I love my Nikon D300, but the thing is big and heavy. I’d love something to stick in a coat pocket, but I haven’t used any of the modern compacts enough to know which of the compromises that come with small size would drive me crazy.
My guesses as to what would matter to me:
Shutter lag is a bad thing.
Lots of optical zoom is good, but not paramount.
Obviously, I’m used to great image quality and lots of manual control.
I like to photograph insects and flowers, so it’s nice to be able to focus on something a few inches away.
I don’t think I’d use video recording capabilities much, but I could be wrong.
I know I’m going to miss the zoom ring on the lens, but nothing I can do about that.
Any advice from SLR/DSLR users? Although specific model recommendations would be great, I’m more expecting suggestions on priorities.
I’d recommend keeping this thread open because you’re looking for an enthusiast compact, something far different from the generic $100 point-and-shoots they’re talking about.
I agree with Reply, this isn’t really the same thread.
The route I took was to think: what circumstances do I not want to take my DSLR? When the weight and size is an issue, obviously. But also when I don’t want to risk damaging an expensive camera - i.e. when it can get wet, dirty, or dropped, or banged around. On that basis I got a Canon Powershot D10, which is a waterproof and somewhat ruggedized camera. It’s not the best camera in terms of pixel count or specs, but it’s not so bad that it’s annoying. My only gripe is that it’s not as thin as most other point-and-shoot cameras.
If I didn’t care about waterproofing and ruggedness, and just wanted a compact camera to carry around at all times, right now I’d choose the Canon SD4000 IS. Very fast lens, great sensor, reasonably good macro ability (focuses down to 1.2" at the widest setting).
As for the NEX and G10/G11, personally I think they are too big to be a complement to a DSLR. If I owned a G11 and my DSLR, half the time I’d leave home without either one.
I’d recommend the Leica D-Lux 3 or 4. They have a lot of the DSLR features in a compact. I have a 3 and short of adding lenses I can do a lot of manual functions.
Even if the threads are different they’re still similar enough that it could be confusing to have both of them open–but I’ll defer that decision to the moderators in CS, whither I shall now shoot it.
I have a few DSLRs and am a former professional photographer (newspapers and then weddings).
I currently use a Canon SD450 (starting to show its age) as my true “pocketable” camera when size is of the utmost importance. It does a good job, and the newer models in the Elph line should be even better. At this point I’d look for one with image stablization (not common in compact cameras when we got ours).
I also have a Panasonic FZ28 for when I want something “in between.” It’s a lot bigger than the Elph, but still a lot more portable than the DSLRs. It’s also nice because it’s allowed into most concerts (they have a “no professional cameras” or “no removable lenses” policy). That lets me get stuff like this: Carrie Underwood - Everett, WA 2010 - sharding
I have the rebranded Panasonic version of the D-Lux 4 (the DMC-LX3). The 24mm f/2.0 lens is awesome, but I’m not very happy with the picture quality. There’s a lot of purple fringing, high-ISO shots are noisy (as expected, but maybe a bit more than usual). Also, the interface is horrid… designed for engineers, not photographers. It’s incredibly difficult to change the settings I need in an efficient way.
My old Canon S80, while not as good on paper, generated beautiful shots that were much cleaner than the LX3’s. The control wheel also made it easier to adjust exposure on the fly.
My buddy, who has some serious gear, recently got a G-11 which he seems pretty happy with, check the review of same on DPreview.com From what I’ve heard, they went a little smaller with the megapixels and got a better overall camera out of it (from the G10). Reviews suggest it’s good all rounder.
I recently went the other way, from P&S to a micro four thirds GF1 that I like a lot. With the pancake lens it’s (sorta) pocketable and you can probably adapt some of your current lenses to fit it.