Picking one for the professional consumer
Picking one for the professional consumer
With digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras getting cheaper and smaller, is there any point in getting a prosumer compact digital camera? We take a closer look.
When Canon launched the 6.3-megapixel EOS 300D in 2003 for RM3,999, it caused quite a storm because the average DSLR would cost at least RM6,000 or more. But while it was the cheapest DSLR at the time, it was still beyond most people’s budgets.
Skilled photographers on a budget still had to compromise – they’d buy a prosumer digital compact camera (that is, a consumer camera with pro features such as advanced exposure modes, hot shoes for external flashes, high-quality lenses and advanced picture settings).
For example, a 5-megapixel Olympus Camedia C-5060 with a 27-110mm lens could be had for about RM2,400 at the time. Although much cheaper than an EOS 300D, the prosumer Olympus could produce pictures that looked just as good in certain conditions.
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The CONTENDERS: (Clockwise from top left)Nikon D40x, Olympus E-410, Canon PowerShot G7 and Nikon Coolpix P5000 |
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And in those days, there were loads of other players in the market too, such as the versatile Canon PowerShot G5 and the super wide-angle Nikon Coolpix 8400.
In those days, prosumer cameras were a genuine alternative. Fast forward to 2007 and that same RM2,400 is enough to buy a compact 6-megapixel DSLR that’s almost as small as (and arguably better than) the prosumer cameras of yesteryear.
Meanwhile, today’s prosumer compact cameras have more in common with a budget ultra-compact than a professional DSLR – presumably in an attempt to drive down costs.
Is it any wonder then that prosumers are almost an extinct species? Save for some DSLR-size superzooms from Panasonic and Fujifilm, there are only two players left in the prosumer space: The Canon PowerShot G7 and Nikon Coolpix P5000, which are featured here.
While they still have some of the hallmarks of a proper prosumer (such as flash hot shoes, dedicated function knobs and buttons), one can’t help but wonder if some of the magic is gone.
The big question, though, is this: are they still viable alternatives to DSLRs?
To find out, we pit these two 10-megapixel prosumers against two of the most affordable 10-megapixel DSLRs in the market today – the Nikon D40x and Olympus E-410.
While these aren’t the cheapest DSLRs in the market (the 6-megapixel Pentax K110D and Nikon D40 cost less than RM2,400) they are chosen because of their equal pixel resolution.
Before we go into the comparisons, let’s take a closer look at each of these cameras individually.
This is the era of digital cameras. We have a helmet camera, a sports camera and an underwater fuji digital camera too. And it just not ends there. We now have a backup camera too.
-taken from the Star Online-
