I know that many people are very happy with their compacts, and indeed own nothing else, but some of the Pros and Cons that I can see are:
Cons:
Shutter lag. Although this is improving all the time.
Small sensor compared to a DSLR, so noisier images.
Difficulty of manual focusing using an electronic viewfinder.
Fixed (zoom) lens. There are now some quite large zoom ranges, but a 10:1 zoom (e.g. Fuji Finepix S5500 - 4 MP, 1/2.7" Sensor) must surely be inferior to a 3:1 (e.g. Canon Powershot A95 - 5 MP, 1/1.8" Sensor). Not to mention the practicality of hand-holding the equivalent of an almost 400mm lens. So I get a 3:1 and half of my subjects are specks in the distance. Yes, I know about extenders. Plus the wide end is only around the equivalent of 38 degrees.
Pros:
Small pocketable size so I am more likely to take it with me.
Possibly a moveable LCD screen.
When I eventually buy a DSLR, say in two years time, the specs will be higher, and the price lower.
One of the main problems is the plethora of models to choose from, and trying to compare them without actual hands on experience.
I would certainly want Av, Tv and Manual exposure modes, and preferably manual focus.
My film compact only has auto everything, and I would not buy a camera like that again.
So, my questions are:
Is this a viable route to go, or should I forget it until I can justify a DSLR.
I expect to get both yeas and nays to this, but we shall see.
Cheers
Keith
--- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.737 / Virus Database: 491 - Release Date: 11/08/2004
* **** ******* *********************************************************** * For list instructions, including unsubscribe, see: * http://www.a1.nl/phomepag/markerink/eos_list.htm ***********************************************************
