Confused
 

Hi Folks,

I am looking to buy my first digital SLR and am becoming more and more confused. Could anyone help me out here. I have looked at all the reviews, bought the mags and was undecided whether to go for the Canon 1000D or the Panasonic Lumix G1. As a smaller footprint is one of my priorities I was airing towards the Lumix. Then I discovered the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ38 and am now really confused. To a rank amateur like myself I can not see what I get for the price difference. What would I get from the G1 or Canon that I would not get from the FZ38 apart from interchangable lenses?

Best Regards
PhilK

Philk,

1st hello and welcome!

Right, I was in your position not so long ago. Was really enjoying taking photos but only had a basic P&S but really wanted to get a DSLR. The questions you need to ask your self are;

What type of photos do you want to take?
What is your budget?
Can you get hold of any lenses from friends/family that doesn’t use them anymore? (This could be a help in deciding a system to but)
Finally go to your local shop and try the cameras in your hands. Try all systems Nikon, cannon, g1, Sony, pentax and olympus etc.....

There is no easy answer to this but if you can give an idea on the questions above it will be easy to help.

Tom

[QUOTE=PhilK100;6026]Hi Folks,

What would I get from the G1 or Canon that I would not get from the FZ38 apart from interchangable lenses?

Best Regards
PhilK[/QUOTE]

Obviously you would get better pictures from the Canon ;)

Lets do this in stages...

[quote=PhilK100;6026]I have looked at all the reviews, bought the mags and was undecided whether to go for the Canon 1000D or the Panasonic Lumix G1. As a smaller footprint is one of my priorities I was airing towards the Lumix[/quote]
This is a sensible idea. The Panasonic is smaller and will take up less room. However, as the system is new there are less lenses and accessories for the Panasonic than there are for the Canon.

[quote=PhilK100;6026]Then I discovered the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ38 and am now really confused. To a rank amateur like myself I can not see what I get for the price difference. What would I get from the G1 or Canon that I would not get from the FZ38 apart from interchangable lenses?[/quote]
You've missed the point.
Interchangeable lenses is what you get. The single greatest advantage to an SLR interchangeable lens camera is that you can change the lens. This means you don't have to compromise on quality with an "all-purpose" or "do-anything" lens. You can have dedicated optics for specific jobs.

There are other differences between the SLR/Hybrids and the "bridge" cameras like the FZ-38 (sensor size, noise levels, finer control, better manual focussing etc.) but the interchangeable lenses is the most important one.

Think of an SLR as an ongoing investment. The kit lens you get won't be great, but it'll be good enough to get started with. At some point you're going to want a longer lens, or a wider lens, or a macro lens etc. With a camera like the FZ-38 it's all in one package. You buy the camera, then you use it.

If footprint is of importance to you I would suggest you go with something like the FZ-38. It's a good all round camera and, because you don't buy more lenses, it won't grow and take up more space. If you decide you want to upgrade to an SLR later on you'll have a better understanding of how cameras work, what you like to shoot and what you want in a camera.

THanks
 

Thanks Chris and TommoR for the practical advice.

Phil K

I have a Panasonic FZ20 and its great but not quite as flexible as my old SLR.

What inspired me to look at DSLR was a display by my local camera club in the Public Library.
The pictures were astounding in sharpness , depth of field and colour.
No doubt Photoshop had a hand in it, but it still looked far better than anything I think I could achieve with my older bridge camera.

Still not decided mind on that reasonably priced first DSLR....

Remember guys, it's not necessarily the type of camera that you use, but well skilled you are in using it that will determine how good your images are. A talented photographer can get better images with a compact than someone with very limited camera skills would get with the finest of DSLRs!