DSLR vs Point’n Shoot vs Camera Phone

[LaFleurville]

I’ve recently been thinking of selling my DSLR. It is a Canon Rebel T3i. I do love the photos it takes but find when we are on vacation (or in general every day activities), by the time figure out the best lens to use the moment has past. It’s not convenient to carry the multiple lenses.

I’ve just booked a trip to the World and will also be doing an Eastern Caribbean cruise as well in 2017. I’m wondering what a good point and shoot option would be that might have some of the same features of as SLR without the need for multiple lens changes. I don’t anticipate needing super zoom functionality. Since we are doing a cruise as well, what is going to work well underwater?

Or should I upgrade my smart phone and just use that for photos on the trip (I’m thinking the new iPhone)? What do you like to use on vacation (and also in everyday life)? Thanks.

(If there is an existing thread feel free to point me there.)

 

[grumpysteelman]

The latest smartphones are great for casual pictures but the relatively wide angle lens makes shots of any distance very underwhelming - like castle pictures!

Carrying a DSLR and worrying about lenses and taking care not to destroy the thing is a tough pill to swallow on a fun focused vacation. Personally a 35-135mm lens, or similar, with a polarizing filter would probably do 99% of what you'd want to do. You've got enough MP to crop later if the optical zoom doesn't cut it.

A tough/sport oriented point and shoot would probably give you everything that you'd need. I bought an ex-gf an Olympus tough camera and she never managed to kill it AFAIK, and she could destroy an anvil! I'd look for something with excellent low-light performance.

I see lots of people take atomic bombs to knife fights when they really just need - a camera.

 

[mousehockey37]

I have a Canon T3, and it's gone that last 2 times to Disney and it's going again in January. I'll have my cell phone as well, but I like doing long exposures, so I guess a question to ask yourself OP is: What are the needs going to be for photos? Are you going to do long exposures? Set shots? Quick informal photos?

Asking those kinds of questions will help give you a better answer.

 

[havoc315]

A dSLR has 2 key inherent advantages over iphones and typical P&S cameras:
1 -- the ability to change lenses, including therefore use of telephoto lenses, wide angle lenses, macro lenses, and others.
2 -- A much larger sensor, resulting in much higher quality photos.

An iPhone, if you strip away the phone, is an excellent P&S camera. It does not have a large sensor, it does not allow for changing lenses. It's sensor is close in size to most P&S cameras and the lens is higher quality (fast aperture) than most P&S cameras. Plus it has a much faster processor then most P&S cameras (it basically has a super powerful computer inside), it has a fantastic touch screen, great wifi, GPS, etc, etc.. features lacking in typical P&S. Really, the only downside of a new iphone compared to a typical P&S, is the lack of much zoom. (the iphone 7 plus has 2x zoom... where even most budget P&S cameras have more).

So if it's a choice between a new iphone and a budget P&S, then I'd take the iphone without question.

But there are a small group of P&S cameras, that have a higher quality lens and a bigger sensor. Typically the sensor still isn't as big as a dSLR, but they are much bigger than an iphone or budget P&S. You also have some P&S cameras with a tiny sensor but a huge zoom range.
Either way -- The cameras with huge zoom range and tiny sensor, and especially the cameras with larger sensors but smaller zoom ranges, can get as expensive or more expensive than dSLRs. I'd go with the Sony RX100 personally, as a great compromise.

 

[Alacrity]

I've found that the most flexibility and quality, generally, is to be had from a dSLR. If that is important to you it may be the thing to use. This comes with some expense and bulk, however, and I've found that carrying less is a plus for me. After carrying the dSLR for a number of years, the last couple trips I've taken (including Bavaria and WDW) I've used a point and shoot with a good zoom range and that produces a pretty good quality photo (it's a Panasonic Lumix, DMC-ZS40, by the way). It even does a reasonable video but I also use a GoPro (4 Silver), again, because it is compact and travels easily. I'm not out for publishing quality photos or video and end up, maybe, printing a few to hang on the wall and, mostly, to put in a web album to share. For me, not lugging the larger camera has become a plus. The P&S does a good job for me and my cell is also very convenient and I don't have to carry another bag of stuff.

 

[xlxo]

 

[LaFleurville]

Thanks everyone for the great feedback.

 

[bob100]

yes, it depends on the zoom, the latest cell phone cameras are pretty good for wide angle shots
That's why many people like mirrorless cameras and pancake style lens, small and lightweight but they can also take the big DSLR lens - - the best of both worlds!
www.flickr.com/photos/mmirrorless

 

[zackiedawg]

There are also quite a few 'all in one' lenses which can do a fine job, on any DSLR or mirrorless body - they're not all that big or heavy, but can give you a range of focal reach that can go from wide to long telephoto. And the lenses can deliver surprisingly good quality. Of course, that doesn't reduce the bulk of the DSLR - but it can solve the need to change lenses for different scenarios when traveling. Even enthusiast photographers who love to collect exotic lenses and change them all the time, often own a 'superzoom' or 'travel zoom' lens that they can just stick on their camera when they don't have the room, the convenience, the time, or the ability to change lenses or carry a bag of lenses around. My favorite class of travel zoom lens for DSLRs is the superzoom lens, such as the Tamron 16-300mm, or older 18-250mm. Sigma also makes a variant of the 18-250mm lens. These are great because they compact down to a very reasonable size, and allow you to bring your camera with one attached lens and nothing else, yet still shoot a wide shot of a building, landscapes, portraits, and wildlife or distant subjects all in one lens.

I have multiple camera systems, both DSLR and mirrorless, and have over 30 lenses - I love cameras and gear and experimentation...through all of that, one of my original purchases for my DSLRs back in 2008 was an 18-250mm lens, which to this day is still one of my most used DSLR lenses, as it can't be beat for convenience.

 

[prprincess]

I have a DSLR, which is just way for me too much to bring on trips, and three P&S cameras. My favorite, most-used, everyday camera is the Canon Powershot G16. It takes amazing pictures (since I bought mine, three of my friends have purchased one)...even moreso than my DSLR (it's old!). And you can switch over to manual, if need be. They sell a waterproof case for it as well. I absolutely love it!!

 

[klmall]

I've been a big fan of the Canon G series owning several over the years starting back with a G5. These cameras consistently produced some of my best pictures with ease, especially night scenes and a convenient size. My first raw pictures were taken on this camera and it is still my 'grab and go' camera for hiking and Universal Studios with it's cameras on rides restrictions.

In fact, I plan to trade in two older Canon DSLRs for the newest G later this year.