Big Camera or No Big Camera

Some people are devout Nikon or Sony or Kodak etc. fans in either a point & shoot or DSLR camera but my favorite is the Olympus brand. They are not the cheapest nor the most expensive but to me they take a great picture.

I have a Fuji 'bridge' camera. Not as big or complex as a DSLR, but has plenty of useful features and a decent 15x zoom. It won't quite fit in a pocket though.

I purposefully stayed away from the other( camera threads because this can be a somewhat contentious issue among shutterbugs. Given the specific nature of your questions though, I think I can offer some insight.

The first issue is DSLR or PAS (assuming you're not looking for 35mm). Simply put, it depends on what you plan to use the camera for. Do you take enough pictures to justify the investment (not only money, but time) in a DSLR? How much time do you, or do you want to, spend taking pictures in the parks? My wife and I are both avid photographers, but at this point in our life we don't make vacations about the photography. We take pictures to chronicle our travels and significant events, and we are very happy with that. When we have more time, we would love to focus more on the artistic aspect but right now that is not our primary concern. That said, when we travel we only bring one camera and prefer one we can take anywhere without carrying anything extra. Understand, I'm not saying you can't or shouldn't use a nice DSLR for the same purpose I mentioned. Many people do, carry the extra bag with the camera and gear, and are just fine with that. My point is for me, a compact camera makes a lot more sense for that purpose. My choice is a compact ultra-zoom, small enough to fit in about any pocket but packed with features including a 12x optical zoom.

I won't go into a lengthy comparison and review, but my choice after exhaustive research was the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS series. Your biggest choice among the current models is whether you want to be able to record HD video or not. We use it to record video all the time, and the quality (of the video and sound) is remarkable for a compact camera (better than many camcorders I've seen). I found these cameras to be the perfect balance of ease of use, features, and well-rounded performance. You will have a hard time finding a better camera overall without spending a lot more. If you are a casual photographer who wants to be able to take very high quality photos minutes after you take your new camera out of the box, this camera is perfect. There are cameras in the price range that may be better at one thing or the other. There are cameras with more advanced manual features. Overall though, this is a real winner. Easy as can be to use, but with enough features and manual settings to satisfy you even if or when you get more serious.

When I did my research, I considered all types of PAS cameras. From past experience I learned that the standard 3-5x optical zoom is not enough (digital zoom will distort and is not a substitute for optical zoom). After months of research, I narrowed my choices down the the aforesaid and the Fuji Finepix F series (F70/F80 EXR). The Panasonic won out due to user/journalist reviews, ease of use, and reliability.

While much of the criteria is based on personal preference, I found there was a clear winner for our purposes.

I've had a Nikon and a Sony point and shoot and I loved them both. I prefer the Sony because I have a Sony Viao and it's easy to just stick my memory stick into my computer and download pictures. Now I have the Nikon and I am always trying to find my cord..

Anyway..I am thinking about buying a DSLR in the future..I am not by any means a good photographer but I'd really like to learn. I do know that purchasing a DSLR takes some patience and time as you have to really read and figure out how to use it..

However, my p&s photos dont even compare to some of the DSLR photos I've seen.

Great question, Annie -- I've really been benefiting from the responses. I have a little Sony Cyber-shot that has done me well, but I'm intrigued by the photos I've been seeing around that make use of the DSLR features.

We've had a few Sony Cybershot's over the years, they all seem to just die eventually. Aparently it's something to do with an on board battery that provides power to hold the date/time and activate the power up procedure, it's supposed to charge from the main battery but eventually wears out and the camera won't switch on.

Has anyone else had similar experience with Sony? (or any other brand).

I had my Sony for about five years before we upgraded and we never had that problem. We had problems towards the end because we were going through batteries like hotcakes but that's about it.

I feel like electronics are pretty much designed to be disposable goods these days. I can't think of anything I've had that _has_ lasted for any length of time.

I use the Sony Cybershot. It is compact and fits into a case that I wear on my belt. Nothing to carry. I have about 6K Disney pictures I have taken with it. All I have posted on this forum were shot with that camera.
Works for me.
Joe

It really depends on how much of a photographer you are and what you plan to use the photos for. I brought both my DSLR and my point and shoot on my last trip. I'm a hobbyist when it comes to photography, and since I have a travel website I knew I would be posting photos to, I knew I wanted to bring my DSLR. I tell you what, though, that sucker felt pretty darned heavy after a few hours in a hot park. Once I got all the "artsy" shots I wanted with the DSLR, I was more than happy to switch to just bringing my P&S.

I seriously LOVE my Canon Rebel DSLR...Ive actually owned 2 (only cause the first one got melted behind the exhaust of a DC10 in Kuwait...never never never let someone you "love" use your electronics) and I take them to the parks RELIGIOUSLY when we go. I just tuck it away in my backpack..I figure if its gonna get broken its gonna get broken if its in a camera bag or a backpack. But so far so good...havent had a problem yet!

I wonder if I could get one with that breakage protection from Best Buy or wherever. That would be my biggest problem with having a nice camera. I break things.

I got mine at Sam's club with that kind of warranty on it...thats why Im not overly concerned.

I bet Sam's has some great prices; I've never thought about buying electronics there.

In my experience club stores are hit or miss on electronics. Prices are most always good, but not always the best. I've gotten identical items online for 10%-20% less, with free shipping. Sometimes the club store will have what you're looking for for a lower price, but it is a slightly different model. That can be something minor like a color only available at the club store, or something significant like different accessories or no accessories. Also on larger purchases (like a decent camera), online retailers often have promotional deals where you get a free case/memory card/what-have-you then a discount on associated extras. Unless everything you want happens to be in a bundle at the club store, you don't get any discount on accessories for the item you purchase.

I have had pretty good luck with electronics at club stores. I think almost every LCD I've bought has been from there. That being said I didn't go in with a particular one I wanted. I went in and saw what were on sale and satisfactory. So if you have a particular brand/make in mind you might have worse luck.

The bigger DSLR cameras with changeable lenses really can get to be a mill stone by the end of a long hot day in the park, but I will never go in any of the parks with out my sony DSLR A-300 and three memory card with me. ( Not a photo snob really I just love that camera and taking pictures in the parks my favorite hobby.)