Which DSLR companion would you pick?

[Nate]

Need an alt to my 50D that's pocketable, has good control and yet is simple to use. Had a G11 but it was too complex (if I had been "playing w/ the knobs") for my wife who just wanted to pick it up and shoot. Oh and we have a two year old so shutter lag or lack thereof is a priority. Every time I think I'm ready to pull the trigger, a new player enters the picture. Out of my choices and given my limited criteria, which one would you pick?

[rpcrowe]

IMO it is difficult to find a camera with excellent capabilities that is not fairly complex. However, virtually all cameras (even my 7D) can be set up in "dummy modes" which turn them into a camera with P&S simplicity. perhaps you could get a camera and set it up in the most simplistic mode for your wife to use.

I may be unique in my selection of cameras but, I would hate to work with a camera with which viewing must be accomplished only through the LCD. I personally have problems viewing virtually any LCD in bright conditions - especially with the sun at my back. However, I have noticed that many non-photo oriented persons have problems converting the three dimensional image seen through the eye level viewfinder into a two dimensional format. That is why, I expect, that LCD viewers are popular. The good thing is that most P&S cameras which have eye level viewfinders can also use the LCD for framing the shot.

After an eye level viewfinder, I would select a camera with the least shutter lag time. I would do a Google search for lag times of P&S cameras.

Those would be my only two criteria if I were trying to find a camera for a person who considers a G11 too complicated.

[Malcgeorge]

I have a little Nikon Coolpix 3100 which I carry aound in the car and when I am confronted with a scene, but no DSLR with me, I pop it out and point and shoot. I have been pleasantly pleased with the quality of the pics produced. It can be sophisticated, but has those simple portrait, landscape, etc mode settings that mean it is point and shoot. The best thing is that it is small, light and fits into a pocket (or handbag) to carry around when doing your everyday business. But, of course, there are a whole host of cameras these days that fit the bill. The shutter lag is not problematic either. So I think lens quality, shutter lag and compactness are things to look for.

[Nate]

Richard - I agree with you about the view finder but it's not a deal breaker for me. Simplicity is key as surprisingly my wife was more comfortable using the 50D than the G11. Turning the knob on the 50D to AUTO, she was good to go. Potentially manipulating the 3 knobs on the G11 was more than she wanted to deal with. And rightly so as she's mainly taking family snapshots.

Malcolm - I had considered the Canon S95 which I think is comparable to the Nikon 3100. That would probably be the safest choice in my situation but it's the pull of all the bells & whistles of the x100 and the current crop of 4/3's cameras that trips me up.

[Black Pearl]

Madly expensive but a Fuji X100 will be mine before the year is out.

[inkista]

Weirdly, it's the EPL3 that's intriguing me right now: ability to take an EVF, flip-out LCD, fast focusing, no pop-up flash, but has a flash hotshoe, and comes in red. I'd love an X100, but for four figures, I'd prefer interchangeable lenses. And then there's the rumored Panasonic GF-for-enthusiasts line.

Not to mention Thom Hogan talking about a Fuji micro 4/3 prototype:

More interesting were other comments by Higuchi: that Fujifilm may re-enter the interchangeable lens camera market. Quite a few of us have been waiting for Fujifilm to do that, with an m4/3 entry that has a built-in EVF. The product has been prototyped and tested. The question is whether it would be built and sold. It's looking more and more like it will.

Just me, but I'm sitting and waiting on buying a mirrorless compact: stuff's just moving too damn fast right now to sink money into lenses in another system. I've got an S90. It can hold me until the dust clears. I think micro four-thirds has the best shot, right now, due to the breadth of the system. But if Nikon and Canon get into the game without going micro four-thirds...

[hosch48]

what do think about the SIGMA DP1 or DP2 ? I think this can be an alternative. Both have Fixfocus and the large camera sensor of the DSLR. So you can take pictures in Raw-Modus and the quality is nearly the same as taken by a DSLR. Meanwhile this cameras are also payable.

[hosch48]

Sorry, i mean SIGMA DP1 or SIGMA DP2

Mod comment; I corrected the post above.

[Nate]

Kathy - I considered waiting for the new PENs but after bucking up for the viewfinder, flash, etc I'm figuring to be near the x100 price point.

Holger - I like that the Sigma has a CMOS sensor but beyond price, it doesn't hold in comparison for me.

It's times like this that I wish there were still Photography shops around that were gear oriented. All the big box stores around me only carry the mass marketed varieties and the sales people usually aren't photo savvy.

[Boatman]

Have you looked at the new Panasonic G3? I have the GH2, which I wouldn't recommend for your described use, but the G3 is 'dumbed down' just enough and carries over enough of the better features to be a contender as a real camera. In Ai mode the Panasonics work as true point and shoot cameras with live view and eye-level viewers. With one of the smaller lenses the G3 will slip into a pocket.

When you wife isn't using it, you can put your Nikon lenses on it with a $20 adapter and really have some fun!

[Nate]

I just wanted to circle back, thank everyone for their insights and give an update on my search. So instead of being my usual impetuous self, I went ahead and rented a Fuji x100 for a weekend to give it a test drive. I thought would share some of my thoughts/feelings from it. Please keep in mind that I'm not a pro and know that this was my first experience shooting with a rangefinder type camera.

First off the camera looks sharp, feels substantial (i.e. not plastic-y), and while It's bigger than I thought it would be I did find myself inadvertently pushing buttons when shooting. This didn't bother me too much since I think it's indicative of a lot of these smaller cameras - the buttons have to go somewhere. One of it's bigger selling points, the EVF, I found a little frustrating because of lag time but found the OVF to be more than adequate. Image capture was quick but not DSLR quick. I have a two year old at home and most of the shots of her turned out blurry. The quality of the images was good. Better than our old P&S but not good enough for me to grab it before the DSLR. The final experiment I did was to get my Mother to take a picture of my wife and I to test the P&S worthiness of it and that image came out fine (i.e. my wife and I were in focus).

Overall, it was a fun camera to shoot with but at that price point I just can't justify it. Instead I might pick up a 35mm equivalent for my Canon 50D and hold off on a companion P&S for now.

[speedneeder]

I would have to go with Ashley Judd.

[PhotoByTrace]

If you want pocketable and easy to use, but also the ability to go full-manual/aperture/shutter priority modes, I'd recomment looking at the Canon S90/95. I have a Canon S90 and love it. A true compact in that it fits in a pocket and is quick powering on but that also has a fast lens (though still small sensor). Shutter lag is pretty good, I've captured some okay motion images of my dogs with it, but certainly it isn't as good at this as a DSLR. I haven't played with any of the PENs or NEXs yet, so can't compare. But I prefer the Canon to the Lumix in terms of layout.

[lenelg]

I agree with Trace: If you are serious about "pocketable", look at the Canon S95. I use it as my "take anywhere" camera, and am very happy with the image quality (I shoot RAW all the time). That said, the screen makes composing images a lot more hit/miss than a DSLR, but that is the price for pocketability..