Compact Point & Shoot or DSLR Style Point and Shoot?

[Goofypop]

Every year we go to Disney I always take a DSLR style Point and Shoot (PaS). It's bigger and bulkier than a normal PaS but it does have other features that normal PaS do not have. However, I found a compact PaS camera with a 15x zoom and most of the features (but not all) of the DSLR style. My question is this... which would you go for, the compact 15x zoom PaS or the DSLR style PaS? I think it would be nice to be able to stow away the camera when I don't need it but the DSLR styles have far more features. Keep in mind that I am nowhere near a camera buff and I definitely don't want to buy an actual DSLR with a zoom lens you can literally see AK from MK with. That would defeat the purpose here a little. Besides, my daughter has a Nikon D7000 so I could use that for any shots that I need it for. Would you rather carry the bulkier camera with more features or the compact camera (with great zoom) and less features?

 

[krb2g]

If your daughter's already planning on taking the D7000 into the parks (and doesn't mind you borrowing it/requesting shots that you can't get on your camera), I would go for the compact point and shoot. The best camera in the world doesn't do you any good if you don't carry it with you!

 

[Goofypop]

If your daughter's already planning on taking the D7000 into the parks (and doesn't mind you borrowing it/requesting shots that you can't get on your camera), I would go for the compact point and shoot. The best camera in the world doesn't do you any good if you don't carry it with you!

True but I don't want to keep borrowing hers all the time. Besides, she wouldn't let me borrow more than once or twice.

Mainly my issue is:

DSLR style P&S............Compact P&S
15x zoom.......................15x zoom
Larger and heavier...........Smaller and lighter
More features.................Fewer features

 

[photo_chick]

This is a question that only you can answer. It looks like you've already made the list of pros and cons. Now you just have to decide.

 

[Goofypop]

Thats just it. I can't. I'd like to know what others who have used both styles think.

 

[Porktitioner]

I feel your pain. We are going in November and I have spent the past 2 months since booking pondering this. I love photography and do some semi-pro work. But I had to decide if this was a photo shoot or a vacation. I'm leaving the DSLR's at home and taking a Canon s95.

 

[Goofypop]

I think I am going to buy the Fujifilm F550EXR. It is still a compact camera but can hit a 15x zoom and has most of the features of the DSLR style P&S cameras. It even has an ISO12800 for the dark rides so I can get great dark shots without the flash. http://www.fujifilm.com/products/digital_cameras/f/finepix_f550exr/

 

[webshark3]

I think I am going to buy the Fujifilm F550EXR. It is still a compact camera but can hit a 15x zoom and has most of the features of the DSLR style P&S cameras. It even has an ISO12800 for the dark rides so I can get great dark shots without the flash.

I was tempted by the Fuji f550exr. I went with a Canon s95 instead. I don't need the zoom or GPS, and the IQ is much better. The Fuji does seem like a great all-purpose compact with good DR (so a great candidate for the OP). Looks like it does better as a 8MP compact instead of pixel peeping at 16MP. Good luck at ISO12800. I have this mode on my Fuji f100FD. Some fine watercolors. lol

 

[Goofypop]

I don't need the zoom or GPS, and the IQ is much better.

Oh, the GPS will stay turned off. It's a battery hog and I wouldn't need it either.

Good luck at ISO12800. I have this mode on my Fuji f100FD. Some fine watercolors.

I've never used ISO that high before. It doesn't work? I used ISO3200 on ToT pre-load room (boiler room) and got great dark shots with the setting.

 

[DisneyDreamersAreWe]

I'm just gonna jump in here ... I just bought the F550EXR a couple months ago. Mostly because it was time for a new PAS, but also with the intention that it was going to be my "Disney World camera!"

So far, I've only taken about 50 or so pix with it, and I'm happy with the results. Still trying to learn all the stuff on it though...the menu system is a bit overwhelming at first, but I'm getting there.

Big test will come at Disney in the middle of November!

 

[webshark3]

I've never used ISO that high before. It doesn't work? I used ISO3200 on ToT pre-load room (boiler room) and got great dark shots with the setting.

It more or less a gimmick, but it is better than nothing. Let me try to dig out some HM shots I have tonight. I agree that 3200 can be usable. That was with my F100fd (larger pixels and larger sensor). I did find that I used my Fuji more on the last trip, and my DSLR less. The Fujis have nice DR, something I know carried over into the new models.

 

[Goofypop]

The Fujis have nice DR, something I know carried over into the new models.

DR? Keep in mind that I know very very little about photography. That is more my daughter's thing. She wants to be a professional photographer after high school. She's the one with the D7000.

 

[webshark3]

DR? Keep in mind that I know very very little about photography. That is more my daughter's thing. She wants to be a professional photographer after high school. She's the one with the D7000.

Sorry! I thought you were one of the photo-geeks on here. LOL. In the EXR series, Fuji "peeked" with the F200EXR for Dynamic Range (DR). Many argue that it peeked with low-light noise performance years ago with the f30FD.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/fujifilmf30/page14.asp

Fuji lost focus and started moving into the high-megapixel/long zoom game. Great for marketing, but bad for their core fan-base (many of whom still use the f30 and 31 to this day).

Here is the DR from the f200EXR. This is right on par with many DSLRs:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/FujifilmF200EXR/page9.asp

Where your camera really shines is not in the 16mp modes, but in the DR modes where it uses the 16 million pixels to create 8mp images with a lot of extra DR (created by the extra 8mp). You can image where extra DR in Disney World is a good thing.

The Fuji timeline is very interesting, but they swayed from making compacts that competed in IQ against DLSRs (lost, but competed lol) to making decent all-around compacts, which honestly, are probably very well suited for most Disney vacationers.

 

[Goofypop]

Thanks. This might change my mind.

 

[webshark3]

Thanks. This might change my mind.

There's still a lot to like about the f550exr. I went with the s95 ultimately for:
- great manual control (dual rings on the body for quick changes)
- large sensor (for a compact), and great IQ

Otherwise, the 550exr would be on my short-list for all-in-one compacts. If you plan on using the HD video mode, make sure they fixed the focus bug as seen here. There's something to be said for fixed focus cameras (like the s95 )...

EDIT I should add that a lot of the strengths/weaknesses of the compact and DSLR-style small sensor cameras are the same. it comes down to personal preference for size and comfort of use. In theory, the DSLR-style "should" have better lenses, but it all looks like mush to me next to a real DSLR.

 

[DisneyDreamersAreWe]

I neglected to mention that I have my F550 set to "just" the 8mp resolution, not the full 16mp. It seems to give me better image quality. Now, I'm not a pixel peeper when it comes to my photos, but I do appreciate a good quality pix at normal 5x10 and smaller sizes...I don't plan on blowing my images up to poster size.

 

[Goofypop]

I neglected to mention that I have my F550 set to "just" the 8mp resolution, not the full 16mp. It seems to give me better image quality. Now, I'm not a pixel peeper when it comes to my photos, but I do appreciate a good quality pix at normal 5x10 and smaller sizes...I don't plan on blowing my images up to poster size.

Yeah. I never set my cameras higher than 5 or 6 MP since you only need that much for great prints anyway. At full MP you just use up a ton of space on the SD card. Besides, I can switch it quick for any pics that I want to turn into an 8x10 or larger.