Visit MPB Visit MPB Visit MPB

To trade or not to trade

philstaff
Posted 02/03/2015 - 14:50 Link
I am considering buying a point and shoot camera. There seems to be some excellent reviews on the net
even comparing the IQ to the level of some digital SLR models. Would any one even consider trading a SLR in favour of a point and shoot.
Regards Ian
McGregNi
Posted 02/03/2015 - 15:12 Link
I wouldn't ever need to .... I could just remove the battery grip from my K7 and set green mode and I'd have all the point and shoot I'd need! To be honest, a camera of the size of the K7 plus the kit lens or the tiny F35-70 is as small as I'd ever consider practical for a decent photography experience. Our DSLR's really are the ultimate versatile machines.
My Guides to the Pentax Digital Camera Flash Lighting System : Download here from the PentaxForums Homepage Article .... link
Pentax K7 with BG-4 Grip / Samyang 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC / DA18-55mm f3.5-5.6 AL WR / SMC A28mm f2.8 / D FA 28-105mm / SMC F35-70 f3.5-4.5 / SMC A50mm f1.7 / Tamron AF70-300mm f4-5.6 Di LD macro / SMC M75-150mm f4.0 / Tamron Adaptall (CT-135) 135mm f2.8 / Asahi Takumar-A 2X tele-converter / Pentax AF-540FGZ (I & II) Flashes / Cactus RF60/X Flashes & V6/V6II Transceiver
johnriley
Posted 02/03/2015 - 15:12 Link
Some cameras, like the MX-1 and the Q series, have excellent image quality. But I would never consider using them only and regard a DSLR as essential for the bulk of what I do.
McGregNi
Posted 02/03/2015 - 15:14 Link
John, we'd better seize this chance to put down on record our complete agreement!
My Guides to the Pentax Digital Camera Flash Lighting System : Download here from the PentaxForums Homepage Article .... link
Pentax K7 with BG-4 Grip / Samyang 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC / DA18-55mm f3.5-5.6 AL WR / SMC A28mm f2.8 / D FA 28-105mm / SMC F35-70 f3.5-4.5 / SMC A50mm f1.7 / Tamron AF70-300mm f4-5.6 Di LD macro / SMC M75-150mm f4.0 / Tamron Adaptall (CT-135) 135mm f2.8 / Asahi Takumar-A 2X tele-converter / Pentax AF-540FGZ (I & II) Flashes / Cactus RF60/X Flashes & V6/V6II Transceiver
philstaff
Posted 02/03/2015 - 15:48 Link
Not sure of the size of a K7 the smallest camera I have is the Kr. With the Sigma 17/70 its a lug to carry around and more so on the K10 . There is some nice glass to be found on some of these point and shoots.
Ian
wvbarnes
Posted 02/03/2015 - 16:04 Link
On a bright sunny day in the right conditions my wife's bridge camera with its constant F2.8 Leica lens takes a nice snap but so did my Kodak Easyshare 13 years ago. The Panasonic superzoom at full telephoto is a complete waste of time. Always blurred when enlarged.

I did compacts, bridge cameras etc before Pentax DSLR's and APSC sensors. They all had burnt out highlights, detail spoilt by over saturated colours, little control of depth of field, limited aperture ranges and poor results in low light. Some have been addressed. If the new Ricoh GR comes along soon the old APSC model may be a bargain. I'd consider that.
Edited by wvbarnes: 02/03/2015 - 16:06
MattMatic
Posted 02/03/2015 - 16:06 Link
As with everything - the right tool for the job

The MX-1 has replaced my K5iis for much walk-about stuff. It is surprisingly good and beautifully made. Shooting in RAW, and using LR5 with profiles for lens correction and colour correction make an astonishingly capable camera.
However, the K5iis wins on super wide angle (DA12-24), professional work, low light, and long tele stuff.

Matt
http://www.mattmatic.co.uk
(For gallery, tips and links)
philstaff
Posted 02/03/2015 - 16:11 Link
wvbarnes wrote:
On a bright sunny day in the right conditions my wife's bridge camera with its constant F2.8 Leica lens takes a nice snap but so did my Kodak Easyshare 13 years ago. The Panasonic superzoom is a complete waste of time.

I did compacts, bridge cameras etc before Pentax DSLR's and APSC sensors. They all had burnt out highlights, detail spoilt by over saturated colours, little control of depth of field, limited aperture ranges and poor results in low light. Some have been addressed. If the new Ricoh GR comes along soon the old APSC model may be a bargain. I'd consider that.

Thanks Bill however the images I see and the reports on some modern efforts are very good.
Regards Ian
philstaff
Posted 02/03/2015 - 16:12 Link
MattMatic wrote:
As with everything - the right tool for the job

The MX-1 has replaced my K5iis for much walk-about stuff. It is surprisingly good and beautifully made. Shooting in RAW, and using LR5 with profiles for lens correction and colour correction make an astonishingly capable camera.
However, the K5iis wins on super wide angle (DA12-24), professional work, low light, and long tele stuff.

Matt

Have read some good feed back on the camera.
Regards Ian
philstaff
Posted 02/03/2015 - 16:21 Link
MattMatic wrote:
As with everything - the right tool for the job

The MX-1 has replaced my K5iis for much walk-about stuff. It is surprisingly good and beautifully made. Shooting in RAW, and using LR5 with profiles for lens correction and colour correction make an astonishingly capable camera.
However, the K5iis wins on super wide angle (DA12-24), professional work, low light, and long tele stuff.

Matt

Is any of the images on your website taken with the MX camera Matt.
Regards Ian
boudou701
Posted 02/03/2015 - 16:43 Link
my dad just bought one of these lumix crazy zooms, f2.8, not cheap, i tried it, and i get NO feeling whatsoever when pressing the shutter.

i am sure there are some decent point and shoot cameras on the market but for me it's more about looking at a scene through an optical viewfinder, composing and setting everything correctly then pressing the shutter... if i want to take a picture looking at a screen i use my phone, the quality is actually great!

that said on holiday i also have a waterproof camera which fits into the smallest pocket, it takes very poor pictures, but it's convenient, it really depends on the situation i guess.

best would probably be to borrow a friend's camera, and see how it feels
KX film, ME Super, K-S2
Pentax 10-17mm, Sigma 10-20mm, Tamron 17-50mm, Pentax 55-300mm
Sigma 24mm f2.8, Pentax A 50mm f1.7, Pentax K 55mm f1.8
Metz 36 AF-4
--> borrow or rent Photography equipment from people around you on Needy Monkey - link
stu62
Posted 02/03/2015 - 17:20 Link
lets just say i wouldnt trade my dslr for a point and squirt jobby
but saying that when the wife bought her bridge camera i didnt givehe chance to get rid of her point and squirt i collared it for when i have my big lens on as it fits just right on my belt so if any thing catchs my eye close up and need to be quick its there

regards stu
McGregNi
Posted 02/03/2015 - 17:27 Link
MattMatic wrote:
As with everything - the right tool for the job

Matt

Yes, and that's why I always promote our Pentax DSLR's .... Extraordinary versatility, both in control options to aid picture taking and image output choices, plus the massive choice in high quality optics of all sizes ... It DSKEs really can be the right tool for every job!

Come on, really, how small does a camera need to be?

I agree with Bills warning above about IQ ... Go smaller than APS-C for sensor and I feel the compromises start to add up .
My Guides to the Pentax Digital Camera Flash Lighting System : Download here from the PentaxForums Homepage Article .... link
Pentax K7 with BG-4 Grip / Samyang 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC / DA18-55mm f3.5-5.6 AL WR / SMC A28mm f2.8 / D FA 28-105mm / SMC F35-70 f3.5-4.5 / SMC A50mm f1.7 / Tamron AF70-300mm f4-5.6 Di LD macro / SMC M75-150mm f4.0 / Tamron Adaptall (CT-135) 135mm f2.8 / Asahi Takumar-A 2X tele-converter / Pentax AF-540FGZ (I & II) Flashes / Cactus RF60/X Flashes & V6/V6II Transceiver
Edited by McGregNi: 02/03/2015 - 17:35
JohnX
Posted 02/03/2015 - 17:27 Link
philstaff wrote:
I am considering buying a point and shoot camera. There seems to be some excellent reviews on the net
even comparing the IQ to the level of some digital SLR models. Would any one even consider trading a SLR in favour of a point and shoot.
Regards Ian

I bought a P&S (Fuji X20) to complement my Pentax DSLR's, but found that I tended to use it too much, which would have been ok if it could equal the Pentax kit for IQ, but it didn't.

The solution was to buy a K-S1 body, which paired with any of my Limiteds is almost as small as the Fuji but with far improved IQ (and disco lights!).

The issue is whether there's something about the Pentax kit that's getting between you and your hobby?
Edited by JohnX: 02/03/2015 - 17:30
bwlchmawr
Posted 02/03/2015 - 18:30 Link
I always felt that compact cameras were a compromise, one which I was prepared to accept for the sake of convenience. But there was a so-so lens, lots of grain, weak colours and narrow dynamic range.

The MX-1 changed all that. For what I like to shoot (things which don't move much) in "normal" light it's well up to the job. I also never print, well I haven't printed anything since the turn of the century, so that's not an issue.

The MX-1 was the only camera I took on a recent trip to Tenerife and never regretted it.

I enjoy using a DSLR more and in many ways a proper viewfinder, with a nice lens, is easier and a more rewarding experience. I also prefer3:2 to 4:3, most of the time.

I reckon the "perfect" camera would be something like a Fuji X30 with a viewfinder/EVF, a tilting screen and a sensor of a similar quality to the MX-1 and perhaps a quicker operating system. It's also beautifully retro in feel. But very expensive.

The facility to clip and camera and case to my belt makes it worthwhile.
Best wishes,

Andrew

"These places mean something and it's the job of a photographer to figure-out what the hell it is."
Robert Adams
"The camera doesn't make a bit of difference.  All of them can record what you are seeing.  But, you have to SEE."
Ernst Hass
My website: http://www.ephotozine.com/user/bwlchmawr-199050 http://s927.photobucket.com/home/ADC3440/index
https://www.flickr.com/photos/78898196@N05

Add Comment

To leave a comment - Log in to Pentax User or create a new account.