Hey all,

I just bought a Nikon D40X (Kit) 2 weeks ago after using Canon S3-IS for quite a long time.

So far I can't seem to figure out what's so spectacular about the SLR camera compared to what I've been using all this while.

Between fast point and shoot applications, the S3 wins. I don't think you guys buy the SLR camera to use it's auto-shoot/scene/portrait... etc functions. By the time I finish setting up the shot, either the subject is impatient, or I'd have stood there for ages, and worse still if the shot doesn't turn out properly, I'd have to reset everything again.

Worse still the view-finder is so small compared to using the LCD + histogram for the S3. Changing apperture, shuttle speeds and ISO doesn't seem to affect what I see in the viewfinder. As a result, more often than not the shots turn out bad. So much for the "What you see is what you get" concept for SLR.

Zoom wise, the kit lens sucks compared to the in-hand 12x zoom of the S3. Don't even ask me to spend another RM 2.5k for something better. I know the SLR's advantage is interchangable lenses, henceforth versatility in taking pictures, but am I honestly expected to carry around 3 lenses and swap them each time I need to take a photo?

Thanks and appreciate some comments and feedback on the above. I'm beginning to think I blew away RM 2.5k on an unnecessary and (inferior) purchase.

* Btw, I use my cameras to mainly take scenery shots during travels, taking group photos... and all the normal stuff people use the camera for. I don't camp outdoors for hours just to take a photo, I don't use a tripod and I don't intend to sell any of my photos. I just like the satisfaction of taking some good shots every now and then, while having all my other shots turn out clear.

well another orange and apple surely come up one...

I'm no expert photographer, but I have a few friends who are.

It seems to me that you just got the wrong tool for your requirements and are now blaming the Nikon. I mean, if all you're doing is taking photos that don't require manual setup and timing etc etc why did you get rid of your S3?

Each one of your complaints is actually the reason why serious photographers buy their SLRs. They want to be able to do super macros, or fish eye or superzoom shots without being limited by their default equipment.

Seems to me you should just get rid of the nikon and get one of those prosumer point and shoots.

D40x enable u to change lenses and that is the major plus point of using a SLR camera, or in this matter, a DSLR.

dslr can be long term usage where lens can be changeable ...

its not a waste or useful if u r not satisfy with it ... since u bought it ... den get use to it!

in time of shooting ... u might find tat dslr actually more features than a normal digital cameras!

Blame yourself for not understanding what's the difference between a DSLR and a prosumer camera. It's a different class thing. You can't just compare like that.



That's simply because you are still haven't master the manual functions yet. Blame yourself for not spending more time to learn how to master the manual functions and straight jump to the conclusion that it's complicated to change between the modes. Do you actually know that they are almost the same? In S3 IS, you too have Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Manual and several other modes which are quite similar to DSLRs'.



You still haven't get used to it. Blame yourself if you can't get used to it yet.



You are comparing a kitlens which is suppose to be used to shoot wide angle scenes instead of far objects. Isn't that silly? Don't blame your DSLR, blame yourself if you yourself cant afford to buy good telelens.



Look at yourself, you obviously telling everybody that DSLR doesn't suit you. Conclusion is blame yourself for being dumb for buying a DSLR blindly knowing that it doesn't suit you.

p/s: I seriously advice you to sell off your Nikon D40x for you don't deserved to use DSLR for time being.

Firstly thanks for the quick replies.

I'm not blaming Nikon or Panasonic or Olympus or anybody for anything. I'm just putting forth honest viewpoints from a person that's trying to make the transition from point-and-shoot/prosumer to SLR cameras. So far it's a painful and (irritating) experience.

The way you guys put it, does it mean that SLR is such a *slow* camera that you guys have to slowly compose all your shots before finally taking a picture? Does it mean that you need to have several years of experience of using SLR to know what settings to use for particular photos/scenes?

From what I see, the *features* difference between SLR and Prosumer cameras is slowly disappearing. Nowadays you can do most of the adjustments as well in prosumer. You only can't change the lenses (But that's beside the point at the moment).

Edit : In reply to vikingw2k, so one must be a *camera geek* in order to master the SLR?

I was a PnS user and slowly moved on to Prosumer before ended up using DSLR. Yes it takes time to slowly adapt. It depends on individual on how fast they can master which mode to use when they want to shoot a subject.

You just only hopped over to DSLR, you might not get used to it. Hence you might look down on what it can do for you. Spend more time to explore and spend a little more bucks to get yourself some good lens before jumping to the conclusion that Prosumer can do what DSLRs can do

p/s: No you don't need to be a geek to master the modes, you only need some time and patient to further explore it and you'll master them eventually.

I was an ex-user of a Canon S3IS. I changed to DSLR because of what i cant achieve with my S3; bokeh, focusing speed, instant selection of focus points, no need to recompose as much as a PnS, noise control and obviously Image Quality.

Before i switch to DSLR, i did my own research on what DSLR can do and what's the downside of owning a dslr. Did you consider all the pros and cons of owning a dslr before jumping ship?

Why did you get a D40 when you know you wont get a 400mm focal length with it unless you invest in a 400mm lens whereas you can get 400mm on S3IS at 12x zoom? You yourself said you wont be bringing few lenses out to shoot something, why get a DSLR? You want an all rounder lens? The least you could've do is ask around this section for opinions before jumping to the DSLR bandwagon. And here you're complaining about yourself shouldn't have gotten a dslr

Stick with your D40 and explore all the possibilities that you can do with it b4 selling it off to get a PnS.

put it this way, u need to put in effort and time in order to master it, same goes to others, don't expect you'll be as fast as Kimi Raikonen if you are given a chance to drive his winning F1 car. Give u tiger woods golf set and caddy and u'll be as good as tiger woods ? I don't think so.

if you think with an DSLR you are 'pro' and will take 'pro' pictures, then you are very wrong. You are just too used to PnS that the DSLR takes out alot of those convenient.

1 Toyota Camry and 1 Toyota Estima...
So, what are the differences between these two cars?

Both also can take you around.

But why people buy Camry and why people buy Estima?
Different car got difference use and doesn't mean you need an Estima all the time.

Same goes with digital camera. Not everyone needs a dSLR.
Too many thread with this kinda comparison...

darthbaboon, i've used. pns, prosumer and DSLR.

each time i migrate, i see significant difference.

so if you upgrade and you see no difference. perhaps upgrading was a wrong move, you should've stick to your prosumer.



the pros and cons are stated already. if you buy a DSLR and still see no difference with your prosumer, then clearly you're in total lack of knowledge and understanding. comparing the DSLR and prosumer is like apples to orange.

while both are cameras, they work differently.




come join me in the paintball field. let's see what your prosumer can get.




no la. don't have to spend more also. just the kit lens also can do plenty of nice stuff already.



*btw there's a reason why i still keep my prosumer. WHY? I won't elaborate, one would understand if one knows their difference. reasons are in my article.

Speaking of S3 IS, I'm kinda miss the superb video recording feature

i miss its 400mm focal length. lol

Get a video camera better

ehh, just get a 70-300 IS then you have more than 400mm on your side already mah you 30D user

anyway no one miss macro mode?

that's the nice thing about prosumer, all-in-one package.

ppl said : its not bout camera..its bout ppl behind it .

just c the image quality/color and can already la...both already can c the different...

well DSLR has bigger image sensor size and wider color range

waaa i tot orange and apple come up..

but..

Toyota Camry and 1 Toyota Estima...

sure getting creative.

me.. on the way to migrating... DSLR belum sampai lagi ooo...

lol. Super macro mode do rocks in Canon S series prosumer. xD

came up wat. read carefully.

DSLR shutter lag is almost non existence...u try panning F1 or in Bird Park with prosumer u will bet bladi frustrated.

It all comes down how serious is one into photography..if ppl buy an SLR just for a trip to somewhere else..i would advise them to buy a prosumer instead

What you can do, I can do also!

Can u do bulb exposure in S3?
Can u focus as fast as DSLR in S3?
Can u have DOF as shallow as DSLR in S3?
Can u shoot as fast as 3fps or 5fps in S3?
Can u boost ur ISO to 800/1600 and maintain minimum noise in S3?
Can u change lens in S3?
Can u have color as dynamic range as DSLR in S3?

nuff said

Can u take video with DSLR?

lol. Ha Ha. I win.

The DSLR takes time to learn, don't worry, you can't break anything by tweaking the settings, give all those buttons a whirl, no worries, fiddle with anything long enough and you'll be a master in no time TS. But yeah, the DSLR is kind of pointless for some which are expecting better, but i'll be honest and say the D40 is like a hobbled PnS with an interchangable lense mount. Even if after all the practice, and you still think the DSLR sucks, there's no harm in going back, the right tool for the right job is important, i'm not going to snipe the PM with a double barreled shotgun am i?

TL:DR = Take your time. If it still sucks after giving it more work, go back to PnS or Prosumer.

Nothing beats Lomo!

Everybody loses!

Hmm... I was also considering which to get for my new camera since my old one just went dead. Between a prosumer and DSLR. Was thinking of getting a DSLR at first. But considering the technical side of photography not to mention to invest in additional lense and other accessories I am 99.9% decided to get a prosumer camera. First for its cost and second to learn up the basic of photography before I really start to venture to the world of DSLR.

Comparison wise, it is really an apple to an orange. Totally different class of their own. But to be frank, DSLR does have much better flexibility in terms of features and creative photography which prosumer and normal PnS camera are severely limited by their hardcase design.

And I do agree on the person behind the camera concept. Equip you with all the equipments and accessories for the camera in the market. Provide you with assistants to carry all the weights and hire a specialist in changing the lense that you want to use to snap the particular photo. Without the sound knowledge of what to use, when to use and where to use your photos still turns out sucks.

Just my humble opinion and common sense. Disagreement can be point out for sharing among the people here.

well, your d40x has a much bigger sensor area than the canon (almost 10x).
obviously the bigger the better (more control over DOF).
bigger sensor means better iso performance over smaller sensor too.

Bulb exposure is possible on S3 IS. With hacked firmware, you can expose up to a minute.

You clearly don't know photography & moreover SLR photography.

The advantage of SLR compared to your S3IS:
1) Accurate optical viewfinder - S3 doesn't. Whatever you see on your electronic viewfinder or LCD is actually a delayed liveview.
2) Image quality - The sensor size of a dSLR is much bigger than S3. Thus the ability to capture a wider range of colors & tones.
3) Burst mode - The slowest of the dSLR selling in the market today can do 3fps, S3 is 1.5fps/2.3fps (based on dpreview.com).
4) Hotshoe - The S3 don't have it thus can't mount an external flash. And thus can't shoot beyond 20ft in low light condition.
5) AF speed - The worst SLR can AF in less than 0.5 sec. While S3 usually takes 0.5-1 sec to lock on.
6) Shutter range - SLR is 30 - 1/4000 sec. While S3 is 15 - 1/3200 sec.
7) Instant response - SLR power up almost instantly (0.2 sec average), S3 around 1-2 sec.
8) Shutter lag - entry level SLR is 80-90ms. S3 , I don't know.
And more..........

Actually, based on your primary usage, since you don't take moving objects, frankly speaking, you don't need a dSLR. And if you don't enlarge your picture, at 4R, you perhaps can't tell the difference as well.

So how the hell you would understand why people pay 3 times the price of your D40X for a F2.8 zoom lens?

scorgio, respect u for ur explaination.

Wow, this is gonna be very interesting.

Obviously you just need a prosumer instead of DSLR. If you take pics with low ISO low contrast than dslr will not much differs from prosumers in term of standard print of IQ. It goes down what type of photography your into. Search for Alex Majoli if you want to know pro that used prosumers.

D3 & new 450D also can take video

anyway, no DSLR can fight with S3 IS in Live-view mode DSLR live view mode still very bad
And also "spot metering" which don't have in some DSLR

btw, just to add, you wanna show off your skills?(not implying that you are here). Shoot in film then? Do the processing(preferably do it yourself), then do your own film to photo paper processing, then do your own dodge and burn, all in the traditional dark room.

If you can come out with good results. Then im going to salute you heck ill even ask you to be my sifu and teach me the darkroom processing skills.

oh yeah, DO NOT ever underestimate the kit lens. There's tons of professional photographers who uses the kit lens as their main weapon to create stunning images. I can least some of them, they'll pwn your photos big time. One's even just 18 years old.

oh btw, show your pics plz? don just talk. We need pictures.

The Oly E330 has spot metering.
And its Live-View is on par with the prosumers.

hehee
i can do all that you have mentioned.
are u going to call me sifu?
hehee
only joking ya
just to take the heat off this thread

Still very bad in what area?

Anyhow, I find that live view on my Olympus DSLRs are not best for capturing action (laggy) nor have sharp enough resolution to spot auto-focus mistakes (without digital zoom) nor sensitive enough to be used in dark/low light environments. I started out with the E-330 but about a year later when I got the E-510 I was almost always (99%) using the optical viewfinder.
Some prosumers have faux optical viewfinders which are actually projected electronic view finders (EVF), like the Sony H9, and have the same shortcomings of the LCD, including high energy usage. But the EVF and LCD live view has distinct advantages like being able to have guiding lines, real-time white balance, real-time histogram, and best of all, you don't have to stick your cam to your face, or contort your body into weird postures when trying to take that odd-angled shot.

Spot metering is probably as old as the SLR itself! Some old film-based SLRs can even let you spot meter a few spots and then will take an average of those few spots, sort of a manual evaluative metering method.

Hi Darthbaboon, it's absolutely normal to be frustrated when your expectation is not met. I'd not ask you to convince yourself that DSLR is better since you find it otherwise. For me it's very personal and subjective. Some prefer to swim in a pool, while some prefer to swim in the sea.
I'd suggest you you downgrade if you are not happy with your D40x. After all, if you are not having fun, what's the point? If you browse though Canon forum in Dpreview, many people who own tons of equipment sold everything off and get a prosumer. I don't see what's wrong with that. The worst thing can happen to one is to force oneself to use something that one doesn't like. Photography is suppose to be fun, isn't it?

Ha! HA! Seems like a lot of sifu got insulted here.

Well, there is nothing wrong whether a PnS or Prosumer or dSLR. Each have their own pros and cons. And u just need to know what you need.

And what u can't make good of doesn't mean others can't. Just because u are not good doesn't mean everyone is the same.

I disagree. One who doesn't like to swim in a sea doesn't mean that one is not a good swimmer. You are insulting the OP.

correct correct correct.

hat is OP?

Anyway, its getting more complicated already... Also donno what u all say.

Ocean Pacific... they make trendy clothing and accessories.
http://www.oceanpacific.com/

Camera is just a tool. Advance in camera technology is only making taking pictures easy. Look at Ansel Adam back then, he was carrying a big brown monster box around to capture stunning pictures and those pictures still well appreciate now. All PNS, prosumer or DSLR has its own pros and cons, and of course All has the capability to take great pictures. Just pick the one that suits your need.

I'd like to add, even mobile phones today can enter into that category.

perhaps some ppl enjoy this process. I'm not sure about other DSLR user, but I enjoy it. I feel sorry for u that u have made a wrong choice.

i doubt the people here are insulted.

i'm quite sure most are just simply amazed / dumb-founded by how one could jump into such a conclusion and even start a thread on it when one is obviously lacking even the basic knowledge of the difference between what he / she owned and what he / she intended to jump into.

it's like you upgrade from A to B and thinks B is bad when the actual problem is do you even bother to understand B before upgrading? I believe that's the point most are getting at.

look at the title, What you can do, I can do also! - yeah right, there's a reason why DSLRs are around. There's a reason why prosumer users when hang around DSLR users are poisoned badly.

i'm truly sorry DSLRs were not meant for you. You can stick to PnS & Prosumers for the rest of your life... They take pretty great pictures as well!

TS, b4 you sell off your new gear, make sure u bring your S3 to shoot again. You may not find dslr better than pns when you 1st migrate, but you may find your pns worse than dslr when you go back to s3... Especially speed, clearity of viewfinder..etc.