Digitial Compact vs Compact System Camera vs DSLR

saxton-mac

saxton-mac

Messages
175
Name
Daniel
Edit My Images
Yes
Hi all,

I've been looking at a compact DSLR as a possible purchase as I dislike the bulk of my Bridge Camera. However, I have been advised that I won't have the same quality with one of these, and would soon find myself looking for a DSLR full Body camera.

I'm wondering what the pro's and con's are of each of these types, and if anybody can share their experiences of these?

Camera's which have caught my eye so far:

Digital Compact - Fuji x10
Compact System - Nikon J1 with 10-30mm lens kit
DSLR - Nikon D3200

I would be looking to take Street Photography and a fair bit of landscape photography (love my wide angle shots).

Thanks in advance :)
 
If a bridge camera is to big for you then a dslr will be way to big - the fuji x10 would be a great choice with better image quality than your bridge camera (which usually have tiny sensors) also maybe something like the canon s100 might suit you? All depends on what you want out of your camera
 
Yoiu can get DSLR performance from compact system cameras. Generally, picture quality scales with sensor size, so a bigger sensor should give better quality pics. You can get CSCs with APS-C sized sensors (or go slightly smaller and look at micro 4/3ds). The problem is the bigger the sensor, the bigger the lens - you have a bigger area to spread the light over - bigger glass....
 
Depending on budget, I've have a look at the Sony RX100 - it has the same sensor size as the Nikon 1 series which is not as big as micro 4/3 but quite a bit bigger than the Fuji X10 and the enthusiast cameras like the Canon S100 and Panasonic LX5/7. Crucially the RX100 is still a similar size to the S100/LX5 and starts off at F1.8 although drops to F4.9 at the far end. The sensor is extremely impressive with a lot of detail from the 20MP at low isos and high iso performance is very good as well. I can't believe Sony have managed to pack so much into something so small, I've replaced the Gf3/14-42mm X as my pocket camera and not missing much on the GF3 so far.

John
 
Check out the X10 thread here to see the enthusiasm we have for it; good control and great pictures in a small package. And if you can get one from the Fuji refurb store with the discount code, inexpensive too!
 
I would think people thought you were referring to a compact which is why they would have advised lower quality that your bridge (but even that isn't true)
Technically a compact DSLR would be one of the smaller DSLRs which are usually the entry level ones, and while about as small as they get they are still large in comparison to something like a Nikon J1.

- If you want an all in one camera the Fuji X10 and Sony RX100 look good. I have owned an X10 and it is a nice camera that gives good results
- The Nikon J1 seems good on paper but doesn't get the mass adoration but you can changes lenses and it is very small and overall size is small due to smaller sensor
- The Nikon D3200 is much bigger and arguably better but it will be bigger than your bridge camera. Would have to discount if your main reason for changing is the bulk of the camera

It really depends on how you use a camera and what option you need (do you need a viewfinder, do you want to change lenses, how small does it have to be exactly (fit in the pocket))
 
Thanks for the suggestions guys- definitely some food for thought here- the size is definitely a issue, so yes il probably be discounting the d3200...

I'll look to go for the larger camera in the future, but for now, with travel being the issue, I think the smaller camera will definitely prove to be more convenient :)

I'll take a look at the cameras suggested, again, Many thanks for your help!!!
 
I went from a d700 to a J1 and I love it.

Don't get me wrong the d700 was and is a fantastic camera but it was just too big and heavy with a 24-70 2.8 for my own personal use.

I bought the J1 then the nikon ft1 adapter then a 35 af-s 1.8 with a crop factor of 2.6 it gives me a 91mm 1.8 which is fantastic for taking shots of my 2 yr old which is my main subject :)

Clarke.
 
Here are 6 random shots all taken with my J1 and the 35mm 1.8 attached via the FT1 adapter. It can still produce some good shots:

DSC_0805Custom.jpg


DSC_0603Custom.jpg


DSC_0226Custom.jpg


DSC_0279Custom.jpg


DSC_0285Custom.jpg


newDSC_0790Custom.jpg
 
I bought a Samsung EX1 which is bril for wider angle shots, not so good for portraits. I used it a lot on holiday, got fed up with lugging the 50D around.
Got excellent shots out of the aircraft window with it too.
 
clarkeg said:
Here are 6 random shots all taken with my J1 and the 35mm 1.8 attached via the FT1 adapter. It can still produce some good shots:
Click to expand...

Interesting use of the 35mm! Was the vignetting added in PP?
 
I have given up on DSLR outfits for the simple reason that their size means I just didn't use them enough. After trying MANY different alternatives (including the X10) I settled on a Nikon V1 body with the two zoom lenses.

It is very different to most outfits around but the more I use it the more I like it. It is bigger than the X10 but has the option to use different lenses whereas you're stuck with one lens on the X10. The two zoom lenses are very small and, to my mind, image quality from both (but especially the 30-110) is excellent. It is a camera you need to use to really appreciate it's strengths but it is very much worth sticking with.

Image quality, I think, matches any MFT cameras I've previously tried and the body with the two kit lenses covers a huge focal range in a nicely portable outfit.

I'm really hoping Nikon produce some prime lenses other than the 10mm - a 35mm equivalent prime lens would be fantastic.

The system has plenty of critics and I was one of them when it was first launched, but most of these have not used the camera enough to appreciate its many strengths.
 
Used to shoot with a D700 and a heap of premium lenses (about 20k worth of gear), downsized to 4/3 as couldn't fit (physically and financially) DSLRs into our family life. We have a GX1 and OM-D EM-5 and love them both, we prefer the OM-D slightly but it's also more expensive so you'd expect it to be a bit better. We don't regret the change at all, we take more photos than ever and capture moments we would have otherwise missed, with the quality of these cameras I doubt we'd ever go back to DSLRs.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top