DSLR vs. Point-and-shoot?

So my point-and-shoot camera just broke, and I'm considering getting a new one. However, I've also been thinking about trying "real" photography (as in -- not just using a camera to take pictures of me and my friends when we go shopping). I know most professional photographers use DSLR cameras. So I've read about the pros and cons, and DSLR vs. Point-and-shoot (price, bulkiness, etc.), but I want a photographer's opinion: What type of camrea do you use and why? I know DSLRs have a lot more manual settings, but I mean ...do they take better pictures? Is there an exact reason you use one over another?

*Also, please be specific about what camera you use.

Muchos gracias =]

Well I've been a photographer for many years, long before digital, so I'm a little biased towards DSLRs.

But putting that aside :)

If you don't care about interchangeable lenses and advanced features, the big advantage of DSLRs over point-and-shoot cameras for casual shooters is.... the delay!

With DSLRs the picture is taken almost instantaneously- with point and shoots, there's always a lag before the image is captured- could be a quarter of a second, or 2-3 seconds. In too many cases, the moment you wanted to capture has passed.

I use a Fuji S2 (digital) mostly. My Nikon Coolpix and N90s (film) collect dust.

Here's the best article I've ever found on the topic..

I have several Nikons including a DSLR.

The biggest advantage I see is that when you press the button the picture is captured rapidly and saved in memory just as it was when you took the photo. In a typical point and shoot by the time the image is captured the action is over which makes them worthless for sports shots and catching fleeting expressions on people.

AND of course the ability to swap lenses to suit the situation is a major plus.

The other two pluses are that you get more control over the image exposure/depth of field/focal points and that you can save the images in formats like RAW which lets you have more post-exposure control over how you make the picture look.

DSLR Pentax K100D and Pentax K10D, and I am not a professional photographer, but I do live with one (I get the hand-me-down cameras!), and although the DSLR's are much bulkier, they take WAY better photographs. I don't even use the manual settings half the time, because I don't know what I am doing, but I still get way better photo's then I ever did with ANY of my point and shoot cameras. If you are looking into doing photography of any kind as a hobby, a point and shoot camera won't work for you.

Plus, having all the extra lenses is great as well, gives a lot more versatility.

I use a Canon 40D DSLR and have several point and shoot digitals.

Outside of portability, the DSLR gives me a huge amount of flexibility in lens, the sensors are likely to be larger and better than other sensors at the same megapixels. The lenses are also larger and will receive more light and I can affix a lens that will work better in low light than any point and shoot lens.The DSLR also allows for flash options generally not available on point and shoots.

The manual options really do give you a huge amount of control, being able to manually focus and to set the aperture allows for blurring of the background and other depth of field effects.

All that said, it should really be about you and not the camera. If you get a good, low noise, point and shoot that has aperture and/or shutter priority modes (Fuji Finepix 30/31fd and 50fd for example) then that should allow for a good amount of artistic choice while giving you the convenience of always being in reach.

I use a Nikon D50.

It's one of the cheapest DSLRs ever made and the image quality blows the doors off any point and shoot.

I can get publishable shots at ISO1600, which you can't do with a compact camera.

It's extremely simple to use (for dummies) and built like a tank.

The only drawback is its size. I wish someone would find a way to shrink DSLRs by half.

De nada.
V2K1

You have heard it's the photographer, and not the camera? Well, that's true. You can get great images from a quality p&s digicam with manual settings. You might have to work harder for them, and work around some limitations, such as noisier high ISO, shutter lag, and not being able to change lenses. The larger sensors in dSLR's generally deliver better quality, especially for making larger prints. With the entry level price of dSLR's dropping, they are close to the price of an advanced digicam, and will give you much more flexibility.

I have used film SLR's from Nikon and Canon. My current film SLR's are a Nikon F100 and N6006. I have used several digicams in the past 10 years, including my first, a Polaroid with a maximum resolution of 640x480 which was once top of the line, an Olympus C4000, a Nikon 4300, and a Canon Powershot G6. The 4300 and G6 are still in use. My dSLR is a Nikon D80. I have made some great images with all of these cameras, but having a dSLR makes doing that much easier.