Going backwards, DSLR to Fixed Lens.

For quite a few years, I stayed with the Sony DSC-D770 and its pro twin,
the DKC-FP3. I refused to upgrade because the cameras were not the limit
on what I wanted to do. My skill was. Most of my earlier work in film
was large or medium format, so I actually knew the difference.

Their excellent lenses let me get all there was to obtain out of the
1.5MP sensor, and they were perfect for web and screen-viewed photos, if
not too great at more than 8X10 prints. I made numerous prints at that
size that looked pretty good. Good printing software let me get pics
with no pixelization or other noticeable artifacts at that size. [That's
more than I can say for the average 3.3MP camera of that era.]

Ergonomically, they were as good or better than my old 35mm film
cameras, and I could hand-hold most outdoor shots without the blurring
"wiggle" I suffered with the older little P&S cameras.

Moving to a mountain area, I found the panoramas I wanted and the
detailed scenery cried out for something with more pixels and noise-free
ISO above 50. I wanted wall-size prints, too, like the Mountain Light
stuff..

I bought a Canon D60 with 2 average-quality zoom lenses, and quickly
upgraded to a better one (Tokina 12-24 f4). "Zowie!" I got some pics
that were impressive enough that I also had to upgrade my printers. Back
to working more on my skills problems.

As I trekked around the hills and mountains, I found carrying the D60,
tripod, and three lenses was a real pain. What is worse, I despised
having to clean the sensor, periodically. The D60 is way better in this
area than some others (i.e., the dust is quite out of focus so is much
less obvious), but having to photoshop out blobs in the sky quickly
became tedious. Eventually, the D60 became the camera I just hauled out
only for deliberate photo trips. I got a small Canon S1 IS for an
everyday hiking camera. It is only 3.2MP, but has a decent superzoom
(10X) lens and image stabilization that overcame some of my problems
hand-holding smaller cameras for tele shots.

I found I was taking 20 shots with the S1 to one with the D60 -- maybe
more.

Seriously rethinking what was right for me, I waited until the prices
dropped a bit, and purchased a Sony DSC-R1 to do most of the things I
had been doing (or wanted to do) with the D60. Here, in the high desert,
the dust-on-sensor problem went away, and I had an excellent live
preview mode that is missing on most DSLRs. The downside is that you
better love the lens, because that's it. You can add on adapters, but if
the basic lens isn't absolutely top notch, you can just end up hating
the camera.

It has the noise-free higher ISO I wanted, and the sensor is big enough
(enough pixels and ISO) I can actually use the smart zoom for a lot of
less-critical shots, extending the 5X zoom to about 20X. [Don't try that
with less than about 10MP, tho.]

It is heavy, at 2 lbs, but way, way less than the D60 with extra lenses.
I recently carried it on a few high-altitude hikes (up near 10,000 ft)
and didn't feel burdened too badly by that weight.

I replaced my Canon S1 IS with a Sony DSC-H5, to get the better lens
(Zeiss) and more pixels, and it is now my standard "going hiking"
camera.

Now, my quandary is what to do about the D60? I'll probably sell the S1,
because the H5 is just a noticeable upgrade on the same thing (12X vs
10X and 7MP vs 3MP)

I have considered keeping the D60 and getting a long lens for wildlife
photography. Unfortunately IS does little good at 400mm and more, and
some of those lenses are incredibly expensive. Maksutov mirror lenses
are cheaper, but you give up autofocus and adjustable aperture with most
of those. Unfortunately, they are about the only ones light enough for
backpacking in.

My experience (i.e., opinion) seems to run counter to much of what I
read here, so I thought it might be useful to share it, and then put on
my flame-resistant underware to get your feedback. What about converting
the D60 to wildlife only? It seems it might be terribly under-utilized
in that role. The H5 is pretty great for this stuff, and I'm actually
far more likely to have it with me when the opportunity arises.

Is it dumb to ditch the DSLR and replace it with "consumer" fixed-lens
cameras?

It's your call. LMK what you think.

JB

"J. B. Dalton" <who DeleteThis @where.com> wrote in message
news:Xns981E80D6ACB22whuntleyverizonnet@140.99.99.130...
> For quite a few years, I stayed with the Sony DSC-D770 and its pro twin,
> the DKC-FP3. I refused to upgrade because the cameras were not the limit
> on what I wanted to do. My skill was. Most of my earlier work in film
> was large or medium format, so I actually knew the difference.
>
> Their excellent lenses let me get all there was to obtain out of the
> 1.5MP sensor, and they were perfect for web and screen-viewed photos, if
> not too great at more than 8X10 prints. I made numerous prints at that
> size that looked pretty good. Good printing software let me get pics
> with no pixelization or other noticeable artifacts at that size. [That's
> more than I can say for the average 3.3MP camera of that era.]
>
> Ergonomically, they were as good or better than my old 35mm film
> cameras, and I could hand-hold most outdoor shots without the blurring
> "wiggle" I suffered with the older little P&S cameras.
>
....
>
> Is it dumb to ditch the DSLR and replace it with "consumer" fixed-lens
> cameras?
>
> It's your call. LMK what you think.
>
> JB

I'm thinking of doing the same as you. Will probably dump my Nikon D50 and
half dozen lenses after I finish a few macro and copying jobs I can't seem
to get around to. The sensor cleaning ritual is not for me. I do like
fiddling with different lenses but their cost and the sensor cleaning
requirement sure takes the fun out of it.