[Arpe]

On this theme I'd be interesting in anybody's ideas of a good comeback when someone with a p and s says something like "My camera's got 12mp and takes great photos and is much smaller than yours". I'm not looking for rational arguments here, I want a short snappy comeback that will put them in their place. any ideas?

[aerodave]

SLRs, or at least cameras of similar size, are safe from obsolescence as long as the laws of physics don't change. That's because there are features and characteristics of SLR optics that could never be dulplicated in a miniaturized, P&S format. I'm thinking specifically of getting a nice, shallow depth of field for portrait photography. There's just no way that a point-n-shoot with a 10-mm lens is going to give you the ability to blur your background the same way people have come to expect from 35-mm cameras and their DSLR offspring. There's no getting around that...it's the law.

I suppose a sufficiently advanced image processing system could "fake it", by determining distances of all areas of the scene and creating the proper blur effect. It's certainly imaginable that that sort of technology could be a reality, even in the not to distant future. But it still wouldn't be the same.

But remember it cuts both ways. If deep focus is your goal (I'm talking to you, landscape photographers) then a high resolution, ultra-miniature sensor that allowed the use of much shorter focal length lenses to get the same image would be very desireable. Imagine an optically-excellent 3-mm f/2.8 lens on a tiny 20 MP sensor. Depending on the exact characteristics of the sensor (to figure out circle of confusion) you might well end up with a lens such that everything from 1 ft to infinity can be in sharp focus. And without sacrificing lens speed.

The point is, the rules of the real world sometimes dictate that things need to be certain sizes for certain reasons. Not everything has to get smaller...and so there will always be a place for DSLRs as longs as they're the only things capable of taking pictures the way they do.

[daacon]

On this theme I'd be interesting in anybody's ideas of a good comeback when someone with a p and s says something like "My camera's got 12mp and takes great photos and is much smaller than yours". I'm not looking for rational arguments here, I want a short snappy comeback that will put them in their place. any ideas?

Off the top of my head ....

Good for you small size and lots of MP are important when learning

[roentarre]

On this theme I'd be interesting in anybody's ideas of a good comeback when someone with a p and s says something like "My camera's got 12mp and takes great photos and is much smaller than yours". I'm not looking for rational arguments here, I want a short snappy comeback that will put them in their place. any ideas?

Maybe a p&s that can adjust its widest lens aperture, large size sensor, lighter weight than an ipod. I will put my both hands up for it.

No one can tell us how to dream

[daacon]

I don't think in this day and age , especially with electronics one would expect any appreciation on cost. While some lens may hold their value or even increase it is a peak and valley thing and not something to count on.

It is a depreciable asset much like that new car you may have bought that went down $2 - $5k as you drove it off the lot. True keep in pristine shape for 30+ years and it may be worth what you paid for it or more, then again what enjoyment did you get out it?

Personally the camera and lens for me are for my enjoyment and hopefully others enjoy what I show them. Someone here has a sig that says “Dream as if you will live forever and live as if you will die tomorrow” a rather extreme approach but the point of Carpe Diem is met

My $0.02

[Mike Cash]

When I feel tempted to think about the great technical advantage afforded me by my DSLR and array of interchangeable lenses and whatnot, I just reflect on the fact that one of the guys who impresses me the most with his images (and eye for spotting them) uses a Fuji Finepix "bridge" camera and totally runs circles around my butt.

[thePiRaTE!!]

Good shots indeed, as are yours I might add Mike, I like the descriptions as well. A good lesson to come of this I think is to understand what one wishes to achieve and to choose the tools to accomplish the task. No line need be drawn in the sand between a credit card cam and a DSLR, they are both only tools waiting to fulfill their designed purpose.

If you must have a comparison to give an inquisitive mind - teach them. A 12mp pocket cam is a smart car - awesome to get around town with, with many advantages. A K10 is like a 4-wheel drive and all that entails for better or worse... neither is 'better' unless those advantages suit your needs as an individual.

I personally enjoy using my camera phone to compose shots. I could never achieve all my photographic ends with only my cell phone, but for some shots, knowing how to use it properly yields acceptable results. Knowing how to use it properly came from knowing how to use an SLR though and there is no substitute for the understanding of basic photographic principals that using one can impart. In fact, only a consumer pre-set pocket camera with as many considerations that go into a shot automated as possible could yeild acceptable results for the average consumer. It would seem a total waste to own a DSLR and leave it in automode, in this case, the DSLR would be worse just based on size alone.

[Andrew Faires]

Excellent shots Hin. I'll definately have a look at those when the time comes.