grusum

OR, missing the shot 'cause your crying over dropping that expensive lens!

bvargas Loc: Palm Harbor, Florida

Sony a7R, is your answer.

MW

I experience the same quandary when traveling. My Canon S100 is the right size and weight for traveling light but there are two sacrifices from my viewpoint: A-no viewfinder except the LCD screen which is near useless in many places like sunny days in California and Arizona, and B-IQ if the scene has a lot of small detail. One way to compensate for the first is a thin slice of masking tape in the top that acts like a pointer/sight (a little tricky and takes some practice. For the second the only work around is to look for opportunities for visually "quiet" images i.e., minimal extraneous detail.

An alternative I've started experimenting with is a smaller DSLR such as a D60 and bring only a single prime lens like 35mm which in DX format at equivalent to "normal" in film format. If I had $1k+ to spare a Fuji X100s do this even better.

Golferdon

I mentally debated your question around back when Kodak offered up it's P-850 years ago. Finally decided to try out a high zoomer with a Canon SX10-IS. It's features with the hot shoe compatible with most Canon flashes, rotating LCD plus an EVF, unlimited video length (SD card dependant of course), off the shelf AA battery power, scene and custom (PTAMC) capabilites and 20X optical zoom are all bennies. Downside is the well documented high ISO noise, some barrel distortion and few - but some lens accessories/filters. Still the flexibility to see a shot at a distance and getting it without funbling for a lens and changing lenses is huge (to me). Another downside is no RAW capability. I have never used the digital zoom capability as 20x is enough without adding additional potential shake and image degradation.
My suggestion: don't throw the baby out with the bath water, keep the DSLR but pickup a good used zoomer (with op manual) that fits as many of your personal criteria as possible and use the camera in a variety of situations. There is no single camera that does it all. BTW regarding video capability: I've used the SX10 for a variety of events from a night club 60's- 70's band, a dash cam, flying in Collings Foundation's planes to Military Change of Command ceremonies and a bunch of family events. My opinion is the camera performs as well many consumer video cameras, has a better form factor, the full 20x zoom works without interrupting the sound and you can take stills while the video is running. Judge the quality of the camera's video at: www.youtube.com/newwindsorphotog attached are a couple of stills, a 2008 trip to italy and couple of bird pics. the Blue Heron was in our daughter's backyard in Richmond Hill, GA and the Pelican swiming with some divers at Catalina Island in Ca.
Hope this helps a little.
Don W.

Assisi Italy


Blue Heron - Georgia


Pelecan - Catalina Is

amehta Loc: Boston

I dropped an expensive lens twice this summer. The first time it had the lens hood on, and the hood got all the mud. Then the hood fell off, and I couldn't find it. Park rangers eventually found it and I got it back a month later. Meanwhile, I ended up dropping it again, this time it hit a piece of metal which slightly damaged the front rim, but caused no functional damage. I was mad a myself for doing something dumb that allowed it to drop. But I wasn't crying because the expensive lens is so tough that it took the punishment. :-)

causnorign Loc: NY

I had been wanting to buy a very good Sony model, but recently my panasonic p&s developed a zoom lens error and the repair cost would have been close to what I spent on the camera. So rather than have to worry about this happening again I purchased an MILC. So now I have a larger sensor and interchangeable lenses, but I really would have liked that Sony.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

On the practical side. My daughter has a nice p&s that she keeps with her all the time. She is constantly taking photos or videos of my grandson and her family. As a result, we have some great photos. She could not have done this with a dslr. When they went to play in the snow and ice when it hit Dallas last week she had her p&s in her coat pocket- no lugging the dslr around her neck while pushing a kid in a laundry basket!!

Kuzano

This is a moving target for any gearhead.

My current favorite kit.... two variations are pocketable.

1) Olympus E-PL5, Micro 4/3, 16Mp, articulating lcd, sensor just a bit smaller than APS-c.
2) lens option... pancake 17mm f1.8 (pocketable and sneaker zoom) equivalent to 34mm.
3) lens option... Sigma 30mm f1.4 (sneaker zoom, jacket pocketable) equivalent to 60mm
4) lens option... Panasonic 45-200mm zoom-equivalent to 90-400.

Stayed with just lens options that offer full function, AF, etc.

The rest of the options... to long to list... EVF, many other primes and zooms that AF. Adapters for almost every legacy and MF lense available over the last 50 years.

I have had my experimentation with using lmt and m42 threaded lenses, all the Oly OM lens, etc and am NOW over it. too fiddly.

Just want to shoot with both auto and manual focus capabilities.

If I wanted a fixed lens with one prime, I would just epoxy the 17mm to the front of the camera and have a camera that would compete with any small sensor point/shoot or bridge, but why do that?

That's my current package. Ask me again next week. Last week I was shooting a Canon 5D in pristine condition with the very good 28-135 Canon non L lens. The week before that, a Fujifilm S5 Pro with a Nikon 50mm f1.8.

Why limit yourself. Go "UglyHedgeHog" WILD!!!!!!!

SteveR Loc: Michigan

I hope you're insured!!

amehta Loc: Boston

Yes, I am insured, though in this case, the only financial loss will be if I ever sell the lens, as the ding might knock the condition down a grade.

amehta Loc: Boston

Money, time, weight, learning curve effort...

amehta Loc: Boston

Any modern camera will take great pictures in good conditions. In low light, with moving subjects, very far away or very close, that's where we get separation.

These days I don't seem to care about the shot anyone else could have gotten, I want to shot they can't get. And I want it at the best quality I can have, so the impact is stronger. I'm "only interested in the exceptionally rare." :-)

Photogdog Loc: New Kensington, PA

BobT,

I have a Canon 5D MKII, 7D and a bunch of EF "L" lenses (50mm f1.4, 24-70mm f2.8, 8-15mm f4.0, 24mm f3.5 T/S, 100-400mm f4.5-5.6, etc.) & EF-S lenses (10-22mm f3.5-4.5 & 100mm Macro) which I don't see getting rid of anytime soon. When it comes to serious landscapes, portraits or architectural photography, they're hard to beat. I have a lot of time & money invested in this equipment.

That said, I also have a Sony NEX-7 (1" Exmor, 24MP sensor) with a whole slew of lenses for it including the Zeiss 24mm f1.8 which is EXCELLENT glass. The Sony 10-18mm f4.0 OSS isn't bad either. I also have the Sony RX-1 and it's almost like a modern day Leica (Full Frame Exmor sensor with Zeiss 35mm f2.0 fixed lens). Next week the brown truck will be delivering my RX-100II (1" Exmor R Back Lit 20MP sensor) which will probably be in my pocket all the time.

These Sonys are all lightweight, easy to carry and are capable of taking excellent prints which I have which I have blown up to 13"x19".

I guess it's like shooting firearms. You fit the tool to the job.

Photogdog

Photogdog Loc: New Kensington, PA

Jerry,

Just out of curiosity, what is it that you don't like about them? I have three; one built in to the NEX-7 and two add-ons to my RX-1 & RX-100II. I love them! I hate focusing and framing with an LCD (56 years old, arms not getting any longer and farsighted).

Photogdog

emmons267 Loc: Arizona, Valley of the Sun

Sold my Canon T2i and 60D, the lenses, filters, remotes, external flash, etc., and purchased the Sony RX100M2. Best photographic decision I've made, and I'm really impressed with the camera, it's features and capabilities. And it actually fits in your pocket.