G.Feduccia Loc: Paradise in Florida Panhandle

I agree that a DSLR with premium (prime) lenses will result in more professional photos, yet us Folks on limited budgets can get "quality" photos and enlargements with the Point and Shoot and the newest Bridge Cameras. IT IS ALL IN THE COMPOSITION!
Heck, it's the bulk and weight of the DSLR's and lenses, etc., that turn us off. Who wants to carry around a huge camera bag full of stuff anymore? Leave the DSLR's to the Pro's who want to show off their stuff and make an impression to their clients;.
We casual shooters would and have done most well with a step up to a Bridge Camera.

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

G.Feduccia very well put... but how often does one have to remove the lens on a P&S or Bridge to clean the sensor? Another plus for those families. No dirt on sensor, and some are water proof or nearly so.

A P&S like the Panasonic DMC ZS-20 have a 20X lens!! As the ad says, we've come a long way baby; I was happy with my 1 mpix and ecstatic with my Kodak 4800 3 mpix and love my long faithful Panasonic TZ-3 about 7 years old now.... and now there is the zs-20 with 16 mpix and a built-in GPS!! And for half the price in numerical dollars that my 4800 cost. The ZS-20 is just one I mention,,, there is a world of great put-em N your pocket cameras out there. Small, effective and filled with capabilities... but yet no phone...

I have had two Bridges, and passed them on to my grandsons. Too bulky so I may as well carry my Sony Alpha. I love the on my hip-ability of a P&S in-spite of the lower image quality; at least it is always with me.

mdorn Loc: Portland, OR

I'm not disagreeing with you... However, I don't think pros use DSLRs to "show off" to or "make an impression" on their clients---this is what their portfolio of final images are for. I doubt many pros meet with clients with all their gear in tow to impress... In the end, it's the final images that sell, not the gear used to create them.

G.Feduccia Loc: Paradise in Florida Panhandle

Hey DP, There is nothing wrong with a hip or pocket carried P&S! They can take MUCH better pics than my film needle-match 35mm cameras did in the early '60's.
The WORST thing one can do is to MISS a photo opportunity!!! Just having ANY camera with you is better than having NONE!

G.Feduccia Loc: Paradise in Florida Panhandle

MD, Yeah, I agree with you, but when one goes into a Professional Sudio, they expect to see some pretty good equipment and not Bridge Cameras with lights.

Dback4430 Loc: Lockport Il

Why would they care ? What got them there in the first place , It wasnt equipment , just saying ...

gemac Loc: Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada

I guess you mean a bridge camera and not the brooklyn bridge. I once owned a bagfull of Nikon and lenses and realized that I was not comfortable taking it canoeing. I use a Fuji s100fs and really don't need a camera bag. The lens does macro and has a good zoom range, panoramic techniques give wideangle views better than any wideangle lens. I also carry an Olympus stylus tough ... 3-1 zoom and waterproof and takes better closeups as the lens is not casting shadows and the optical axis can be placed 1/2" above the ground for real bugs eye view. Each camera has strengths ... For weddings and fast action Nikon and Canon are faster focusing and better in that niche. The fuji s100 is what I carry the rest of the time, with 2 polarizers and a monopod, no camera bag.

G.Feduccia Loc: Paradise in Florida Panhandle

mdorn,

Yeah, I have to agree with you about image quality taken with a DSLR or film SLR with a Prime lens will be superior.

Seems though, that most folks want a zoom lens, either in the kit that comes with the camera or to get a larger lens for same. The zoom lenses on all of the P&S's, Bridges, and DSLR's cannot compare to the fixed, prime lenses available for SLR's or DSLRS. So, I agree.

The bottom line is perception. What does one find acceptable in resolution? More pixels? More enlargements? Oh well, I donno.

An interesting deal here is that I have lost some frequencies in my hearing in my left ear for the alarm clock! It is loud and fine in my other ear, but when it goes off, I CANNOT hear it in my left ear. It is just a frequency, but light is also a frequency. Too, can someone's eyes lose some colors and perceptions?

What am I missing with my hearing? What am I missing in my eye's perception of life and the photos? Heck, I donno.

Oh well, Sarge will have a joke coming in about this!

Wabbit Loc: Arizona Desert

Hey Doc ..... it's all about the light, SLR, Point N Shoot, Bridge Camera, etc. it's still all about the light ..... you have to learn how to use what you've got .... the equipment doesn't have to matter