I am really struck by some current discussions about point & shoot cameras... on a Davao City(Philippines) photography forum. I am an avid prosumer(point & shoot) camera user... and some people are a bit up tight about sensor size. One particular member(I wouldn't disclose his name...it would be rude) keep on coming with really strong opinions about point & shoots...that they are so inferior over his DSLRs. I am not denying that the DSLRs are superior but I wouldn't say either that prosumers are just that horrible. I use various different cameras and I do have quite a few of these prosumer cameras...I use them for fine art photography. I would never compromise my quality of work and I would be glad to show you some of my fine art prints created with these types of cameras. It is so easy to judge a topic with no serious experience...an opinion based on ignorance, an opinion that's not much of a valid reasoning. Here's some of my insights regarding this subject... based on real use and an extensive print collection both in my home and collector's walls. This is a real life application of such "inferior cameras"... the non DSLRs or prosumer cameras.
Prosumers would be also known as bridge camera...or some refer to it as hybrids... people might call it different names but these are cameras with manual controls and a good quality built in optics(non interchangeable). These are very popular about 5-9 yrs ago because of the introduction of 4-5mp digital cameras that people jumped into digital photography. These cameras was just as much as one SLR lens...so it was a no brainer to buy it to learn photography. DSLRs at those time were prohibitively expensive(2001-2003)...only real pros and really rich hobbyists can get their hands on them due to the cost. So a lot of would be photographers embraced the concept of prosumer cameras, its just like buying a lens for an SLR and you get a full camera. Prosumer cameras was an old concept even existing during the film days. The trade offs in quality over an DSLR was huge...way noisier images, artifacts can be seen quite easily and of course this was ignored because of the price difference over DSLRs. Serious photographers still stayed shooting with their 35mm SLR due to the superiority in quality...and to them sacrificing sheer quality over convenience wasn't an option. For most hobbyist...and newer batch of photographers the prosumer cameras would be a God sent.
I also started learning photography with a prosumer 4 years ago... it was the Sony DSC-F717, which I still have and certainly wouldn't sell. I bought my DSLR a few months after, my first DSLR was the Olympus E300 and a month or so later upgraded to the professional Olympus E1. I still used my Sony F717 quite extensively...then I added the Sony R1 not long after and I got hooked on my Olympus C-series prosumers(C5050, C5060, C7070 and the C8080) and the Sony F-series(F707, F717 and the F828). I tried and still use other brands of prosumers cameras...the Minolta A1 and the Z3...Canon Pro1 and G10... Panasonic LX1, LX3.... I regularly bring a camera everyday and I can't keep bringing my full DSLR kit.
I only kept the best of my prosumers... the whole Olympus collection, the Sony and Panasonic cameras are still regularly used and I recently added the Sony V3, Fuji E900 and Fuji S9000. I love the bargains you get with these prosumers...since most people are stuck with the DSLR mindset, they sell their beloved prosumers for cheap... like the Fuji S9000 which sold for $900 CAD when it was new...I bought for $270, which is CHEAP! Or the Fuji E900 that was selling for $700 CAD now I bought for $140.... I bought both cameras for the ability to use AA batteries and their amazing photo quality. It is really a no brainer if you are in the market now to buy the older units... why? Because they are cheap and their image quality is not far off the recent breed of digital cameras.
People would really argue with me that the "old technology" is inferior... but just test them out yourself. I bought a Canon G10 and still preferred my Olympus C5050 despite the 3 times the megapixels(14.7mp against 5mp). I actually print my photos...I have over 2 thousand prints in my home, its the only way I know to truly appreciate a photograph. I do have a newer prosumer the Panasonic LX3, but this is an exception... this camera can produce prints easily matched to my DSLRs(upto 400ISO).
I am very picky with my cameras because I don't want to be stuck on a situation that I need to capture the moment and my camera is just not capable enough. I love my prosumers because I can just sling it around my neck and off I go for the full day...no heavy bags to bring. Some of these cameras even fit on my jacket... so very convenient. Believe me these cameras can produce fine art prints...as long as you know its limits. Some actually render certain elements really nicely...for example my Sony F828 gives me the best Sun burst effect, perfect rays of light... My Panasonic LX1 and LX3 gives me the best black and white photographs I've seen from my prosumer cameras. I sell fine art prints and I can't really present my work and tell the clients I can only produce that up to an 8x10" because its an inferior image. All my cameras can produce at least a 12x18" fine art print... people can raise their eyebrows but I have prints to show. These cameras do have their weaknesses and you as a photographer/artist should be able to use it up to it's capabilities. Never ever push them to their limits...it will show very quickly. Most of these cameras I use on their base ISO to produce larger prints, I have prosumer images sold as framed 36x24" fine art print. This is a combination of good technique and careful print preparation.
Then here's the reality of these prosumer cameras... I WILL NEVER COVER A PAID ASSIGNMENT WITH IT....well except for the Sony R1 which has a APS-C size sensor. Yes this is the other part of the story...which a lot of DSLR shooters are waiting for me to admit. A paid event such as weddings...concerts...or even portraits should be done with a DSLR. As much as I love my point & shoots and no matter how capable they are, the reality is that DSLRs just gives you that total control and the choices of different focal lengths and larger aperture to make your job so much easier. I have covered some events with a prosumer camera and the images turned out quite well but the amount of technique to wing through the night was exhausting. I loved the challenge and indeed my Sony F717 produced amazing images but the compromises can be too much... with my Sigma 30mm F1.4 I can shoot at lower ISOs and have more creative control on the photo. But in fairness the Sigma cost 3 times as much as a used F717...and that's just the lens...my Olympus E3 is another 8x as much as a used F717. So if I start comparing the cost of my professional kit...7-14mm f4, 14-54 f2.8-3.5, 50mm f2 and the 50-200mm f2.8-3.5...and 2 E3 bodies and some flash units... its certainly night and day. Yes my professional kit will yield better images...and I can offer way more perspectives and unique angles but it is over 30x as much as a used Sony F717. To my DSLR camp readers... this is really an off the mark comparison and should also take account the reality that people pay me to document these events. If I was just a hobbyist and have no intent of making money in photography... why invest on a full kit or even a partial kit?? Prosumer cameras are more than just good enough... they are more camera than most of us will need at most times.
Why am I comparing the Sony F717 in particular?, simple it is one of the best non DSLR camera I have used and continue to use. I have 16x20" fine art prints from this camera and the older F707...and the gorgeous f2-2.4 35-190mm Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar lens is one sharp optic. And this is even a push to the limit since this camera is ancient in digital camera years, part of the reason you will get amazing deals for it(not if you are the one selling....but why sell?).
I am a professional photographer and my clients deserve consistency of my work, this is the core reason I am lugging my pro-kit with me. I can't deny the fact that my Olympus DSLRs blows-away any prosumer cameras I have... I am referring to the ability to use my Sigma 30mm F1.4 lens and the slew of other unconventional focal lengths I can use...one of my ultimate favorite lens is my Zuiko 7-14mm f4...which I can go to a small room or even inside a limo and I can still offer full body images. The advantages of a DSLR system is undeniable but so is the reality of the cost of building a good system. Personally I wouldn't trade my prosumers for an entry level DSLR with a kit lens(ex: Nikon D40 or D60)...why? Because I can have way more flexibility in a built in lens of a prosumer camera such as a Sony V3 and the Sony can produce sharper images at ISO800 despite the noise. The Sony F717 is way more fun to use over these entry level DSLR... the gorgeous Carl Zeiss optic is near impossible to compare to a kit lens, it is tack sharp and super fast...translating to more photo creating capabilities. A DSLR system is way better than a point & shoot only if you will devote the money to build the "kit"...buying good lenses which cost way more than even a new prosumer camera like the Canon G11 or Panasonic LX3. And each good lens is like buying a new camera...so the more you add to your system the thinner your wallet becomes... then ask yourself is it worth it? Its the lenses that gives a DSLR it's upper hand, to buy a DSLR body and just settle with the kit lens is defeating the advantages it has.
Photography is all about the vision and the camera is just a tool to bring those visions to life. A good photographer can convey these images even with a disposable camera...but guys and gals we are talking about way more sophisticated cameras here. A professional equipped with a good point & shoot/prosumer can whip out images that make you appreciate it with it's content and not of what camera was used. A few names to mention would be high profile photographers... Alex Majoli, Ken Duncan and Michael Riechmann they use prosumer camera images in their portfolios and in real assignments.
So what's the bottome line???? It's ultimately up to you... how much you like to "invest" in your new hobby?... what's your ultimate goal in this new hobby?... If money is no object then by all means go with a DSLR with good or pro lenses... and if you aspire to be a professional then by no slight sliver of hesitation, build your DSLR system. But if you will be so cheap and just buy the body and buy kit/entry level lenses...trying to save money and in my humble opinion you really would probably be better off with a camera like a Canon G11... Panasonic LX3 or buy older good prosumer camera. This way you can save up more if you do realize that you love photography that much. With a fix lens camera... you can learn to appreciate photography, learn techniques while not heavily invested on a DSLR system.
If I was strictly a hobbyist... my camera of choice would be the Olympus C7070 or the Sony V3, both I currently use for fine art and street photography.
But that's just me...
