 Daphne Rubinstein |
D-SLR Vs. Point-and-Shoot for Trip? I have a Canon Digital Rebel XTI with a few lenses (18-55, 75-300, 100mm macro). We will traveling to Europe in June and I am pondering whether it would be easy to bring a small point-and-shoot rather than carry all my heavy equipment. Any recommendations?
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robert G. Fately |
WIll it be easier to take a small P&S? Naturally; there's much less to lug around and there's less worry about having your gear stolen or having the interior get dusty when you need to change lenses, etc. On the other hand, the shutter lag on P&S and DZLR cameras can become quite an annoyance - particularly if you shoot moving subjects. And of course the quality of the DSLR will be better, but that's only noticeable if you end up making some bigger enlargements or hooting in low light conditions (the smaller chip size of the P&S cameras lead to more noise than their DSLR counterparts at a given ISO setting) So, like everything else in life, it comes down to compromise - only you can decide if the higher quality of the images is worth the additional effort and pain of dragging around way more gear. If the shutter lag thing doesn't bother you, though, and you do want to minimize the intrusion of the camera on your life, you might want to consider one of the DZLRs from Panasonic, Sony, etc., with the long range (10X, 18X) zooms. The lens is fixed, so you don't need to carry an entire bagful of gear, and while the lens speed might be less and the quality might not be as high as a larger and more expensive SLR lens, the weight and size savings may be worth it.
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Peter K. Burian |
Daphne: I'll bet you would bet better photos with the XTi. Unless you travel to Europe frequently, you might want the very best possible camera. It would be a shame to find fabulous photo opportunities and not have the best camera and a versatile lens. Cheers! Peter K. Burian
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chrisbudny.com - Chris Budny Contact Chris Budny Chris Budny's Gallery |
What a tough one! I often miss the days of my p&s camera, for ease and comfort... I think you also have to consider what kinds of photos you reasonably expect to take... Is this going to be a photography-heavy trip? Or more of a walking-around, spontaneous photos, as time permits? Are you out for dimly-lit cathedral interiors? Or get-up-at-dawn planned landscape photos? Do you plan a box of 4x6 prints to share back home, or, artistic enlargements for the wall? In the end, I'd still probably stick to the SLR every time, which means bulk goes with the territory; but it is tempting to think of that p&s! I have a similar lens combination for my XTi... the 100mm is my all-time, hands-down favorite lens, and not just for macro images. Followed by the 17-85EFS-IS. I myself would consider leaving behind the big zoom, unless you already envision shots needing that much reach. My zoom is the 70-300 image-stabilized, but it is my least-favorite lens. I got it because my prior p&s (a near-SLR Sony model) had 12x optical zoom, so I felt I'd need an equally big amount of zoom in an SLR lens, when I made the switch. I took all 3 lenses to England, but I also took my tripod---I use that whenever possible, and my 70-300 images turn out best when shot from the tripod, image-stabilizer or no---still, on that trip, it was my least-used lens. I only realized later that, during the 18 month period I'd shot on the Sony, a small percentage of my overall shooting habits were ever at the full 12x zoom...
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- Carlton Ward Contact Carlton Ward Carlton Ward's Gallery |
Daphne, I totally agree with Peter. If this is a rare trip, I would take the XTi and a tripod as well. There are so many wonderful images to capture and I would hate to have the regret of not being able to get the image I wanted because of limited camera ability. Some of the classic scenes like the Eiffel Tower, Venice, water fountains, (wherever you will be) taken with slow shutter speed at dusk with as much DOF as possible can be absolutely breathtaking. Hence ... the tripod. Good luck with your decision!
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John P. Sandstedt |
Frankly, I'd trade your 18-55 and 75-300 in on a Tamron 18-250 or 18-300. That way all you'll carry is the XTi body and one lens. With my EOS 3 and/or EOS 620 [film, I went to Hawaii, Italy, the Canadian Maritime Provinces and the Greek Isles - fitted with my Tamron 28-200mm zoom. When I bought my 30D, I did buy the 17-85mm, once I realized that my 28-200 would give me about a 43 mm focal length as the widest aperture. Had the Tamrom 18-250 mm been available at the time, I never would have bought the 17-85mm. I recommended it to my son, so when I leave for my trip to the southwest national parks, I hope to be able to borrow it from him. Note, for all the trips I mentioned save for Hawaii [at which I attended and took at my nephew's wedding]I brouhgt no extra equipment except a backpack for film, water, etc.
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Nobu Nagase |
If you are a serious photographer (as you seem to be by just viewing your gallery), then the decision is an easy one (as you might have already figured out by suggestions given): It has to be your Canon XTI and lenses of your choice. Here is one case I know in which a P&S will do: On a recent trip to Europe, there was another serious photographer in the group. She had both types of cameras, BUT she mainly used her P&S. Her purpose was, more or less, taking photos for her travel albums and her family and friends, i.e., for 4x6 prints. (By the way, she has taken over 1000's photos.) In this case, P&S would do just fine. If the purpose of taking the camera is more than simply for the travel albums, then DSLR is a must. As far as macro lens is concerned, it's optional depending on your interest in macro work, such as planning to visit floral gardens, for example. When visiting a place like Hawaii, carrying a macro lens is a must IMHO for there are so much opportunity for tropical floral fields and gardens.
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Denyse Clark |
I agree with Nobi- it depends on your purpose for the photos. I've gone to Europe and Mexico- in Europe I lugged all of my SLR & equipment... and vowed never to do it again because it was just so much to deal with. So for Mexico I just brought my pocket Powershot and it was perfect. But I shoot portraits, so any landscapes, monuments, etc were just for my enjoyment, not fine art.
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Dawn Penso |
I agree with Denyse: I live in London and go to Europe 2 or 3 times a year and used to take my DSLR plus lenses, filters, spare batteries,etc with me every time. I got fed up with lugging all that bulk and weight around so treated myself to a high quality point and shoot, a Panasonic, and got some excellent pictures with it. You can have it in your hand all the time while you're walking around, and respond quickly to situations. I strongly recommend taking a tripod for those evening and night shots, and for landscapes. Remember, good pictures depend more on you than on your equipment. Dawn
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Stephanie M. Stevens |
When I go on vacation I like to take both. I find that for touristy activities my DSLR is too much, it's too heavy and I end up with an aching shoulder. So I try to arrange the days so that I'm going locations for landscapes/fine art in the morning, the DSLR comes with me; during the day when the light isn't great for that kind of work we do the shopping and other touristy activities, then the P&S does fine for the album snapshots. Around sunset the DSLR comes back out.
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Peter K. Burian |
Stephanie: A perfect suggestion! Peter
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Gary Pope |
Taking both is, of course, the perfect answer. However, if I had to choose, the P&S would win every time. Especially a pocketable one. Excellent photos can be taken with a good P&S, and the ability to actually enjoy and participate in the activities of the trip instead of merely being an observer is worth it to me. When opportunities present themselves, my P&S is ready within seconds.
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Cindy Sj |
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