My P&S takes better photos that my dSLR :(

[Jenny K]

My P&S takes better photos that my dSLR :(

I wonder sometimes if I'm ever going to get the hang of my dSLR and PP etc

My P&S is so easy :(

Maybe I jumped in the deep end of the pool to early after taking off my floaties.

[ImRaptor]

I think you mean to say you were taking better photos with your P&S than with your DSLR and not that your P&S takes better photos than your DSLR.

As you say, it's a matter of learning but it really is easy to pick up the basics. Start off easy and don't try and learn anything by shooting in the auto modes. Get into manual, AV, or TV and go from there.

[Todd Lambert]

From internet fame: "You're doing it wrong!"

Try posting some photos with your exif info attached. Most importantly, keep taking photos and trying to learn from your mistakes. Everyone takes bad shots, but try and learn why you are taking bad shots.

[5Dmaniac]

I know plenty of people who feel exactly like you. Whenever this comes up it is typically a lack of interest to really learn and understand the ins-and-outs of a DSLR. For many people a P&S does indeed make more sense than a feature packed DSLR. I would guess that most people who own a DSLR use them either in Program mode or even the Green (Idiot) mode because they can't be bothered with learning the ropes. If you are more comfortable with a P&S, then by all means use it - nothing wrong with that.

[DreDaze]

if you throw your SLR into the green box mode...it'll pretty much act as a point and shoot...

[JeffreyG]

My P&S takes better photos that my dSLR :(

I wonder sometimes if I'm ever going to get the hang of my dSLR and PP etc

My P&S is so easy :(

Maybe I jumped in the deep end of the pool to early after taking off my floaties.

I think that dSLR cameras are not very good for people that want to take pictures in auto mode with little post processing. My wife isn't interested in learning anything about photography and she finds my 5D to be difficult to use well (she is especially good at missing focus). Plus she hates how large and heavy it is.

For a person who understands photography or is interested in learning, a dSLR has a lot of abilities that P&S cameras don't. But in straight up green box mode they are typically about the same as a P&S and in some cases worse than a P&S.

[neilwood32]

My P&S takes better photos that my dSLR :(

I wonder sometimes if I'm ever going to get the hang of my dSLR and PP etc

My P&S is so easy :(

Maybe I jumped in the deep end of the pool to early after taking off my floaties.

There is a huge amount to learn (if your willing to try) but the rewards when learned are even larger.

P&s are easy - designed to give 90% of the people what they want 90% of the time but are very difficult to control when you want that extra 10% from a shot. I bet you can think of a lot of times when your P&S let you down if you put your mind to it because it took control and gave you what it thought you wanted

Once you have the basics of exposure (exposure triangle & sunny 16 rule - google them) then taking photos becomes very rewarding.

With regards to PP, one of the most rewarding things i found for making my photos look better was Curves - very intuitive once you get the basics and can make a huge difference.

[Jeff Costantino]

My DSLR (300D) takes better photos than my P&S.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2662/3973643126_9e3abd4d84.jpg


My P&S (SD800) takes better snapshots than my 300D.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3394/3184170028_dd022b4730.jpg

It's all relative... I've learned that you really have to exercise a lot of precision with a DSLR vs the fire and forget nature of a P&S. They both have their respective roles and they can both turn out great photos if used properly.

[joedlh]

Start off easy and don't try and learn anything by shooting in the auto modes. Get into manual, AV, or TV and go from there.

Funny, I tell people just the opposite. If you find yourself in possession of a dSLR before you're ready for it, start off in green box or P mode. Analyze your results and figure out what went wrong. As you learn more about the camera and your ability to envision your results, you will gravitate toward the more precise controls. I don't think "start simple" and "manual mode" go well together in the same sentence.

[yogestee]

My P&S takes better photos that my dSLR :(

.


It should read, "I take better photos with my P&S than with my DSLR"..

[MikeFairbanks]

Dude, EVERYONE feels that way when they first get a DSLR. I did, and if you dig through my posts you'll see that I was whining about the same thing.

Don't compare the two. Keep taking lots of pictures with both, and eventually you'll see the need for both.

A P&S is often underrated by "serious" photographers. But it definitely has its purpose. If you go out to dinner with friends and such, and want to take a few pics, slip that little bad boy in your pocket and snap away. You'll get some good pictures. Do the same at Disneyland, the park, etc. Your friends and family won't appreciate you horsing around with a DSLR while they are all trying to have fun. They'll think you're being a geek.

Save your DSLR for when you want really artistic or excellent photos of sports, posed portraits, etc., or whatever, and remember: A P&S does the color enhancing, sharpening, contrast and everything else FOR you.

A point and shoot is like sirloin that is cooked really well. It's good.

A DSLR is like filet minon, but if you don't cook it well, you'll be disappointed. However, if you cook the filet properly and prepare it properly, no sirloin can match it.

It's all in how you cook it.

I want one of those Point and Shoots with the screen on both sides of the camera for the quick pics with friends and such. Those are fun. Fun is what P&S are all about. P&S are easy, fun, and you don't have to think. Just take pictures and let the camera do all the work. You'll get a few duds and a few gems, and most people won't give a darn. They'll just say, "That was classic when Jenna and Barbara got drunk and fell down." And you'll have it on film.

My mother was a professional photographer who took portraits of just about everyone who was famous in the seventies (Merv Griffin, Robert Redford, Lucille Ball, etc.) and was good. But when point and shoots came out (the film ones) she was thrilled. She used it as often as her DSLR.


Also, learn Depth of Field. It's mathematical. It takes time. You'll eventually realize that a P&S cannot get the same quality of shot as a DSLR if the DSLR is used correctly.

And always leave your ego behind when taking pictures. If you take a great photo with automatic settings, it's still YOUR photo that YOU own, and nobody can ever take that away from you. There's a pro in my neighborhood who is a really good photographer, and he said that AV meant Amateur Something and TV meant something similar.

Then I showed him a picture I took with my point and shoot that was attached to a kite 400 feet in the air. He was impressed. It was all auto.

Whatever gets the job done.

Just take pictures.

[Jenny K]

Thank you all for the replies. I was a bit down when I posted this as I thought that it was going to be a lot easier.
I love photography and I'm going to persevere with my dSLR until I can confidently use it.

I don't post much here, but I do read, read and read!

Thanks all once again for your very encouraging replies.

[czeglin]

Stick it out! It's so much fun once you get the hang of it!
I do recommend playing around some in the manual and semi-manual modes. I personally think Av mode is the best to learn on (leave it on Auto ISO for now). This way you can learn how aperture affects depth-of-field. This is one of the more major changes when going to a DSLR. With a P&S everything is always in focus, for the most part. It can't NOT be with such a small sensor. Now you can use a wide aperture (lower number) and blur the background so your subject really stands out. Then put it in Tv mode and learn what shutter speeds are appropriate for things moving at various rates of speed. You'll begin to see just how much people move in 1/60th of a second. Don't worry about ISO for the time being. 1600 on my XSi looks better than 200 on my old S5 IS.

[Mosca]

Spend a hundred bucks at Proud Photography. It is worth every penny to flatten the learning curve. You can blow through the course in a month or two, and when it is over you will never pick up the P&S for important pictures, ever again; and when you do pick it up for the casual stuff, your shots will be far, far better composed.

[tkbslc]

If you post some samples of what you are struggling with, we may be able to help. But honestly, my wife and I never experienced this. From day one we were blown away with how much nicer than our compact cameras the SLR is - even with the basic kit lens.

I would suggest reading the manual and learning what the major controls do, and then practicing.

[mathogre]

When my G9 arrived, and a year later when my XSi arrived, I spent some quality time with the owner manual in the livingroom, taking epic photos of my coffee cup, the CD/DVD rack, the Alice in Wonderland figuring on top of the aforementioned rack, and even the manual itself.

"To set ____, do this."

Coffee cup in sepia, followed by coffee cup in sepia with increased exposure by 1/3, followed by other epic photos that are now being offered for sale by National Geographic (or would be if not for my artistic pride). The study photos in the image below were taken after I was well into using my XSi for the Solo Photo Book Month project; I'd had the camera for maybe 2 weeks. Nearly half a year later I still take study photos.

http://homepage.mac.com/mathogre/.Pictures/study.png

Play with your DSLR. See what it will do for you. You'll take lots of study photos that you'll never show anyone, but you'll learn much about your camera that way.

[TeeTee]

Poor you, my camera takes amazing photos!

[LBaldwin]

Sorry you feel that way, but photography is an art with a severe technical side. Not trying to be rude, but it's not the gear - its you. Photography is a lifetime craft. You cannot just pick up the camera and create world class stuff. Sure you will get lucky sometimes, but again that is just luck. And luck favors the prepared.

Your P&S does all the thinking for you, The DSLR can, but that is no fun. It requires training, study, and most of all a real time commitment. As I have told hundreds of students over the years, get a note book and pencil. Take notes of your camera settings, exposure, comp, and subject. Don't depend on the stupid computer, do it in your own handwriting. Then apply what you do, combine it with what you learn and keep shooting, and shooting. Your notebook will show your progress.

[gkarris]

My P&S takes better photos that my dSLR :(


I've had that happen plenty of times...

It was me, though... ;)

GO OUT AND TAKE PICS WITH ANY CAMERA!!!

long live POLAROID...

(shameless plug...)

:)

[WaltA]

On the other side of the coin, I've seen some people with Rebels (Xti, Xsi etc) who are using them in the Green Box mode. And they have awesome pictures - with the camera set in the factory settings and no post-processing at all.

I just sit in awe wondering how jaw-dropping those photos would be taken in M mode as RAW and then popped in processing.

[chauncey]

Sorry you feel that way, but photography is an art with a severe technical side. Not trying to be rude, but it's not the gear - its you. Photography is a lifetime craft. You cannot just pick up the camera and create world class stuff. Sure you will get lucky sometimes
It requires training, study, and most of all a real time commitment
How many of those students are members of the "I want it all, right now" mentality?

[Jenny K]

Spend a hundred bucks at Proud Photography. It is worth every penny to flatten the learning curve.

I really wanted to do that but someone told me it was a scam.

[DreDaze]

i don't know if anyone has recommended it to you, or if you own it already...but the book Understanding Exposure by bryan peterson is a good way to get the hang of things...your SLR will take better pictures if you learn how to use it well.

what i'd do is take your camera...your manual...and the book, and spend a couple days outside messing around with the different functions...see what causes what in a picture

either way don't give up...and if you feel frustrated, you can always just go to auto for a bit :)

[neilwood32]

i don't know if anyone has recommended it to you, or if you own it already...but the book Understanding Exposure by bryan peterson is a good way to get the hang of things...your SLR will take better pictures if you learn how to use it well.

what i'd do is take your camera...your manual...and the book, and spend a couple days outside messing around with the different functions...see what causes what in a picture

either way don't give up...and if you feel frustrated, you can always just go to auto for a bit :)

Understanding Exposure certainly helped me along the road. I shot 100% Auto prior to reading it, now I'm 100% manual.

[LibertyToad]

Thank you all for the replies. I was a bit down when I posted this as I thought that it was going to be a lot easier.
I love photography and I'm going to persevere with my dSLR until I can confidently use it.

I don't post much here, but I do read, read and read!

Thanks all once again for your very encouraging replies.

Just keep at it. Once you get the hang of a DSLR you'll be able to take photos that would be difficult, if not impossible, with a P&S.

Consider buying "Understanding Exposure" it's a great book and will help you. I've been using SLR's for years, but I bought this book about a year ago and even though I understand how exposure works, it was still very useful.

[chopperdave]

The thing I would recomend, is sit down and really think about "why?" Are the extra controls on the DSLR distracting you from what really matters in the picture? Is it the fully auto nature of the Point and Shoot letting you pay more attention to the framing of the photo? What exactly is it that makes you think that. What causes it?

[Mosca]

I really wanted to do that but someone told me it was a scam.

I took the course and it was the best $100 I spent on photography. I keep in touch with my instructor to this day, we are email pals. He is easy to find; Greg Howell Photography (http://greghowellphotography.com/index.html). Not the mark of a scam.

It's a beginners class. It isn't going to make you a pro, but it will get you over the initial frustration. You proceed at your own pace, so if life situations interfere with your hobby you don't fall behind. I found the lessons to be clear and easy to understand, and I found the feedback to be useful, insightful, and encouraging.

I don't mean this post to derail the thread; but so often I see people posting here about equipment, when what so many of us beginners really need is instruction, feedback, and experience. I don't know what the course costs now, but it is somewhere around the cost of a Nifty Fifty, or a quality filter. I bought a Nifty Fifty and never use it, but I use what I learned through Proud Photography every time I pick up my camera.

If you don't trust that particular school or delivery method (internet course), cool. Take a series of courses at your local community college extension, or maybe through a local quality photography store, like Dan's Camera in Allentown PA, somewhere where you are more confident in the value. My message is the same; find someone who can help you, whose job it is to help you, and you will get much better much faster.

[Persephone]

Lightroom 2 made post-processing FUN. Now I shoot RAW, no trouble, it's easy to process it, and I've started to develop a certain style that I like. I suggest downloading and running a trial of LR2.

I shoot in P mode most of the time and for me the DSLR excels in action, low-light, fast recharge time, being able to bounce flash (with an EX Speedlite), and being able to shoot from the hip or above your head. If you push your photography really hard the DSLR will shine (provided you have the right lenses, of course) where the P&S flails.

[cdifoto]

My P&S takes better photos that my dSLR :(
Mine does too, in ideal conditions. Mostly because with my P&S, I don't have to put a single thought into anything except composition. It cooks everything for me and actually does a fine job of it...again, in ideal conditions.