[RuffRyder]

Originally Posted by rkbharat

at Shanti Stupa, Leh , you were quite close

Japanese Gompa is the local name for "Shanti Stupa" ..

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by jaysmokesleaves

very long way to go from a professional viewpoint.

Originally Posted by jaysmokesleaves

With all due respect to the professional opinions here

Is abhijitaparadh a professional? that makes it two of them along with Rudra.

These days every dSLR comes with auto mode and various scene mode, so one doesn't need know any photography to operate a dSLR. If you are ok with the bulky size and have the budget, buy it.

[jaysmokesleaves]

Originally Posted by abhijitaparadh

0. Do you have knowledge about basic photography terms and how some parameters affect final image quality? - Like whats an aperture, whats a shutter, whats a sensor, whats white balance and ISO? When someone says, that lens is 18-55mm IS f3.5-4.6, you should be able to understand the meaning of those numbers and terms like IS.
HTH.

Samurai, If someone is making a statement like the above, I would assume he was making it from a professional viewpoint. Maybe im wrong..!! because while I do have the photography knowledge of a fly, I would refrain from questioning anyones knowledge here, as posted above! sounds like an M16 launched on a poor amateur soul like me.

Originally Posted by Samurai

Is abhijitaparadh a professional? that makes it two of them along with Rudra.

These days every dSLR comes with auto mode and various scene mode, so one doesn't need know any photography to operate a dSLR. If you are ok with the bulky size and have the budget, buy it.

So true..!!

[abhijitaparadh]

Sorry if I offended someone.
By no means I can be called a professional.

I just feel, before buying a DSLR, the user should know what he/she is getting into.

I truly feel, if you are going to use DSLR in auto mode all the time, with a big zoom lens, then its "almost" the same as any advanced P&S, barring low light conditions.

Thats just my opinion.

[gd1418]

Going by your logic, a decent P&S costs nearly the same as a very basic DSLR with kit lens.

My comparison might not be correct or convey what I'm trying to say, but if someone has to buy a 60+K two-wheeler, then why not a Nano?

Originally Posted by abhijitaparadh

Sorry if I offended someone.
By no means I can be called a professional.

I just feel, before buying a DSLR, the user should know what he/she is getting into.

I truly feel, if you are going to use DSLR in auto mode all the time, with a big zoom lens, then its "almost" the same as any advanced P&S, barring low light conditions.

Thats just my opinion.

[s0uljah]

Does anyone have pricing for the Speedlite 430ex in our markets? What are the alternatives (read cheap but performers) Sells for about 250$ US online.

Also found a brand called opteka. I Just want to buy a spare battery for Canon as well as as a GOOD remote release. They seem to have a fair reputation but at the end of the day are just Canon copies.

[jaysmokesleaves]

Originally Posted by abhijitaparadh

I truly feel, if you are going to use DSLR in auto mode all the time, with a big zoom lens, then its "almost" the same as any advanced P&S, barring low light conditions.

Thats just my opinion.

Unless the person purchasing the DSLR has a few fingers missing, he/she will certainly experiment using other functions unless the person also has a dysfunctional hard drive up there. Its wrong to ''assume'' that an amateur buying a dslr will use only auto mode.

Let me clarify a bit. I bought the EOS 500D out of sheer enthusiasm and the urge to explore photography a little bit while I travel etc. In the process of purchasing the piece i ended up doing some research here and there and read up a bit on all the jingo lingo of photography. All that is fine. When I finally bought the camera, I got to attend a free Canon workshop on basic camera handling where there were quite a few serious enthusiasts.. and all the jingo lingo was discussed. A lot of it went bouncer, but I did manage to learn all the functions in the camera and began experimenting, thereby helping me put all that funda into perspective. I certainly feel that as an enthusiast this camera is much better than a P&S not because it has more buttons but simply because the quality of the pictures is outstanding, it allows me to experiment too and explore my enthusiasm and interest in photography.

I would say at this point that anyone enthusiastic about photography should opt to go for atleast an entry level DSLR, if it fits your budget. It certainly is a worthy investment and will allow you to explore and enhance your potential while keeping you extremely busy experimenting. Its a wonderful hobby too.

I now feel almost drugged by my camera and im enjoying learning.

[SPARKled]

Originally Posted by siddutta

Friends
Tried to read all ( ok. most of them ) the 122 pages. but still could not make up much. i have 2 options
1. buy a 10 + mega pixs Digicam
2. buy a entry level easy to use DSLR with good zoom lens

budget = 20 K . I m going to Dubai ( transit ) next week

kindly suggest

With these specifications and some excellent 'to dwell upon' suggestions from abhijitaparadh, a simple P&S with some manual controls is best suited for you. You dont have to spend a bomb on a simple P&S to make future upgrades financially prohibitive. Get a nice small camera, shoot some pics, improve your composition, shooting and post processing skills and take the plunge to a DSLR later on if required.

[somspaple]

hi firends,

i have been using canon s3 is . i have made use of manual controls too and 'm familiar with them. but it is also true that i have not grown-out-of-it. right now i don't own any camera and planning to buy a new one.

my options:
Canon SX10 IS or an entry level digital SLR with kit lens. i see both of them have almost the same price.

wanted to know if it is better to go for DSLR at this point. i normally take outdoor pics and would like to develop my photographic skills further. but on DSLR i think it would lack the versatility of the SX10 IS. i really make use of the zoom and some good pictures that i have taken on S3 IS are also because of its zoom capability and of course good picture quality. can anybody suggest which is a good buy.

cheers,
som

[anainar]

Originally Posted by jaysmokesleaves

Unless the person purchasing the DSLR has a few fingers missing, he/she will certainly experiment using other functions unless the person also has a dysfunctional hard drive up there. Its wrong to ''assume'' that an amateur buying a dslr will use only auto mode.

Let me clarify a bit. I bought the EOS 500D out of sheer enthusiasm and the urge to explore photography a little bit while I travel etc. In the process of purchasing the piece i ended up doing some research here and there and read up a bit on all the jingo lingo of photography. All that is fine. When I finally bought the camera, I got to attend a free Canon workshop on basic camera handling where there were quite a few serious enthusiasts.. and all the jingo lingo was discussed. A lot of it went bouncer, but I did manage to learn all the functions in the camera and began experimenting, thereby helping me put all that funda into perspective. I certainly feel that as an enthusiast this camera is much better than a P&S not because it has more buttons but simply because the quality of the pictures is outstanding, it allows me to experiment too and explore my enthusiasm and interest in photography.

I would say at this point that anyone enthusiastic about photography should opt to go for atleast an entry level DSLR, if it fits your budget. It certainly is a worthy investment and will allow you to explore and enhance your potential while keeping you extremely busy experimenting. Its a wonderful hobby too.

I now feel almost drugged by my camera and im enjoying learning.

Why am I having a De ja vu feeling? Exactly what I went through a decade back when I bought my first film SLR. Pentax K1000 to be precise with a prime lens. Played around burnt rolls and rolls of film, bought Rebel two years later, Elan7e and now settled with EOS 20D. The tools might have changed, but if I have not made the choice to buy a SLR a decade back probably I will be still be figuring out what those mumbo jumbos are and take pictures generally. Now I think about lighting,exposure compensation,will I get the sky or not, silhoutes and all that.. This is learning by experience and believe me, this will not happen with P&S. Am not against P&S,in fact I have a P&S camera with me always because of the portability but when am on serious trips with photo opportunities, I prefer the SLR. And any one who wants to learn this hobby, should not hesitate to buy a SLR if his/her budget permits.

Nainar

[livyodream]

Originally Posted by somspaple

hi firends,

i have been using canon s3 is . i have made use of manual controls too and 'm familiar with them. but it is also true that i have not grown-out-of-it. right now i don't own any camera and planning to buy a new one.

my options:
Canon SX10 IS or an entry level digital SLR with kit lens. i see both of them have almost the same price.

wanted to know if it is better to go for DSLR at this point. i normally take outdoor pics and would like to develop my photographic skills further. but on DSLR i think it would lack the versatility of the SX10 IS. i really make use of the zoom and some good pictures that i have taken on S3 IS are also because of its zoom capability and of course good picture quality. can anybody suggest which is a good buy.

cheers,
som

Go for DSLR.One cannot compare the features od an SLR with a digicam. I myself bought an DSLR without knowing much about the aperture or the exposure. started experimenting day and night, now i can proudly say that i can use an SLR in complete manual mode.

Im not into landscape or nature photography though , my interests are in astrophotography. So the settings are difficult compared to other fields.

[livyodream]

Lets talk in terms of prices:
Canon SX10 IS MRP - 25000

DSLR - Canon EOS 1000D - 26000 (including 18-55mm IS lens costing 7K in the market)

With this you cannot expect a zoom but still sufficient in the initial stages. once you are well verse with the camera, you can upgrade to sigma 70-300 lens which costs approximately 11K whis is not only an amazing lens but also value for money.

26K+11K = happiness


I can show you what a DSLR with 70-300 lens can do .

[neel385]

A lot is made up about the zoom capabilities of todays P&Ss. But then, if you look back at all the gurus of photography, all the "great"s seemed to have had a great liking to the 50mm lens. If any one checks out the photographs of Bresson, you'll probably get the point that I am trying to make.

So probably, while the zooms can never go waste, real photography really does not get restricted by the lack of the same. However, it does get restricted by the camera you are using. If nothing else, a SLR will have a larger CCD/CMOS sensor than a P&S and that itself is a major factor. Further, if you are interested in photography, you will after a time want creative control, which, in my mind is far greater in a DSLR.
So, if photography means anything more than just taking a picture, then a DSLR would be more apt than a P&S!

[livyodream]

Originally Posted by neel385

A lot is made up about the zoom capabilities of todays P&Ss. But then, if you look back at all the gurus of photography, all the "great"s seemed to have had a great liking to the 50mm lens. If any one checks out the photographs of Bresson, you'll probably get the point that I am trying to make.

So probably, while the zooms can never go waste, real photography really does not get restricted by the lack of the same. However, it does get restricted by the camera you are using. If nothing else, a SLR will have a larger CCD/CMOS sensor than a P&S and that itself is a major factor. Further, if you are interested in photography, you will after a time want creative control, which, in my mind is far greater in a DSLR.
So, if photography means anything more than just taking a picture, then a DSLR would be more apt than a P&S!

I agree with you . But argument or the discussion about the importance of zoomability will not make sense in general as zoom has its own functionality. One cannot use zoom lens and get a beautiful wide angle scenary or use wide angle lens to capture moon or satellites of jupiter.

I would be happy to be proved wrong

[somspaple]

Originally Posted by livyodream

Lets talk in terms of prices:
Canon SX10 IS MRP - 25000

DSLR - Canon EOS 1000D - 26000 (including 18-55mm IS lens costing 7K in the market)

With this you cannot expect a zoom but still sufficient in the initial stages. once you are well verse with the camera, you can upgrade to sigma 70-300 lens which costs approximately 11K whis is not only an amazing lens but also value for money.

26K+11K = happiness


I can show you what a DSLR with 70-300 lens can do .

Originally Posted by neel385

A lot is made up about the zoom capabilities of todays P&Ss. But then, if you look back at all the gurus of photography, all the "great"s seemed to have had a great liking to the 50mm lens. If any one checks out the photographs of Bresson, you'll probably get the point that I am trying to make.

So probably, while the zooms can never go waste, real photography really does not get restricted by the lack of the same. However, it does get restricted by the camera you are using. If nothing else, a SLR will have a larger CCD/CMOS sensor than a P&S and that itself is a major factor. Further, if you are interested in photography, you will after a time want creative control, which, in my mind is far greater in a DSLR.
So, if photography means anything more than just taking a picture, then a DSLR would be more apt than a P&S!

hi liveyodream, 'm planning get the camera from US and prices are cheaper there: with the thanksgiving and christmas around 'm sure there would be some good offers. can you please share some more details about 70-300 lens and its equivalent in optical zoom terms (like 6X etc). my max budget would be at around 20K for now.

@neel and liveyodream,

'm more interested in outdoor photography. i try to capture good sceneries while on trek or tour. i have found that a good zoom really helps in capturing some of the correct and farther details quite clearly. 'm not really sure of difference in quality of pics between manual mode of profuser (say sx10 is) and a SLR. what other major differences one might find like
-performance (speed of capturing the shot with details)
-picture quality
enlighten