Digital SLR or High End Point 'n Shoot

[bgate]

Hey Jason! Congratulations on another great site!

Hello all-

I find myself a little unsure of my next digital camera. I have decided that it is time to put the film camera into semi-retirement and go full digital. Herein lies my issue.

The two cameras I am looking the closest at are the D70 and the Coolpix 8700, both by Nikon. I have no legacy equipment (read-no Nikon Mount lenses or flashes). So what do you do?

The 8700 has a theoretical higher resolution. The D70 is a Digital SLR-I am familiar and comfortable with the SLR concept. They both require new lense, flash, and adapter purchases.

I have a "cheaper" point and shoot for pocket and casual life. Opinions?

Thanks-

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

I'm going to ask the same old question: What do you want out of photography?

[backpackerx]

What would you be doing with it? For serious photography you might need the DSLR so you can use multiple lenses.

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

I'm going to elaborate a little.

The strength of a interchangeable lens SLR system is its versatility. The camera is but one part of a system. However this also means a SLR system will need a fair investment of money into it. While there are plenty of advantages a DSLR will give over a consumer camera, it won't make much sense if it's going to be sitting in the dry cabinet most of the time, or if the advanced features won't be utilised.

[Gary Sheynkman]

The 8700 has a theoretical higher resolution-

Please dont make the mistake of falling into the Resolution Trap. If its higher...doesnt mean its better. I would say D70 all the way. It WILL take better photos because it has a better (bigger size) sensor and the ability to tailor a lens to every situation.

[bgate]

In answer to the questions-

What do I want out of it? What will I be doing with it?

Basically I will be doing a lot of family shots with a focus on keeping them forever. We do a fair amount of "nice" stuff with a focus on outdoor scenery. We enjoy or lenses and the ability to shoot quality photography.

As far as the resolution, I agree-but it is an easy trap to fall into. The optics must be taken into account with the resolution, but then you look at Sony with the RGBE and start to wonder... The unknown (for me) is the new unknown of the new breed of cameras. Just how good are the new Point 'n Shoots? Is the DSLR still that much better?

Thanks

[Suhit Gupta]

The new Point n' Shoot cameras are very nice, as you can see from the reviews. However, the DSLRs are a class above. You will find that most PnS cameras suffer from noisy pictures in adverse conditions, usually not very bad, though with high ISOs most of them have problems. Additionally, they are quite prone to motion blur. DSLRs are certainly not immune to any of these problems, however, they are typically more robust, with better sensors. And of course, you have your choice of which lens to attach to the DSLR.

Suhit

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

DSLRs are still better for me due to the flexibility of the system, and of course for me, nothing beats composing through an optical TTL viewfinder.

bgate, it does sound like the 8700 might be able to suit your needs. However if you do take a lot of photos in dim household lighting, I suggest the Dimage A1/A2. They boost the sensitivity of the sensor to help achieve an AF lock, and this method works very well. And the A2's EVF is a big improvement for EVFs; gone are the fuzzy grainy images of the past.

[Gary Sheynkman]

DSLRs are still better for me due to the flexibility of the system, and of course for me, nothing beats composing through an optical TTL viewfinder.

bgate, it does sound like the 8700 might be able to suit your needs. However if you do take a lot of photos in dim household lighting, I suggest the Dimage A1/A2. They boost the sensitivity of the sensor to help achieve an AF lock, and this method works very well. And the A2's EVF is a big improvement for EVFs; gone are the fuzzy grainy images of the past.

Since you are talking about the 8700...take a look at the Canon Pro1 (which is about to be released to the general public) It has a (supposadly) very good lens as well as a host of other advanced canon features.

[Suhit Gupta]

I agree, the Pro 1 does look like a fantastic camera. At 8MP and 7x optical zoom, it looks like a great prosumer camera.

Suhit

[Gary Sheynkman]

I agree, the Pro 1 does look like a fantastic camera. At 8MP and 7x optical zoom, it looks like a great prosumer camera.

Suhit

lets just hope that it does not suffer from the CA that the sony 828 is suffering from :x

[bgate]

To anyone else following this thread. I just read a couple of reviews focusing on the cameras that I was comparing and the differences between PnS and DSLR. I found the articles very informative and helpful.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d70.htm

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/8700.htm

Enjoy!

[Gary Sheynkman]

I agree, the Pro 1 does look like a fantastic camera. At 8MP and 7x optical zoom, it looks like a great prosumer camera.

Suhit

lets just hope that it does not suffer from the CA that the sony 828 is suffering from :x

and now we know that it DOES suffer (from the reviews/samples)

It seems that this generation of highend PnS should be avoided :?

[marlof]

It seems that this generation of highend PnS should be avoided :?

You think so? I can say I am very pleased with the build quality of my 828, with the sharpness of its lens, and with the image quality of most of my pictures. I know there are issues in high contrast and low light when I'd have to bump up the ISO. But those are not issues in most of my pictures. And I do know that these cameras are small enough to just take in your bag (esp. the Canon Pro1), and make decent enough pictures if you want to make large prints. Take a look at Andy Williams' portfolio (http://www.moonriverphotography.com) to see what is possible with an 828, and you might be amazed. I tend to read reviews to fnd facts, but only judge over cameras after using them, since my needs might be different than the reviewers needs.

On the other hand, if I were to do a lot of low and natural light or studio photography, I'd probably go with the DSLR. After all, what is good for you is largely depending on your needs. If you feel the issues of the new 8mp generation cameras would be too much for you, well, get a DSLR and happy shooting!