Problems of the digital technology / Compact cameras vs. DSLRs / page 2

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Problems of the digital technology / Compact cameras vs. DSLRs / page 2
By Matjaz Intihar; Translation: Gregor Borosa
Aug 2, 2000, 19:07

Compact or DSLR camera? What is important is that you get used to your camera! Especially its capabilities and functioning. This is the only way to get rid of questions like »what's wrong with my camera«.

More DSLR cameras on the market bring new problems! After the article about "the dust on the sensors" we reduced this "problem" so it is not so common in repair centers anymore. Now a new problem is "unsharp images from DSLR cameras".

Something's wrong with my DSLR camera!

For photos of vacations, travels, family events and for usual, attractive photos for your family album, I suggest you buy a compact camera. That is what I've written at the end of the chapter of cameras on the 4th page of e-Fotografija No.18.

This is what I've written at the end of the page 7: photographers who use DSLR cameras as they would be compact cameras find out soon enough that compact cameras make "better" photos. They see that DSLR cameras produce unsharp images, with lots of depth of field, low contrast in unsaturated colors. However, files from DSLR cameras contain all the needed data, but you have to make the best of it yourself and then photos will look much better.

Who will be more satisfied with photos? Owner of a compact camera or owner of a DSLR camera?

1. Hi,

I saw your contact on the website of your company and so I've turned to you for some technical questions.

I have a DSLR camera ... I've read instruction manual and various reviews on the internet. After using the camera for a month I think I think I can handle the camera sufficiently. I've been into photography for the last 20 years as a hobby photographer and I can say I know something about it. I'm using digital cameras for the last three years. Before that, I've had advanced SLR cameras, later I've used a digital camera with 10x optical zoom.

I also have to lenses, 18-125mm and 75-300mm, which I've bought at the same time as the camera and a tripod, which I use often. I'm writing all this so you could help me analyze what is the problem here. I find that all my photos are unsharp. I'm not satisfied with the sharpness as I would expect more of this equipment. 8 million pixels are not helping me with this at all. I've used all possible resolutions in JPEG and even in RAW format.

I have applied for a course to find out if I am missing something or that is the maximum that I can expect from my equipment. I'm asking you for your opinion, did you have any similar complaints and is it possible that something is wrong with this particular camera. If it's the camera, what can I do? How can we verify this?

Yours faithfully...

2. Hello, can somebody answer my question?
I have a new DSLR camera. After many photos in dark environment with the use of the flash, all photos were blurry. Exposure time was automatically set to 1/60s, which should be OK. I am puzzled because photos were unsharp even when I used a tripod. I've used the original flash.

Thanks for your reply.

Kind regards

...

3. Dear Sir,
Few days ago I've bought a camera with interchangeable lenses. I've already taken it to the repair center as I think there's something wrong with it. However there they were quick to respond that the camera was in perfect condition. I'm sending you a couple of photos taken with my new camera and some taken with my old compact camera. Photos from the compact camera are much sharper, so I'm still sure that my new camera has a failure. Since I couldn't get it repaired, I'm turning directly to the importing agent, you, to intervene, otherwise I will return it to the store and demand full refund as the camera is not functioning properly.

P.S.

I've attached photos from my old compact camera and from my new camera.

Looking forward to hearing from you...

Which is better, compact camera or DSLR? There's no universal answer, but we can modify the question to which camera is best for a particular kind of use. The answer would be: compact camera is for those who want attractive photos in their family album without bothering too much about the camera itself. Point and shoot is the motto for compact cameras. However when you want more from photography, you will need much deeper knowledge of photography itself. DSLR cameras are not easy to use like compact cameras are, but they give us more freedom with photography. One thing holds true even from film world, not many people really need all the advanced functions and capabilities. A proof for this today is an increasing number of mobile phones with cameras.

Compacts vs. DSLRs in picture!

I have written many times that each camera and each class of cameras have their exact purpose. At the end of the first article comparing compacts and DSLR cameras (magazine No.18 , will be published on the website, too) I wish to stress once more, don't jump to a DSLR camera expecting better photos will come on their own. Believe me, every beginning or switching to DSLR class was and still can be painful.

I'm writing about differences among compacts and DSLRs mainly because with the release of Canon EOS 350D and now Nikon D50 and Pentax *istD L, many photographers were brought down to earth the hard way.

Newcomers to the DSLR world often get the feeling that their old compact camera made much nicer photos, with more vivid colors and so on. They don't realize that photos from DSLR cameras need to be post-processed on the computer to get the maximum out of them. They don't realize that they have to set various settings on the camera to get a decent photo in the first place. They are also unaware that kit and/or cheap lenses cause many errors on the photos. Then comes vignetting (dark edges), unsharp and blurry photos and the lens goes to the repair center. Huge number of newcomers to the DSLR world once again raises the need to master basics of photography, i.e. facts about photo cameras, lenses, exposure, shutter, sensitivity, focal lengths and quality of all parts. Money rules the world in DSLR cameras, too!

By the way this photographer holds his camera, we know he uses full automatic mode. Compact cameras have a number of automatic functions which make sure the photos are attractive.

One interesting thing is that many look on their equipment as an investment and think that the cheapest DSLRs and lenses can't make top photos.
I want to say to everybody that the DSLR world is quite different from the compact one. It is beautiful, nice and of highest quality, but only if we work hard, make many photos and learn on mistakes. There are two ways of learning. One is long and you are on your own. The other is quicker and usually involves photo workshops. Sooner or later we find out that DSLR world is just like any other hobby, it is expensive.

Years ago I've written: "Entrance to the DSLR world is a real jump." It changes the way of thinking as well as the workflow itself. However with years of practice you can never leave it behind. Not just because of the cameras, but because of our knowledge and complete freedom in photography. Of course, camera does not make great photos, photographer does!

Good equipment doesn't make good photos. There are not so few photographers today who buy expensive equipment right from the start. Most of them are unsatisfied with their photos. I've heard many times that they made better photos with their compact cameras. And they were right! DSLR cameras are not so easy to handle until you are familiar with them.

Still thinking about switching to DSLR? Think well before doing so. This isn't just a step to "better" cameras, if better is a right word at all. First, you have to ask yourself why you need the camera!

If it's about family, travel or hobby photography for your family album, than DSLR cameras might not be the right tool for the job as you will have to use some post-processing on your computer, too. Below are some samples which show that compacts are most suitable for the majority of photographers. Don't be surprised if many new DSLR users complain about their photos regarding their previous photos made with a compact digital camera.

A DSLR camera is an advanced tool mainly because it offers more as a system, i.e. accessories and control on the capturing of the photos, such as depth-of-field and speed of workflow. Since the beginning of my magazine and website, I've been writing how the data in the DSLR camera is processed better and so it has many advantages over compact cameras. You may ask how this can be true if compacts are making such wonderful photos. The catch is in the right settings on the camera and in post-processing. Only then photos from DSLR cameras become more vivid, sharp etc., while still preserving a lot of details, which were lost in compact cameras because of extensive in-camera processing. Some comparisons are available on the following pages.

Now you can't say you haven't been warned. Don't jump to the DSLR world without careful thinking! DSLR camera by itself won't make better photos.

Right settings and holding the camera correctly are necessary for making technically good photos.

The biggest problems with SLR cameras are long focal lengths, not holding the camera correctly and long exposure times. There are more blurry than sharp photos in your photo albums, but don't blame the lens too soon. Observe exposure times. While checking photos on the back LCD screen you can quickly discover that the rule of exposure time being equal to 1/focal length no longer holds true.

Sony DSC-H1. No problem making good photos.

Pentax Optio WP. Compacts can do it too!

HP R817. What else do you want for travel photography?

HP R817. The camera knows what you want. Make an attractive photo. With saturated colors, sharp edges and high contrast.

HP R817. Do you really need more? If the photo is interesting, you will be asked for a camera model only by those who think you had to have used an expensive camera of highest class.

Canon EOS 20D. An average lens and here's a dull photo with lots of errors. A DSLR camera doesn't make good photos by itself. You have to have a right lens and correctly set exposure time, shutter speed etc.

EOS 20D. Looking through a more convenient optical viewfinder of a DSLR camera, it is easier to make leveled photos, set the right depth-of-field and so on. If you know how to use a DSLR camera, you will be satisfied with photos also.

The upper photo was made with the compact camera Canon S2 IS, the photo beneath was made with the Canon EOS 350D and 75-300mm IS. The difference is obvious. The photo from a compact camera looks more attractive. Sharpness, depth-of-field, contrast, colors ... everything is better. Except one very important thing. Lack of data for post-processing on the computer. And to make a depth-of-field similar I would only have to set the aperture to 16.

Differences are among DSLR cameras, too. Some process photos in-camera more than others (upper left half), but that limits post-processing to some degree.

You will get maximum of the colors, contrast and sharpness if you will use RAW files. Programs for editing RAW files give you some additional space to manipulate images. However, you have to be familiar with the workflow. Manipulated image is on the upper left half.

With a little work in a digital dark room we can achieve such sharpness as we would never get using compact cameras. Manipulated image is on the upper left half.

page 3 / differences in pictures