A dSLR or Point-and-Shoot for Christmas?
By Rico, 6:06 pm Mon Dec 8 2008 - Editorial - 6 Opinions
You probably know what a dSLR (digital single lens reflex) camera is. Thanks to dropping prices, more and more Filipinos are buying one for themselves, many enjoying their Christmas bonus.
Personally though, a lot of these new dSLR owners may have made a bad investment.
Why dSLRs Rock
There are good reasons why dSLRs have become popular here in the Philippines. After all, they produce much better pictures than your average point-and-shoot. dSLRs are also versatile, allowing great photography in most situations.
Part of this versatility includes a dSLR’s ability to work with a wide variety of lenses. Need to zoom in for your shot? Telephoto lens. Extremely close-up photography? Macro lens. This expandability is by far the best feature of dSLRs.
Why Point-and-Shoots Rock
Even though prices continue to get lower, and as the second-hand dSLR market grows, a dSLR is still relatively expensive. That’s not the case with some point-and-shoot cameras, especially older models and second-hand units.
Most point-and-shoots are also compact enough to fit into a pocket. Personally, it’s much easier to enjoy a vacation if you don’t have to carry around the bulky dSLR.
But perhaps the biggest “sin” committed by newbie dSLR owners is that they don’t know how to maximize a dSLR. They buy it because it’s cool and “in”, without any regard for how they will use it. Yes, there’s nothing wrong with anyone wanting to spend their money however they want to, but sometimes it’s such a waste to get an expensive gadget and not be willing to squeeze every last ounce of performance from it.
So a dSLR or Point-and-Shoot?
In most cases, a dSLR should only be seriously considered once the buyer honestly feels that can’t do anymore with their point-and-shoot. It might be a waste of money to go straight to the dSLR route, without buying a cheap pocket camera first to see how you feel about photography in general.
What do you think? (Image by Markku Seguerra)
6 Tips for Good Self-Portraits
9:09 am Tue Dec 9 2008
[...] of point-and-shoots and dSLRs, ever noticed how more Filipinos are turning into camwhores? Again, the effects of ever-cheapening [...]
jayvee f.
2:02 pm Tue Dec 9 2008
the Panasonic Lumix LX3 is a good point and shoot to have. it’s pro level for DSLR users who need a point and shoot
Rico
6:06 am Wed Dec 10 2008
The question is, how much does the LX3 cost?
Shin
7:07 pm Wed Jan 21 2009
“But perhaps the biggest “sin” committed by newbie dSLR owners is that they don’t know how to maximize a dSLR. They buy it because it’s cool and “in”, without any regard for how they will use it. Yes, there’s nothing wrong with anyone wanting to spend their money however they want to, but sometimes it’s such a waste to get an expensive gadget and not be willing to squeeze every last ounce of performance from it.”
-I strongly agree! Sometimes I feel like telling them which setting(s) is/are better. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a pro. I use a point-and-shoot. But, c’mon, let’s be honest… There are times that even the simplest or basic things that a photographer should know aren’t practiced by those who own DSLRs. Saaad.
Rico
1:01 pm Thu Jan 22 2009
Ah yeah, I get a bit irritated when I see people blindly snapping away with their brand-new, expensive toys.
5 Ways to Enjoy Valentine’s Day With Technology
9:09 am Sat Feb 14 2009
[...] or not you’ve bought a point-and-shoot or a dSLR, or a video cam, make full use of it! Turn those good times into digital memories you can peruse in [...]