.

I have the P5100, now I am kicking myself for not waiting. P80 has longer zoom.

Haha, it's ok. I own a P5000, then not long later, P5100 came out.
Of course if you like zoom, then P80 will be a better buy. And actually I like P80 because it really feels like DSLR.
However the 18x zoom is not without drawbacks. P80 zoom suffers from serious barrel and pincushion distortions. Also P80 has a smaller sensor than P5100(or P5000), meaning it is more likely to see high amount of noise. Plus it gives less manual controls than P5100 and you can't add a filter on it.
 

Thanks gymak90 for the comparison, at least I dun have to kick myself so hard.

To TS, sorry for the OT.
 

Thanks gymak90 for the comparison, at least I dun have to kick myself so hard.

To TS, sorry for the OT.

haha no wories lah...
good to read/learn...

guess more headache on the choices hehe
thx guys!
 

Or the Panasonic FZ18... it garners a lot of good reviews and in comparative test with the Fuji superzooms, it came up on the top.
 

if you do not need the zoom range, nikon d40 kit is a good buy now as it is very cheap, around $700+, cheaper than some prosumers.
 

Hmm.. personally I don't quite trust the image and build quality of Fuji and Panasonic (sorry to users of both brands, no offence meant)

I went to test cameras during IT Shows and some cameras will fail when I use them. Haha, like once, the lens lid of a panasonic prosumer didn't open, so I thought why a diagonal part of the screen displayed black :bsmilie:
And if you consider yourself as a rough user, sometimes careless etc, get a cam that with good body build, that can sustain some knocks and falls.

Actually if your cam turns out to be above $400, I think it can be considered as quite a heavy investment. So choose wisely.

if you do not need the zoom range, nikon d40 kit is a good buy now as it is very cheap, around $700+, cheaper than some prosumers.

DSLRs will certainly have an edge over the best of p&s. And they have the build to tolerance some knocks and blows to it. Furthermore, entry-level dslrs, like D40, are getting lighter, making them good for travelling.
But using D40 as an example, you really need to learn photography in depth to exploit the full use of a dslr, instead of using Programmed or fully automatic mode.
Also, D40 body lacks a motor for focusing, meaning only lenses that have motors built-in, can be fitted onto D40. Usually those lenses will be more expensive. In the long run, it's likely you will pay dearly for your lenses, given that the main advantage of a dslr is the ability to change lenses.
 

Or the Panasonic FZ18... it garners a lot of good reviews and in comparative test with the Fuji superzooms, it came up on the top.

Hi..can I know which site have the comparative test?
thanks
 

Hi..can I know which site have the comparative test?
thanks

go dpreview to do a comparsion of specs and imaging resouce to compare the ISO details between 2 cams (where you can pixel peep to your heart's content).

no point having a d40 if you dont know how to take care.
dust on sensor or dirt in viewfinder and fungus in the lens can be very irrating.
so far since i got a dslr last yr, i'm been cleaning it more often than shooting with it cos my hse is quite dusty and i dont use drybox as well.
just keep in a cam bag only.
gd thing is so far no fungus in the lens if not that KO feeling is a bit hard to stomach...
 

Hello, I'm not too sure if this is considered hijacking the thread but I'd like to share some of my considerations on getting a prosumer.

I'm currently using a Canon Powershot A570IS. I'm not about to comment on its build/image quality; I'm more concerned about advice that tends to say prosumers give you more functions if you are more accustomed to DSLR's.

There is a hack called CHDK which I have installed on my camera, and in addition to the built-in manual/semi-auto (Av, Tv) modes that my P&S already has, I can now shoot in RAW, do exposure bracketing, as well as enable live histogram and zebra / blinking highlights modes.

I hope I do not come across as promoting my camera or the CHDK hack. I'm just sharing my thought process when considering whether I ought to upgrade from this P&S camera to a prosumer camera.

There were points in time when I had seriously considered upgrading to a Canon Powershot S5IS, but upon researching into it, I realised there are not many benefits to it — less the extra zoom which I do not need. The sensor size is still the same (1/2.5" CCD) and hence ISO performance is just as lousy; S5 doesn't have RAW mode and live histogram (so I'd still need to install the CHDK hack), etc. The prosumer does not seem to provide any extra functionality compared to my current camera.

Both prosumer cameras and DSLRs are no doubt heavier and larger than P&S cameras, but for that extra weight of prosumers, I do not gain much compared to my P&S; on the other hand, for the extra weight of a DSLR, I can benefit from much better sensors, the versatility of changing lens (hence possibility of better optics), shallower DOF, and many more wonderful bits about DSLRs. As such, I have decided not to take the "bridging step" of prosumers and instead to save up for a DSLR in future.

This was my thought process, and I have possibly overlooked some plus points of prosumers that make them a popular choice for some others. Please feel free to correct my potentially warped reasoning. :)
 

P&S for me for sure.

small and light, easy to carry around.
No worries of attracting attention to big cam if travelling.
keeps in pocket or waist pouch easily
 

Hello, I'm not too sure if this is considered hijacking the thread but I'd like to share some of my considerations on getting a prosumer.

I'm currently using a Canon Powershot A570IS. I'm not about to comment on its build/image quality; I'm more concerned about advice that tends to say prosumers give you more functions if you are more accustomed to DSLR's.

There is a hack called CHDK which I have installed on my camera, and in addition to the built-in manual/semi-auto (Av, Tv) modes that my P&S already has, I can now shoot in RAW, do exposure bracketing, as well as enable live histogram and zebra / blinking highlights modes.

I hope I do not come across as promoting my camera or the CHDK hack. I'm just sharing my thought process when considering whether I ought to upgrade from this P&S camera to a prosumer camera.

There were points in time when I had seriously considered upgrading to a Canon Powershot S5IS, but upon researching into it, I realised there are not many benefits to it — less the extra zoom which I do not need. The sensor size is still the same (1/2.5" CCD) and hence ISO performance is just as lousy; S5 doesn't have RAW mode and live histogram (so I'd still need to install the CHDK hack), etc. The prosumer does not seem to provide any extra functionality compared to my current camera.

Both prosumer cameras and DSLRs are no doubt heavier and larger than P&S cameras, but for that extra weight of prosumers, I do not gain much compared to my P&S; on the other hand, for the extra weight of a DSLR, I can benefit from much better sensors, the versatility of changing lens (hence possibility of better optics), shallower DOF, and many more wonderful bits about DSLRs. As such, I have decided not to take the "bridging step" of prosumers and instead to save up for a DSLR in future.

This was my thought process, and I have possibly overlooked some plus points of prosumers that make them a popular choice for some others. Please feel free to correct my potentially warped reasoning. :)

Haha no lah your reasoning isn't really warped.
Just that by comparing cameras, one with the hack and one without, isn't really fair.

Actually the need for zoom is subjective. For me, I love to have zoom. Especially when I want to discretely take photos of people in action. Capture some facial expressions from a distance away. I can't possible go right up to the person. Also, I like taking pics of aircrafts (i frequent changi :bsmilie:)
But if you don't need the zoom, then it's ok.

Similarly, the need for RAW mode varies person to person. Generally, most can tell the difference between highest quality JPEG and RAW. Plus RAW files are way bigger. Unless you have the time to slowly import into your computer. It's like a 2MB JPEG vs 12MB RAW. Of course RAW gives you more room for editing.

I did a check and the sensor size of A570IS is the same as S5IS, both of 1/2.5''. Basically prosumer are like brothers of p&s, just a small step better. No way you will get a APS-C sensor inside. That's probably how a camera manufacturer distinguishes p&s and dslrs. For the case of my P5000, it uses a slightly bigger sensor of 1/1.8''. But this slight bit won't really translate to better noise control la.

Weight and size wise. P&S wins it (compared to dslr). Handy to carry, can slide into pocket, sling around wrist will do etc. But if you compare p&s to prosumer, I think the weight difference is not really a concern?
Perhaps just 100-200g heavier? Price is also about $100-200 more expensive.
Most of the time, prosumers have a slight bigger build. Which will be good for people with bigger hands. Haha, you won't fumble that much with a super slim p&s and you get better grip of a prosumer.

Sorry oriki once again, for hijacking the thread, hope you don't mind.;p
 

Status
Not open for further replies.