Please comment briefly on how you weigh these options when making a buying decision.

Please comment briefly on how you weigh these options when making a buying decision.
Even with wide-ranging zooms on digicams I still want the option afforded by a wide range of interchangeable lenses.
66% (165 votes)
The 10X zoom digicams have every option I need, and are more portable than a DSLR body and many lenses.
22% (54 votes)
It
12% (30 votes)
Total votes: 249

COMMENTS
Debbie McKenzie's picture

Among the options of interchangeable lenses, I like the higher megapixel you get from a slr camera. I have the Canon 5D. I love this camera!!!

Joe Paul's picture

My Panasonic DMC-FZ20 comes through like a champ when I want to travel light! 12X 2.8 through entire range provides great distant indoor shots!

Richard's picture

I used a Minolta A2 for a couple of years and like it very much, but when I went to a digital SLR which has a much larger sensor and versatility, I could see a big improvement in image quality (Olympus E500.

Colin Elliott's picture

I don't shoot digital but if I were to include this media, my equipment requirements would be similar to my 35mm and medium format.

Jim Sandham's picture

I've never taken my big mid-1990s film SLR on a family vacation. I want the convenience of a good point-and-shoot camera with enough zoom to get the job done. They're fast and capable. However, SLRs with their separate lenses, filters, tripods, and so on certainly have their place. When I'm out by myself in a National Park or a botanical garden I always take my big SLR and its gear bag. I have thought about what my next digital camera should have -- more zoom or more megapixels. The answer for me is more zoom. I can get by with 4-5MP as long as I have enough zoom to get me in close and NOT have to do much cropping. The new 10-12X zoom digital cameras typically come with some form of image stabilization, too, which is very important when you're shooting out at 432mm. The convenience of having everything built in is a strong selling point for me. I want good vacation photos, but without all the bother of schlepping around my SLR gear. Right now, months away from making a purchase, my next camera will probably be a Canon PowerShot S2 IS, for all of the above stated reasons. I'll get off my soap box now.

R.  J.  Nedimyer's picture

I'm leaning towards the Fuji S9000. But the Nikon D50 is an interesting option, the rest do not interest me. The D50 is more expensive but has 2 advantages focus speed and considerably better ISO 1600. After 40 years of film from 4X5 to 35mm I am not sure I want to go back to the bulk and weight.

Wally Stokes's picture

The ultra zooms also come with enough manual controls for me to learn the basics I want to have command of before moving to an expensive DSLR and lenses.

Michael Lopez's picture

I have high quality prime macro and shift lenses from my film SLR that a want to use on a DSLR. Even though using them on a DSLR will restrict aperature and focal range, I think it's worthwhile. With the purchase of the DSLR I would purchase a couple of digital camera specific moderately price zoom lenses to cover normal snapshots,i.e; 30mm to 300mm (35mm range), and use my existing prime film SLR lenses for macro, shift and extreme telephoto. I do mostly landscape and nature photography. Over the years I've invested in many high quality prime lenses. To not use them would be difficult for me to bear.

J.  Talvan's picture

These super zooms are ok for point and shooters, but I love the depth of field you get with a larger sensor and a faster aperature. You just can't get that with those cameras along with some other things like, lack of Chromatic Abreassion and barrel/pincushion distortion that is common in these cameras with more than a 3x zoom. Another point is wide angle. Show me a superzoom that goes down to 15mm equivalent. It just isnt there. The noise at higher ISOs just isnt acceptable with those smaller sensors either. If they made one with atleast an APS-C sized sensor and controlled the noise like a DSLR then I might start to consider one, until then, its a DSLR for me.

Steve Kaufman's picture

I own a Canon EOS system with lenses from 28 to 200. I wanted the lens range, high megapixel count, and the ability to use real flash equipment. I just purchased a Canon Powershot Pro1 on boxing day . It is the equivalent of the Digital Rebel with all of my lenses rolled into one, but cost half! I could not justify purchasing the Digital Rebel.

Dan 's picture

I think there is a wider range with different lenses to suit my many needs. From distance to macro. You can't get the same clarity from a fixed lense.

David Holmes's picture

The greater range of available lenses and accesories and, of course, the larger sensor in DSLRs make the DSLR option work for me. That said, recent developments in non-mirror digicams using larger sensors and fantastic lenses may cause a rethinking.

Matthew B.  Parks's picture

I have been using my Panasonic DMC-FZ20 for one year now and I love it. In fact, I am seldom found without it. It has a great range of wide and long and there is no extra equipment need to achieve really great pictures. There are even adaptors available for the really long and wide stuff. Recently a was at an FSU football game and there was a guy there with a with a Nikon and a big sports lens. His wife was interested in my camera so I let her look at it. When I let him hold it, he ask about the zoom, and I told him that it was 12x, which is 32mm to 420mm. His eyes where as big as saucers and he responding by saying that 420mm?! That is almost what I have with this sports lens. Priceless.

Zenon Slawinski's picture

The only drawback to 10x digicams (and all digicams for that matter) is the lack of a high-end chip. Manufacturers should let the consumer decide by offering the same camera with an option for the consumer chip or the full 35mm equivalent chip. Why isn't the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II (pro) chip available on the PowerShot (consumer) line? The same question applies to all manufacturers. Is there that big a difference in manufacturing or is it market manipulation?

Jo Schleg's picture

I am liking the flexibility offered by SLR's, their feel and lens options. The Nikon D70s, Canon 20D fill the bill for my interests. Of course, I'm sure the newly announced Nikon D200 would also.

Adrian's picture

I still haven't made the jump to digital photography. But if I do, I can't see myself wasting the money on a integral lens point-and-shooter (which is what they amount to, say what you will). If I were to switch, it would be to a digital SLR.

Michael Rosenberg's picture

Although I love the idea and simplicity of the digicams, they are limited in their capabilities. I use a Nikon D2X and a D100 along with numerous lenses for the ability to shoot what I want the way I want. I also love the ability to use flash off the camera which is an option most digicams lack.

Brian Brunsvold's picture

Wide ranges create too many aberations of lenses and thus lower quality?

Jason Nadler's picture

While I own a 10X digicam and love it, it came down to simple economics. DSLR's are superior, but to get a similar kit, I'd have to spend thousands as opposed to a few hundred for an excellent digicam.

Howard M.  Benedict's picture

I have a DSLR and I looked at the 10-12X integral lens cameras before I bought and felt that their light weight composite overall feel made me classify them as a toy. I would hate to go out on a serious shoot with a mini-camera no matter how good the specs are.

Joe Eder's picture

I do mainly travel photography. Weight considerations place the super-zooms higher on my list than a DSLR with a large range zoom. The Super-zooms have all my required features and at a better price.

Sanat's picture

For me, at age 75, this is a clear choice as I do not like to carry heavy equipment, extra lenses, etc. and am happy with super-zoom digicams.

Mike Parsons's picture

I have plenty of old SLR's in the cupboard which I used only partially because of weight so before I buy a DSLR I am researching carefully in case a multi-lens/zoom will do the job and be lighter.

Donald Garland's picture

My Canon PowerShot Pro 1 is blessed with a great lens, and produces excellent images as long as I don't ask it to do things it wasn't designed to do. Like shoot moving subjects or be an available low light champ. I use it for what it's good at, which is photographing stationary subjects. Camera response and current EVF technology makes all digicams poor choices for capturing active subjects. So, it really boils down to the type of subject matter one likes to shoot. I love using my small, light, and stealthy Pro 1, but it's not a replacement for my DSLR. As a matter of fact, since I don't own a wide angle lens for my DSLR, my digicam serves as my wide lens on a dedicated body. The two camera types compliment each other just fine. Works for me.

Sarah's picture

As a photo lab technician, I am still not seeing the same quality from digicams as I have been seeing from DSLR's. The images seem to be far more noisey, and underexposed. I know a lot of that is due to the inexperience of the photographers, but I am not sure that they can yet equal a good DSLR.

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