I've used a number of good P&S cameras in my 3 years on 365 because of their portability and the fact that the quality keeps improving. I think if I lived somewhere with great natural beauty, I might consider the added weight and cost but my less dramatic shots seem on a par with similar photos from higher end cameras. So here is my dumb question for photographers using DSLR cameras. Do you carry all your gear with you on an excursion? If not, how do you decide which lens to use? Does switching lenses hinder your ability to capture that spontaneous shot? Any insights would be helpful.
Personally, I think everyone should have a really good p&s with a great zoom lens. I primarily use my dSLR, but when I go on excursions, I have all my equipment and even my film cameras with me. When I get to where I'm going, I do my best to determine which equipment I should carry and which I should leave in the trunk. I've never missed a shot from switching lenses... however, I need a better p&s than what I have because people with good p&s cameras with great zoom ability take better bird photos than people with dSLR cameras and I think its because even at 300mm, its not efficient to capture most birds in the wild. I spotted an eagle a month ago and there was a guy with a little p&s with 42x zoom. He got the shot. With my telephoto zoom at full power, you couldn't tell what was tree and what was eagle. The guy admitted to knowing nothing about photography and just puts it on auto and his eagle shot was better than a lot of eagle shots on here. The right equipment CAN make a difference and I kept imagining what I could have done with the right manual settings and his p&s to capture that eagle shot, so that is on my wish list of camera equipment to get.
for city shots - i generally choose one lens... but it will vary day by day... and bear in mind i am often in the same spot, so i can easily get back there with a different lens on a different day...
for landscapes - i generally prefer my kit lens which has a range of 17-85... i brought my tele along a few weeks back but was not impressed with the results... not sure how much is related to the lens (lower quality than my kit) and how much to the fact that it was a bit windy...
i've never gone on a specific excursion, tho... and i'd have to think about that... i am not really good at switching out lenses on the fly... i've always wondered how photogs just DO that...
(how many times have i read: "i was walking along with my bla bla bla (insert spectacular name brand quality lens here) 17-55 when i noticed this teeny tiny pink bug on a leaf so i immediately switched to my bla bla bla macro and snapped it but it didn't look right so i added my bla bla bla polarizer and..."... really? and it didn't fly away while you were fiddling? and you didn't drop your lens? ;D)
Well I too had a P&S for years..and now with a DSLR...I take all my gear with me. But before I got more lens's I just took my camera and the one lens I had and that was all.This is just me but I leave my main lens on my camera at all times. And the one main lens worked for most shots,maybe not for some things like a macro of a bee or the far away moon but it does lovely none the less. Switching lens sometimes causes a slight hinder but you get an idea right away in your surrounding what you will need,your walking in a field , you can guess you will need a macro for those bugs or know you should have your zoom on you to quickly snap one of that far away hopping bunny..etc. You are out in a scenic place, your normal 18-55 mm does well, etc. Its all about what you can predict and what you know. Hope that makes sense.
It is tricky because you don't want to be weighted down with gear. I don't have a p&s, just a d90 and my iPhone, as well as several film options. With a dslr, it's good to have a versatile walk around lens like a 20-70 prime. I would trade every lens I have to get one, but I rent one when traveling. Sometimes you just have to pick one and not rue the situations that you cant catch with it. :)
I have a backpack I carry with my three main lenses, my filters, a small tripod. It works great. It depends on which shot I am looking for but I have no problem switching out lenses quickly if I need to go say form a wide angle (18-55) to a zoom (70-200) I also still carry my PS as a back up.
Good luck. dave
I only have my canon 7D and a 50mm 1.4 lens.
To be honest I'm not the most delicate with my camera. I just kind of toss it in my daughter's back pack when we go places. (it's surrounded by her extra clothes)
I have a big nice camera bag/ purse but it's so awkwardly huge to take most places.
If we are going on a walk or something I just hang it around my neck cross body style.
For just quick snaps I use my iPhone.
I just bring my dslr and typically my 50mm f/1.8 lens because it is the one I by far use most often. I have a Nikon Coolpix p&s however I hate it...it sucks lol. So my Canon dslr is what I bring along. I actually let my 8 month old play with the p&s lol. If I know I'm going somewhere that I might need or want a different lens, then I bring my 1 other lens. I'm fairly new to photography, only had my dslr for about 4 months, so I don't have a huge collection of photography gear. For my main subject, my 50mm f/1.8 lens is what I use almost all the time.
For the most part, I carry only my Canon d60 and an 18-270 telephoto lens. I shoot most of my photos using that lens. It is highly versatile and saves me the weight and effort of carrying more.
I never take all my gear with me - as little as possible is my motto. I usually have an idea of what I'm going after, so only the best lens for that purpose gets put on, and the camera is worn on a cross-body strap so that both hands are free.
@allie912 I agree with Jeff Walker. When on a trip, I will decide on what lens when I get there. If it is a day tip, I usually carry three lens--18-250mm is a good lens for most places. I also will carry 10-20mm and a 100mm macro.
I have other lens that I can use for some specific types of shooting. I shorter zooms and a 30mm macro, as well as 200-500mm and 50mm. What lens I use depends on the situation. I used my 35mm 1.8 to shoot an indoor event in December. There are no rules, it is all about what you want in the final result--i.e. DOF, distance, width, and what creative elements you may want to include.
What's the point having the equipment if you don't take it out with you? I don't have a problem changing lenses. I am with jeff though, a good p&s would make a difference. I slip one in my bag most days, but it lets me down at times. But I have a few wish list items :) if I were you, I would take the plunge and get a DLSR, I haven't looked back since I got mine last Christmas. If you're thinking about it, must mean you're curious.
i mostly carry my nikon d5100 + 35mm or 50mm thats all! i put it in my handbag carry it everywhere :) it's not heavy for me. and i just force myself to use just one lens :) i love my 35mm :)
Depends a lot on what I'm shooting. If I go to the seabird reserve in spring/summer then it's a telephoto and maybe the kit 18-55 for wide landscape shots. The lens which spends most time on the camera is the 55-250, which copes with most situations. If I'm out for the day and not sure what I need, then I might take everything in the car, decide what I need when I get there, but have the option to change things around if needed. I also have a point and shoot, but it slow compared to the dslr.
I love my dslr and keep ordering better glass lens. As a result tho, I can't lug everything around on long excursions/trips because of the weight. After 1-2 hours, I'm ready to quit. But with some of the newer and better p&s cameras out today, I can easily agree with @jsw0109
@jsw0109@kwiksilver As soon as you said 42X zoom, I knew you were talking about my camera. I bought it for just that reason and have really been very happy with it. I also had only used Canon cameras prior to this purchase. I know @mmartin said she was unhappy with her Coolpix, but this has been a great purchase for me. After reading all these interesting comments, I think I will continue as I am.
@allie912 the price is way cheaper than the type of lens I'd have to buy for my Canon dSLR to be able to zoom in as well as your camera.... and the size and weight of the lens would more than likely require a tripod to get a sharp focus, so when it comes to birding and wanting pics of the birds, I wish I also had your camera in my arsenal (well, one like it, I wouldn't want to take your camera away from you *smile*)
I should specify, I had the coolpix s60 (little touch screen thing), it lagged with everything which was extremely frustrating. I did however play with I believe a coolpix s9300..and it seemed pretty decent for a p&s. I would like a decent p&s to be able to snap pictures whenever I don't have my dslr handy...wish list for the future as there are many other things for my dslr I want first lol
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for city shots - i generally choose one lens... but it will vary day by day... and bear in mind i am often in the same spot, so i can easily get back there with a different lens on a different day...
for landscapes - i generally prefer my kit lens which has a range of 17-85... i brought my tele along a few weeks back but was not impressed with the results... not sure how much is related to the lens (lower quality than my kit) and how much to the fact that it was a bit windy...
i've never gone on a specific excursion, tho... and i'd have to think about that... i am not really good at switching out lenses on the fly... i've always wondered how photogs just DO that...
(how many times have i read: "i was walking along with my bla bla bla (insert spectacular name brand quality lens here) 17-55 when i noticed this teeny tiny pink bug on a leaf so i immediately switched to my bla bla bla macro and snapped it but it didn't look right so i added my bla bla bla polarizer and..."... really? and it didn't fly away while you were fiddling? and you didn't drop your lens? ;D)
Good luck. dave
To be honest I'm not the most delicate with my camera. I just kind of toss it in my daughter's back pack when we go places. (it's surrounded by her extra clothes)
I have a big nice camera bag/ purse but it's so awkwardly huge to take most places.
If we are going on a walk or something I just hang it around my neck cross body style.
For just quick snaps I use my iPhone.
I have other lens that I can use for some specific types of shooting. I shorter zooms and a 30mm macro, as well as 200-500mm and 50mm. What lens I use depends on the situation. I used my 35mm 1.8 to shoot an indoor event in December. There are no rules, it is all about what you want in the final result--i.e. DOF, distance, width, and what creative elements you may want to include.