do you really need an SLR?

[jakobspiral]

i've been taking photos for a while using a film SLR (still saving up for a digital). i noticed that most of the time, i rarely needed bigger than f/2.8 or smaller than f/11. i rarely used faster than 1/2000 or slower than 5 seconds.

...but a Canon S3 is capable of all of these shots.

so, how about you guys? if you remember most of your good shots, did you really need an SLR to capture them?

...'coz i'm gonna buy a good digital camera soon, but i'm still undecided on the brand and model...

[higad]

i might buy a canon powershot s3is. after a long time of canvassing and asking for questions about whats the best camera for me as a beginner... 

[Dindin]

Try the Fujifilm Finepix S9600...

IMO, Fujifilm produces better colors...

[roger_alcantara]

i've been taking photos for a while using a film SLR (still saving up for a digital). i noticed that most of the time, i rarely needed bigger than f/2.8 or smaller than f/11. i rarely used faster than 1/2000 or slower than 5 seconds.

...but a Canon S3 is capable of all of these shots.

so, how about you guys? if you remember most of your good shots, did you really need an SLR to capture them?

...'coz i'm gonna buy a good digital camera soon, but i'm still undecided on the brand and model...

most of the time a good compact digital camera will do the job.  but there are times when you do need a 1.8 opening... specially if you want to play with depth... or if it get's really dark.  plus an slr, because of it's built, shape, and sometimes weight, makes it easier to take steadier shots.  but yeah... investing in a good compact digital camera will get the job done. when i was starting with the manila times, i was only issued a canon powershot G3... ehehehehe... marami ramin ring rally dispersals, at mga pag-kuyog ng PSG na nadaanan yun pero oks pa rin mga kuha.    plus sarap siyang dalhin sa biyahe kasi shoot lang sa bag. :p

[Al_Librero]

...but a Canon S3 is capable of all of these shots.

true.

i have an S3 IS. pero i admit that DSLR's can do better, especially in dark indoor shots. you have a lot more to work with. or at least it was easier for me to take clearer shots with something like a 350D or a D40/50/70/80. i've got big hands and the bigger DSLR body makes for greater stability.

don't get me wrong, i wouldn't replace the S3 IS kung mga tamang Nikon D40 rin lang naman ang babagsakan ko. problem is, nasa goddamn Canon Service Center yung camera ko.

[johanncalabig]

The fact is, SLRs (both film and digital) are indeed always better. They are ready for you as you progress in the future.I started with a Vivitar 3000s (manual film SLR/student slr) back in 1995), got hooked and addicted. Upgrade, saved money and upgraded again. Hobby turned business.

 If you're really into photography then grab an SLR. Michael Schumacher never got contented with a GO KART, so is Lewis Hamilton.

[purplehaze]

Guys .If you intend to buy a DSLR (or SLR if film) for that matter.. check mo muna and mga shots taken by 2006 photojournalist of the year Alex Majoli...
After 'seeing' his photographs,  it really changed the way I viewed and used my equipment (i have a casio  point and shoot and olympus e 500 DSLR).

[bakx]

mga sir

i have no knowledge aout cameras kase

yung SLR lang ba ay yung ganyang cameras??

i have a fujifilm discovery 2900 zoom lens

35-90 mm. zoom lens

SLR a yun??

and im selling it kase..

sorry if out of te topic sir

thanks

[Kulas]

actually you don't.

important talaga yung "eye" nung photographer, the way he composes the shots etc. you can take reallt great pics with point and shoots, even cellphones. advantage mo lang sa SLR is you have more control sa shots mo. plus a real wide aperture can really do wonders, hehe. especially if you like those portraits na blurred yung paligid, etc.

suggestion ko, if you're serious enough to go into photography, go get a nice DSLR. but if you want something that you can just bring around and snap at will, go get a point and shoot with a good lens. don't go for the megapixels, hehe.

[schnitzerz4]

ako naman okay na sa akin ang point and shoot kaso dumating yung time na parang gusto ko talaga makuha yung details nung maliliit ng insects like
fly hehehehe ewan ko ba kung bakit ako naaaliw sa langaw =) sa isang photography forum nga ang tawag nila sa akin ay "MULANGAW" hehehe hinde mulawin eh hahahahha =)

to make my story short i really need a macro lens and i dont believe na macacapture ng point and shoot yung gusto kong makuha kaya nag DSLR ako =)

[Al_Librero]

grabe naman kasi. ang mahal ng lens ng pang macro talaga. something like an S3 IS can more than hold its own against the kit lens of just about any DSLR out there.

[schnitzerz4]

sir al mura nalang ang macro lens ngayon kasi naglalabasan na ang sigma =) dati kasi mahal =)


dunno lang sa s3is alam ko may addon na pang macro ang s3

[tronixx42]

ako gusto na nang SLR ngayon kaso wala pang budget, daming advantage he he.

[schnitzerz4]

nakow bro dami ng super mura na DSLR =)

[Al_Librero]

sir al mura nalang ang macro lens ngayon kasi naglalabasan na ang sigma =) dati kasi mahal =)


dunno lang sa s3is alam ko may addon na pang macro ang s3

hehehehe. relative term kasi yung "mahal" e. 

the S3 IS has a Macro and Super Macro mode, where it's supposed to be able to focus on something that's already practically touching the lens (in theory, as I haven't tried it myself). so, there's not much need to augment it.

[schnitzerz4]

hehehehhehe =)

sir al mura nalang ang macro lens ngayon kasi naglalabasan na ang sigma =) dati kasi mahal =)


dunno lang sa s3is alam ko may addon na pang macro ang s3

hehehehe. relative term kasi yung "mahal" e. 

the S3 IS has a Macro and Super Macro mode, where it's supposed to be able to focus on something that's already practically touching the lens (in theory, as I haven't tried it myself). so, there's not much need to augment it.

[Jayson77]

i've been taking photos for a while using a film SLR (still saving up for a digital). i noticed that most of the time, i rarely needed bigger than f/2.8 or smaller than f/11. i rarely used faster than 1/2000 or slower than 5 seconds.

...but a Canon S3 is capable of all of these shots.

so, how about you guys? if you remember most of your good shots, did you really need an SLR to capture them?

...'coz i'm gonna buy a good digital camera soon, but i'm still undecided on the brand and model...

Ok ang Canon S3 is but what I dont like in this camera is noise is visible at ISO400. Nothing more.

[isnewflik]

@schnitzerz4
waa!! ikaw pala yan sir ogie! im andrea from fps! ahehe.. mulangaw!! hehe..

actually you don't.

important talaga yung "eye" nung photographer, the way he composes the shots etc. you can take reallt great pics with point and shoots, even cellphones. advantage mo lang sa SLR is you have more control sa shots mo. plus a real wide aperture can really do wonders, hehe. especially if you like those portraits na blurred yung paligid, etc.

suggestion ko, if you're serious enough to go into photography, go get a nice DSLR. but if you want something that you can just bring around and snap at will, go get a point and shoot with a good lens. don't go for the megapixels, hehe.

^^^^^^
right on, sir kulas!


ngayon kasi, marami nang naglalabasan na mga point and shoots na halos kaparepareho ang mga features sa mga dslrs.. well, in my opinion, nasa SENSOR ang difference eh.. dslrs have bigger ones compared to point and shoots.. biggers sensors mean sharper details, tama ba po ako, mga masters?

and macro shots? yes, most of our compact p&s's have macro modes.. pero, as what i experienced with the canon powershot a640, mapili siya eh when it comes to macro.. kailangan mo pa talagang i half-press nang i half-press ng maraming beses bago mo makuha yung part na gusto mong nakafocus, if at all.. kasi when i take macro shots with this cam(wala rin kasi akong dslr... huhuhu..), i use the aperture priority tapos macro mode..

[schnitzerz4]

hello andrea =) bassist?

[isnewflik]

yupyup!! hehe.. aside from photography, sa music ko rin napapalabas ang aking "true colors".. ahahaha..


so nice to see a fellow fanatic here! hehe..

[schnitzerz4]

cool =)  have fun dito daming mababait dito =)

[isnewflik]

yeah..

OT:nice pictures.. browsed through your "smugmug" gallery, and i thought it was read as "smoogmoog"... haha!

[makinao]

One of the things that hasn't been mentioned in this thread is "handling". This is the way a camera responds to your operations.

Until recently, my only camera was Nikon FM2n, with motor drive, 35-105 and an 80-200 f4 Nikkors. Although this is a fully manual SLR, one of the main reasons I like it because it feels and handles right to me. For example, there was minimal delay between pressing the shutter and the actual exposure (shutter lag). So even when I did weddings and sports, I could freeze what I wanted. The switches are durable, so I can jam them without fear they will fall off.

Early this year, we got a cheap Canon A540 point and shoot camera. At first I liked the small size and light weight, compared to my FM2n that was rather heavy. I liked that fact that I could shoot as much as I wanted without worrying about running out of film or processing bills. And its so compact that even my wife, who is rather petite, and a technophobe to boot, has no problem with it. But on my first sports coverage (UAAP tennis 2007), I struggled with the handling. The focusing was slow, and the shutter lag was considerable. Pre-focusing didn't help much, neither did changing the aperture or speed priorities. It also could not recover fast enough to get a series of shots, unlike my SLR which could go 4 frames-per-second all day (as long as it has enough film). The surprising part was that the small size of the body became a problem because I have big fingers, so it was hard to get to some buttons. And the build quality is nowhere near my FM2n, as I sometimes fear the A540 might fall apart in my hands in the heat of a shoot.

Lat week I tried a friends DLSR (Pentax k100d). It is head and shoulders more responsive than a point-and-shoot, and the build quality is better.

My digital point and shoot is great for small events and tourist-y moments when I just plan to take snapshots and don't want to carry a bag of gear. But for events like weddings, sports, and serious stuff that demands responsive handling and control, there's nothing like a SLR, film or digital.

[schnitzerz4]

me too hehehe =) thanks for browsing my site =)

yeah..

OT:nice pictures.. browsed through your "smugmug" gallery, and i thought it was read sa "smoogmoog"... haha!

[isnewflik]

tama nga rin si sir makinao..speed and handling..


do you really need an slr?

do you really need the speed of focusing? like for example, sports photography.. you want to shoot a drag race event.. well, you would really have to have right settings and "fast lenses".. right settings are achievable sa ibang p&s, pero wala atang mga fast lenses sa p&s eh..

according to a fellow hobbyist:

What is a Fast Lens?

The speed of a lens and how ‘fast’ it is refers to the maximum aperture of the lens. The larger the maximum aperture the faster the lens is.

When a lens is talked about it generally is described with its focal length (for example it could e a 50mm lens or a 300mm lens) as well as its maximum aperture (usually it will be a number with an ‘f’ in front of it - for example f/1.8 or f/4 or f/5.6). The smaller the number is the bigger the maximum aperture is.

Remember that aperture is the size of the hole in the lens that lets light in when you hit the shutter. So the bigger the maximum aperture - the more light that your lens will allow in.

The reason that a lens with a big maximum aperture is referred to as fast is that it lets more light in and therefore you can use faster shutter speeds even when there might not be much light around.

this is connected to the handling, as defined by sir makinao.. kung mabilis ang lens, mo, mabilis rin siguro ang response ng cam mo, diba? tapos, the "faster" the lens, the bigger the aperture.. meaning, the bigger the glass, and so the heavier the gear.. diba nakakadelay ang sobrang bigat? unless of course kung sanay ka na sa mabibigat na gear..



i guess it all boils down to what type of photography you're into..


and, one more thing..

as what the masters say:


wala yan sa pana, nasa indyan yan..