Time for a new digital camera point-n-shoot or DSLR?

[wheelgun28]

Well I am looking to replace my camera. Ive had point n shoot cameras but I really want some thing decent. I need to be able to add on a extra flash, as it need to take pics in total darkness outside (legal issues). I want good pictures and I dont want to be a photographic genius to do it. I dont mind learning a new skills but want others to be able to use it. If it needs some skill to operate how long does the average person take to get a decent picture, a few hours, days, a lifetime

I had a Sony fd95, took nice pics, even in the dark but kinda low on the pixels, it now has problems. I've had others but nothing notable.

I am looking at a Nikon D5000 with the 18-55 vr lens. Anyone know about this one? Hard to learn, use? I can get a factory refurb with the lens, two batteries and 8g mem card for under $600.

Any better choices in that price range. I am not against point n shoot if it can take the remote flash.

I am kinda out of my element with this stuff.

Thanks for your advice!!

 

[Fishinfool]

Rather then go into a long winded answer here, the attached link will bring you to an excellent photography forum that will answer all your questions. Just open the link, click on "forums", then click on Nikon.

fredmiranda.com: Specialized in Canon - Nikon SLR Cameras, Forum, Photoshop Plugins, Actions, Reviews, Hosting and Digital Darkroom

 

[Rule3]

The new point and shoot cameras have so many features unless you are really into photography a DSLR is a a whole lot of money, lens and learning curve.

A good "point and shoot" will do it all for you.

I have a several year old Sony Cybershot with sready shot, 12x OPTICAL zoom and a .5" macro. I still have not figured out all the manual settings. I leave it in idiot mode (auto)

The main advantage to a DSLR is the glass (lenses) but then you are talking $$$

 

[H Richard]

I have been into photography for over 40 years. I learned when you had a hand held light meter and flashbulbs. Creative photography for salon contests. I haven't touched a "film" camera for over 5 years, and a Cannon S2 IS does just about everything I have needed. (Current version is a S4 or S5 and a 20+ Zoom). My S2 is a 5MP and fills a 42" TV screen beautifully clear. Best part is close focus to about 5", and the IS (image stabilization) feature. I have hand held up to 1 second pictures and are "acceptably" clear and sharp. True, the camera has no connection for a add on flash,and the built in flash is not much. I'm not sure abut the newer versions. Here is a website where you can look up all digital camera's and get spec's and reviews. Digital Cameras, Digital Camera Reviews - The Imaging Resource!

 

[Rule3]

HRichard brings up a very good point.

Most companies and consumers are in a megapixel war. There is no need for anything over 5,6 or 8 mega-pixels unless you are going to blow up a picture to the size of mural.

I feel optical zoom (not digital) and the quality of the lens is way more important.

Here are a couple of sites to confuse you further.

Digital Camera Reviews, Canon Cameras, Nikon Cameras, DSLR and SLR Cameras

Digital Cameras: Digital Photography Review, News, Reviews, Forums, FAQ

 

[JohnnieB]

I have a Canon Power-Shot SX10is (10 Megapixel & x20 optical zoom) that has a hot shoe and I recently bought a Canon 60D (18 Megapixel - APS-C sized sensor) w/ 18-135mm image stabilized lens. I thought the SX10is took good pictures until I used the 60D. If pictures are all that is needed a point & shoot will probable fill the bill, but if you want really good photographs, you'll need a halfway decent box with a big hunk of glass in front. Also, a lens with a large aperture (low f-Stop) on a SLR will allow you to better see what you are taking a picture of in low light conditions even if you have to use a flash to take the picture.

I don't know much of anything about the Nikon D5000 since I went the Canon route (more bang for the buck) many moons ago, but if it is like most entry level DSLRs, it'll have an automatic mode that takes care of everything except the zoom length of the lens, so you'll be up and running within minutes after opening the box. Learning all the features and different shooting modes will take some time, but in the auto mode, it'll function about the same as a point & shoot.

The nice thing about a SLR is that you can customize your camera to your specific needs. The only way to change a P&S is replace the whole thing.

That said, I agree with HRichard and others that said the new P&S cameras will do most everything most people want them to do and DSLRs cost a lot more with little gain. One of the reasons I bought a DSLR was due to having big hands and the diminutive size of the SX10is, I have the same trouble with J-frames. Another reason is that I have a few halfway decent old style Canon lenses that I wanted to use, but no longer wanted to shoot film and wait forever to find out how the shots turned out. In all honesty, the improved image quality with the 60D over the SX10is is incremental rather than a step, the major differences are a brighter viewfinder, larger physical size fits in my hands better and feels more like the film camera (Canon T-90) I used for years.

 

[PALADIN85020]

My pick, especially for low-light photography without a flash, is the new Pentax K-5 DSLR. You can get pictures with very good quality and low noise up to ISO 3200, with shots possible (albeit with some noise) up to an amazing ISO 51200. This means it will take usable pictures in situations where the light is so low you can hardly see. Most normal cameras top out at about ISO 800 sensitivity.

This not a beginner's camera, but it should give you all the capability you need for any purpose. Street price, with an 18-55mm zoom lens, is around $1500. It's the top of the line Pentax, and will also take amazing HD videos. If you're not ready for serious photography yet, it has a "green mode" which will take over all decisions for you, and turn it into a point and shoot for quick unplanned shots. I invested in one of these last November, and I've been very pleased with it. It was a quantum leap over my previous Pentax K200D, which was a very capable camera in its own right.

These cameras aren't cheap, but they will do anything you ask, and do it well. As your capabilities grow, they will do it all.

Here's a low-light shot of a street scene as an example of what this camera is capable of:

John

 

[JohnnieB]

John,

Nice low light image. Did you use a star effect filter, do some Photoshop magic or was it just an oily smudge on the lens?

Kidding aside, had it not been for an old Canon len$ or six lurking in my camera stash, after seeing some of the images you've posted here and elsewhere, I probably would have gone with the K-5.

John

 

[PALADIN85020]

John,

Nice low light image. Did you use a star effect filter, do some Photoshop magic or was it just an oily smudge on the lens?

Kidding aside, had it not been for an old Canon len$ or six lurking in my camera stash, after seeing some of the images you've posted here and elsewhere, I probably would have gone with the K-5.

John

John,

The starburst effect was already there due to humidity in the air that night, but it was enhanced within the camera - no photoshop work necessary for that. One of the features of the Pentax K-5 is that it can apply filter effects to images already taken and save the enhanced image as a new photo. Another feature I like is that if you like an image saved as a JPEG, you can also save it as a RAW file for post-processing just by pushing a button. As I said, this camera has amazing capabilities. With a large 16 megapixel image, it also allows for creative cropping of the photo with little or no loss of quality. The shot of the street scene in Bisbee was actually cropped from a much larger picture to eliminate an annoying and distracting sign to the right.

John