Death of the DSLR Camera

[mmmarq]

What do you think about this post:

Death of the DSLR Camera - Gearlog

I'm a new owner of a Cannon Rebel XT (1000D).... Did I buy this camera so late?

[vandergus]

An interesting article but I think the author leaves out one important factor. Price. Compact film cameras became popular not just because they were smaller, but because they were cheaper as well. Currently, compact large sensor cameras are still more expensive than entry level DSLR's so one of the big motivations for the average consumer to go that route is not yet in place. I'm sure the price of large sensor compact cameras will drop in the future but I don't know enough about camera technology and manufacturing to know what the prices will eventually settle at. If they end up being cheaper than comparable DSLR's then, yes, they will probably take most of the market.

But that's just the average consumer market. The market that wants great pictures of their kids' birthday parties and their trip to Hawaii. The same market that bought all those compact film cameras. I think DSLR's will still dominate the pro and advanced amatuer market for a good while.

[Mr Guy]

Given that owners aren't taking full advantage of their DLSRs, the reason for buying these cameras comes back to great image quality, primarily attributable to large sensors. So if camera manufacturers could produce a smaller, easier-to-use camera that was capable of DSLR-like quality, wouldn't the quality-sensitive market flock to it? Undoubtedly.

Screw that, that is NOT a given. That's why this website, and many others exist. The market hasn't changed. Professionals will always want tools that enable them to work in the easiest way possible, within reasonable artistic quality limits. Enthusiasts will always want the most toys to play with. The bulk of the market is going to get whatever is sufficient for their needs and wants.

The Professional market will always be profitable to companies meeting their needs.
The Enthusiast market will always be profitable to companies meeting their needs.
The Mass Consumer market will always be profitable to companies meeting their needs.

What is NOT and never HAS BEEN profitable is companies confusing those markets with each other. Pentax made that crucial confusion, much to Canon and Nikon's profit. Now, they've corrected some of their mistakes and have turned a profit in a year when no other camera division is expected to, by downsizing their infrastructure and focusing narrowly on a single market: The High End Enthusiast market.

Your camera will always be worth to you what you get out of it. The fact that you're here means you're likely to get a lot more out if than the average mass market consumer, and you're well on your way to enthusiast.


*Edit* And while I'm ranting, I'll just say for the record you absolutely CAN NOT get the same quality out of a fixed lens camera as you can with a DSLR and a set of lenses. Different lenses do different things and there's no one size fits all solution.

[OsmosisStudios]

Ken Rockwell claimed the Leica M9 was the end of the dSLR. Was worth a chuckle, but meh. This is the same guy that claimed the Holga was the best photojournalism camera and that the Fuji Quicksnap (with flash) was the be-all and end-all of photography

The concept that the dSLR is dead is so backwards its not worth discussing. Dont worry about your purchase: enjoy it.

[vandergus]

Originally Posted by Mr Guy

*Edit* And while I'm ranting, I'll just say for the record you absolutely CAN NOT get the same quality out of a fixed lens camera as you can with a DSLR and a set of lenses. Different lenses do different things and there's no one size fits all solution.

You can get the same quality but you can't get the same versatility. But, yeah, I think the modern casual photographer is too attached to the zoom lens for a fixed lens camera to ever become a mainstream success. I can see cameras like the GF1 and E-P1 killing off entry level DSLR sales, though, once the prices become more competitive.

[RexK_Cozumel]

Having used the Oly-EP1 I can honestly say that I would not trade my D700 for it when image quality is important. Also the viewfinder is nice when you are shooting in bright day light. But the compact size is nice. It would be a good option for party/holiday snappers that want better image quality than the compact point and shoots out there but don't want the full dSLR. But like I said for the photographers serious about the image quality the larger sensor is the way to go.

[Mr Guy]

Originally Posted by vandergus

You can get the same quality but you can't get the same versatility. But, yeah, I think the modern casual photographer is too attached to the zoom lens for a fixed lens camera to ever become a mainstream success. I can see cameras like the GF1 and E-P1 killing off entry level DSLR sales, though, once the prices become more competitive.

No you can't. You can get good enough quality, for a large number of users. You can't get the same quality. We obey the laws of physics in this forum. Optical formulas determine the size the glass needs to be for a given sensor size. There's only so small you can go before quality diminishes. I'm not denying that a large number of users won't care, but there will be a difference in capability. The quality will not be the same. Ever.

[vandergus]

Originally Posted by Mr Guy

No you can't. You can get good enough quality, for a large number of users. You can't get the same quality. We obey the laws of physics in this forum. Optical formulas determine the size the glass needs to be for a given sensor size. There's only so small you can go before quality diminishes. I'm not denying that a large number of users won't care, but there will be a difference in capability. The quality will not be the same. Ever.

So you don't think the image quality of the Leica X1 will be on par with APS-C DSLR's?

[radityopradipto]

I won't doubt Leica X1's quality for sure, because it carries the great name of Leica
However, with that price tag (around $2000 is it?), Leica provide fixed lens only, which is one of the down side beside its price I reckon...

[Mr Guy]

Originally Posted by vandergus

So you don't think the image quality of the Leica X1 will be on par with APS-C DSLR's?

That's not the statement I'm making. The statement I'm making is that it is completely impossible that the image quality of any fixed zoom lens camera, can not have the same image quality as a high end DSLR and multiple high end lenses through it's entire zoom range. The Leica X1, of course, is a prime lens. It may even be a very very good prime lens, but as well regarded as they are, it does more to support my point than to refute it. To match the image quality of a body + multiple lenses, you have to restrict yourself to a single focal length and ignore versatility entirely. It's not anything new or special; it's not significantly different than a very small EVIL DSLR with a single normal lens glued onto it.