[russell2pi]

I have to admit to being a little bit peeved.

Recently, for work, I was dragged through a series of ugly tourist attractions (theme parks). I didn't bother to bring a camera. I was surprised to see that very many people including young teenagers were casually toting DSLRs, the likes of which I have waited for years and years and years, as a family man, to acquire permission to purchase without an accompanying divorce certificate. And what were they using them for? Snapshots of spongebob squarepants, assorted animals forced into a life of slavery, etc. (Somehow we're not allowed to eat aquatic mammals but imprisoning them for life and forcing them to perform tricks for food is fine and dandy.)

Yeah ... envy -- not attractive... I know.

The question remains, though - do DSLRs offer Auto-mode JPG shooters any advantage? I was surprised to see the cashed-up crowd carrying them. I would have thought in casual use (auto mode) they'd get better images and far better handling out of a compact, or even their phones.

So my question is - auto mode on a DSLR vs auto mode on the best compacts, in the hands of a snapshooter. Which is more likely to yield satisfactory results, and if DSLR, is the benefit worth the inconvenience?

[Lurch]

I would think that with some of the top-end compacts available now (MX-1, RX100, X20 etc) theyre just doing themselves a disservice by lugging around a DSLR when they dont have to.
I'm guessing most were probably just using an 18-55mm kit lens too?

[boriscleto]

What do I hear most often when I take out the DSLR?

"Oh, you have the camera that can take good pictures...".

[kenafein]

You'll still get a cleaner image with an SLR. It also has less shutter lag between shots for praying and spraying, faster focusing, etc. My friend came back from Australia and Africa with a lot of nice shots from Auto Mode.

[russell2pi]

I'm guessing most were probably just using an 18-55mm kit lens too?

Nah- this is in Australia, so most had Sigma's latest 0-1000mm f/22 superzoom because importer markups are so horrendous that no-one can afford Pencanikon lenses. (Actually I think the pentax kit lens isn't too bad.)

What do I hear most often when I take out the DSLR?

"Oh, you have the camera that can take good pictures...".

Oh, god, yes I hate that... even when I retired my film gear and stuck with the $99 P&S... "Wow-you must have a great camera! What brand is it?"

You'll still get a cleaner image with an SLR. It also has less shutter lag between shots for praying and spraying, faster focusing, etc. My friend came back from Australia and Africa with a lot of nice shots from Auto Mode.

Really? With a mirror to flip and a bigger sensor, therefore bigger lenses, I wouldn't have expected any time advantage to DSLRs?

[Lwerewolf]

Really? With a mirror to flip and a bigger sensor, therefore bigger lenses, I wouldn't have expected any time advantage to DSLRs?

No viewfinder lag. Shutter lag too, but the optical viewfinder is the real killer, low light or not.

(Actually I think the pentax kit lens isn't too bad.

A monster for the price

[Eulogy]

"You have a great camera" "Thanks, I taught it everything it knows."

^Read that somewhere.

It's worth noting, DSLRs on the entry level are just a current "Fad" to grab in people who want to "Take Better Pictures". Canon and Nikon seem to love telling people that their deprecated tech is worthwhile, almost as though they're using the public to get rid of some of the old sensors. Canon is insanely bad for this, it's like they generated WAY too many 18MP sensors(Debuted in the 7D), and over three years passed it along to FIVE DSLRs. Nikon had a bit of a love affair with a 12MP a while back, but as of late, they're sticking to Sony and Toshiba sensors across all entry levels, removing some software restrictions with each step up, and perhaps adding better build quality.(Though it's nothing compared to Pentax, the D7100 could be smashed to bits by a K5, and the K5 would still function fully, and probably not lose too much paint.[Albeit, it might have some peeling of the rubber grip, as they tend to over time, and this would be a length process])

Honestly, if Pentax wanted to be a winner in the market, they'd revise power zoom systems, thus allowing on camera controls to adjust zoom AND focus. Surely wouldn't be too complex, just coding, as the contacts are still there in current Pentax DSLRs.

[jatrax]

Really? With a mirror to flip and a bigger sensor, therefore bigger lenses, I wouldn't have expected any time advantage to DSLRs?

One of the biggest advantages for a DSLR over P&S for a casual 'auto' shooter is the fast AF and no delay. No noticeable delay from deciding to take a shot and it actually happening. That delay alone was what finally made me decide to go with a dslr after using P&S and super-zooms for years after retiring my film gear. And the image should be much cleaner due to the larger sensor as compared to P&S and phone cameras. The line is blurring with some of the newer compacts though. But PDAF is still much faster than CDAF. Just look at the difference between k-01 and k-30, much the same internals but different AF mechanisms.

With price points on decent dslrs well below $500usd if you are careful it does not surprise me to see lots of young folks carrying one. And yes, many might be better off with a good P&S, but some will eventually take the camera off the 'auto' setting and really learn photography. And we need those to keep the hobby / industry alive. I bought my DIL a used k-x for Christmas and now I am running an email photography school. She sends me pictures every week for critique. Lots are snapshots but she really wants to learn and she is rapidly getting better.

[Eulogy]

With price points on decent dslrs well below $500usd if you are careful it does not surprise me to see lots of young folks carrying one. And yes, many might be better off with a good P&S, but some will eventually take the camera off the 'auto' setting and really learn photography. And we need those to keep the hobby / industry alive. I bought my DIL a used k-x for Christmas and now I am running an email photography school. She sends me pictures every week for critique. Lots are snapshots but she really wants to learn and she is rapidly getting better.

This is a rather valid point, they might start on Auto-Mode, but at least half of them will try it on another setting eventually. You figure half of those people will actually do more than go "God, that's horrid!", and invest time to learn a bit more, and half of them will eventually buy more lenses to fool around, and so on and so forth.

And yes, the snappy AF is one of the things people love about DSLRs, even a K-100D with a DFA100 Macro blows away any P&S at AF Speed.(Remarkable, considering due to massive DoF on small sensors, there's not really a huge focusing range)

[tclausen]

Honestly, if Pentax wanted to be a winner in the market, they'd revise power zoom systems, thus allowing on camera controls to adjust zoom AND focus. Surely wouldn't be too complex, just coding, as the contacts are still there in current Pentax DSLRs.

Hmm.....I have never understood the usefulness of "power zoom" - always figured it as some kind of gimmick.....tell me, why would that make Pentax a "winner in the market"?

[reeftool]

I think lots of people buy them and soon become disappointed. I know a few who have. We all know there is a learning curve and few people really want to take the time.

[twitch]

It's easy to be elitist on a camera forum though.

I think good on them for carting around a bulky camera in their desire to get better photos It's not like camera geeks are the only ones in the world that want better family photos of their loved ones.

[jesssss]

It's easy to be elitist on a camera forum though.

I think good on them for carting around a bulky camera in their desire to get better photos It's not like camera geeks are the only ones in the world that want better family photos of their loved ones.

Among the members of a group of parents I am a part of the Canon Rebel, in whatever current incarnation it is in, is the thing to have if you want to take better pictures and they all seem quite happy with it. I don't give input on cameras when someone asks, because the others will suggest a Rebel, they will buy it and be please with their purchase while having a sea of similar snapshotters to query if they have questions.

After years of thinking snide things about Rebels (and similar) though, I've finally accepted that at least they can tell the difference between a good picture and a bad one and are trying towards the former.

I thought the same thing about the cost when DSLRs started to find their way into the hands of the many. I was saving up my pennies and skipping meals for my *istDS and so thankful that I didn't have to pay the price of the *istD before it. But DSLRs aren't emerging technology anymore, so the student with the K-1000 is now the student with the K30 (boy howdy, is it a good time to be alive).

[Tanzer]

I think the only real downside of the DSLR for the casual shooter is that the shallow DOF can get the user in some trouble.

I agree with all the advantages already mentioned: much faster response, image quality especially in real-world indoor lighting conditions, etc. I have many P&S cameras lying around but I pretty much always use the K-5, even for snapshots.

The T3 and D3100 are cheaper than some compacts, so no surprise to see them everywhere. That is a good thing for everyone, if it re-introduces real cameras to the public (a whole generation of whom have never seen film SLRs in widespread usage), and maybe helps relax the security guards from singling out the enthusiast.

[Kerrowdown]

"You have a great camera" "Thanks, I taught it everything it knows."

That's a great line, I've never heard it said before.