I use a 40D for most of my photography and a 400D as my holiday cam.After a recent trip to Greece I was amazed at just how good the IQ was on my wifes Pentax P&S.I cant and dont take a DSLR with me on a daily basis but I got to thinking that maybe I should buy a P&S to feed the hole in my addiction.After a bit of trial and error I have settled on a Panny TZ4.I love its versatility and size.Of course it is a compromise but I am genuinely surprised at what it can do----and with a few judicious passes in Photoshop the results are more than acceptable.
As a result my photographic life has been transformed----I have been able to take pics that would never have lived because the camera would not have been with me.I have learned to be braver and take some street candids that I would not have dreamt of taking with my 40D.Above all having it with me has allowed me to be much more spontaneous.It hasnt relaced my Canon kit and never will but it has breathed new life into my photography.
So--do you own a P&S and what do you use it for?
I use a Fuji F31fd and love it. It's my main body when I don't need to shoot anything serious.
It comes along for fun times, hiking, trips with friends, parties, movies, basic documentation purposes for trips, underwater shooting (housings are much less expensive), and just a general cam to have on me just in case.
One of my favorite things is that it lets me enjoy the environment more because I'm more interested in enjoying myself than in getting the perfect image. *snap snap* okay, I'm done.
I keep a Stylus Epic in my coat pocket (usually has something like Superia 400 in it) because I don't really feel like taking my SLR when I'm going to, say, the grocery store but still want to have a camera just in case. I've been meaning to pick up a digital p&s, but it just isn't worth it when my film costs for that camera are maybe $30 a year.
On motorcycle rides, I keep a P&S in my tank bag. I'm thinking of getting the Olympus that is waterproof down to 30 feet for an upcoming trip to Hawaii.
Yeah - not too bad outdoors - made the mistake of bringing it into a medium-lit area. Holy dew-do - what a dog! Shutter lag could have been measured with a freakin' sundial!
The Canon S3 goes with me when I want a camera but don't want the weight of the 30D and lenses. It's an excellent compromise. It's too large for a shirt pocket, but I love the 12x zoom lens and can make larger prints than with the smaller P&S models.
I take a p&S when don't want to deal with the bother of a dslr. Sometimes you want to enjoy an event more than feel like you are working it lol. Did a festival recently with my d40 and some lenses. Good times, but think I spent more time trying to get settings better more than enjoying the festival. Good I have some shots that are good, but next year will be a p&s just to enjoy the festival more lol.
Or when I know a drink will become a few more at a social gathering. Think my gear has a problem that needs looking at by Nikon. Doesn't work as well as it should after I have a few beers for some reason
Just bought a Leica D-Lux 3 and it's turning out to be a lovely little camera. I find it easier to shoot candids and street stuff because it's much less imposing than a big DSLR, and, of course, at 220 grams it's light enough to carry all the time. I'm not sure if I understand some of the previous comments about "serious" photography. I think it has more to do with how you approach a particular shot than the gear you're using. I have a Pentax K20D and sometimes when I'm shooting family stuff, birthdays, etc. I'll just set it on Program and fire away because I want to spend most of my time enjoying the event with my family. Doesn't mean the camera can't take "serious" pictures when I turn it up a notch or two...
The pictures from the Coolpix and the Olympus really look great (and the fuji isn't bad). The P&S cameras aren't as fast as the 20d, and don't have the low light performance or the shallow DOF, but the contrast, sharpness, and colors are great. I've read a lot of articles about why DSLRs are better than point and shoots and they all say "image quality", but after looking at the pics, I question whether that's too broad of a term to throw around these days.
I used P&S cameras at work, but I said never again. I think the quality has got good enough these days to consider one for those well lit times when a dSLR is too heavy to drag around, and one doesn’t need quick startup times and quick responses from the camera. For my work, a P&S would be totally unacceptable. I’ve heard good things about the G9. In my P&S experience at work, Canon seemed to have the edge.
I have a Canon SD600. I don't like using it much, because I got too used to the picture quality of a DSLR, but it's on me all the time when I'm on vacation, especially when going to a trip where my DSLR can be at risk.
I use my Oly C3020Z to shoot my studio setups. The on-camera flash is enough light to show the room with lights and stands, and it saves me from having to unmount my 30D to shoot the setup.
