how many would change their DSLR for ???.

[woody57]

If any of the big players,bring out a camera say something like the G9[say it is the G10],with an equivalent 35mm lens,super quick shutter,max 10 mega-pixels,good glass,in a nice light titanium body.How many of you would consider taking a different view of the amount of equipment they have,and a different outlook of what they really want from their hobby,whilst the Pro's out there will frown on this,i really think many of us just have to much kit for the type of pictures we take.I really think the big players are missing a trick with the way photography is going and a super compact is the way forward, ok for the Pro's ,but the majority of us are not Pro's and don't need vast amounts of kit. jim

[richard plumb]

I'd buy one as a walkabout or compact travel camera for hols etc.

I'd trade some image quality if it was more compact but still with the speed of use of a DSLR.

I'd still keep my DSLR for other photography though.

[ScottBT]

If it provided the same speed/image/high ISO performnce of mid DSLRs then I would give it serious thought.

Would need an 18-300 (27-450 35mm) lens though.

[mikim]

I expect that most folk out there want equipment as close to, or the same as the pros, that way regardless of any personal talent, they might feel that if a photographic opportunity arises then the picture will be the best it can be (technically: MegPix, lens etc etc), and on occasion as good as any pro.

I personally don't claim to be any photographic expert as my picture taking is not consistantly good enough (my wife is an expert though), but I do like to have a nice camera ... it's a geeky gadget thing with me I think??

You are right though... for the most of the enthusiastic photographic community a decent super compact would actually be perfectly adequate.

[senu]

It may be in the manufacturers interests not to threaten thier Lucrative DSLR Market
or Even too much of an engineering challenge to give Compacts a DSLR performance

A good case in point is the G9s predecessor the Canon Sure Shot Pro one released around the same time as the Canon 350D
and
On paper.. it had massively better specs and similar resolution to the 350D

The Pro one had a fantastic L lens that 350Ds kit lens was positively pedestrian beside

I had a play with it for a week:
2 things let me give it back: Shutter lag: it was there even though less than any other compact I had used but rather more compared to the 350D
and
Above ISO 400 you would need to consider an external flash ( it has a hotshoe) to avoid high ISO noise ( the internal flash was adequate for normal distances but the direct flash could be less than flattering

Im by no means a Pro and indeed probably mediocre compared to some on here ( make that many ) but I know good dependable camera capable of consistent results when I use one

As such having the Canon 30D and Nikon D200 have been even more rewarding to use than the 350D and another experience entirely

To be sure none of these "big ones " have the Holiday snapshot spontaneity factor and ironically none of them perform at its best on auto so they do a have drawbacks ( apart from cost of body ,lenses ect)
but
Would I change..?
No .
We have an ageing Fuji 602z, Canon A 95 for Holidays, discreet snapshots, but even the 350D was small enough to go to Disneyland with 2 boistrous kids ( under the age of 10) with ( and they used it too)

I would have a decent Compact for portability but not sell off the DSLR (s)

[lmccauley]

Originally Posted by richard plumb

I'd buy one as a walkabout or compact travel camera for hols etc.

I'd trade some image quality if it was more compact but still with the speed of use of a DSLR.

I'd still keep my DSLR for other photography though.

Exactly the same here. I don't want to lug around an SLR all the time, and would love something small, responsive and with decent picture quality. I'm looking forward to reviews of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3.

[Digihoho]

Sold all my Dslr gear and bought a Canon G7 hoping it to be 'a decent' replacement but was so disappointed! Now 'rediscovered' photography again after buying a Sony A350 and some old Minolta glass!

I would love to have a smallish compact to compliment my Dslr setup, been checking on the Ricoh GRDII and now Panasonic have announced the LX3 - 24mm f2-f2.8 Sumicron lens let's hope it's sensor performance lives up to it's lens name!

[Triggaaar]

Originally Posted by woody57

How many of you would consider taking a different view of the amount of equipment they have,and a different outlook of what they really want from their hobby

If the camera manufacturers put their effor into making a compact as high quality as possible, I wouldn't consider changing.

i really think many of us just have to much kit for the type of pictures we take.

Wash your mouth out!

I really think the big players are missing a trick with the way photography is going and a super compact is the way forward

The super compact market is competitive, and lots of research goes into making these things as good as possible. But they are more than a few decades away from producing what my dslr can (ie, in a few decades, my dslr will still be able to take shots that a compact can't - I'm not arguing that that the reverse isn't also true).

[RobDickinson]

Untill a compact can give me everything a dSLR can then it cant replace it.

it wont ever do ultra wide @f2.8 sharp and 60mm f4.

Its unlikely ever to have a full frame sensor, or even an aps-c

Or such a large framebuffer or 10fps shooting etc.

Compacts get better sure. so do SLR's, they both have a place.

[richard plumb]

what is it with shutter lag on compacts? Is it the type of autofocus they use? any reason why a manufacturer couldn't make one as fast as a DSLR?

[milkmanchris]

Originally Posted by richard plumb

what is it with shutter lag on compacts? Is it the type of autofocus they use? any reason why a manufacturer couldn't make one as fast as a DSLR?

I want D3 lag times, anything else is pedestrian

37ms compared to to the 1Dmk3's 55ms.

[Twadger]

I got rid of my Canon DSLR 'cos I just couldn't hold it steady any more due to disability. I toyed with the idea of IS lenses but the good ones just increase the overall weight and size, which doesn't help when your walking with 2 sticks.

I'm sure there's a lot of people like me that just can't physically manage a large camera but still demand top image quality.

I think it's about time the manufactures realised that there are people who can only use a compact, and that there is a market for small and reasonably lightweight but very high spec cameras.

I know there's a few around at the moment and the G9 looks to be the best of the bunch but I still think they could do better without impinging on the sales of DSLR's.

Rant over.....I'll calm down once the pain killers kick in...........

[senu]

Originally Posted by richard plumb

what is it with shutter lag on compacts? Is it the type of autofocus they use? any reason why a manufacturer couldn't make one as fast as a DSLR?

Originally Posted by senu

It may be in the manufacturers interests not to threaten thier Lucrative DSLR Market
or Even too much of an engineering challenge to give Compacts a DSLR performance

It is a real problem. Even those you can use with MF stil have it.
Only yesterday I tired using a friend new Fuji s1000
Smallest 12X optical Zoom. 10Mp, Face detection ...but shutter lag had me struggling to catch his animated children at play ( or simply being playfully mischievous)
It FD works and it really is trendily small but I found myself wishing for the "big ugly" DSLR (30/40D)
Forget the D3s 37ms ..any DSLR would have done it

[milkmanchris]

Ultimate machine for low shutter lag

[ghibbett]

We have a Canon S5-IS here at work. When we got it I was quite excited to see what it could do. IMO it does not warrant comparison to a dSLR. Slow shutter release, awkward manual focus, silly screen display through the viewfinder. It ain't no dSLR.

So to answer the OP, even if you offered me a bridge camera and £500, I would still stick with my dSLR, thank you very much!!