S3 IS to DSLR- should I upgrade? Need Advice

Greetings-
I currently own an S3 IS and absolutely LOVE this camera. My knowledge of aperture/shutter speed/ISO, lighting, etc. helps me to use the manual settings on this baby to great effect.

My question is this: I am building a small home studio to begin shooting adults/children/pets and the occasional glamour shot (already have clients ready to go when I am). Do I really NEED a DSLR? Now I see the S5 IS just came out! Is it possible to use strobe flashes with my S3 IS, which has no sync port or hot shoe? And if so, how? Will the quality of my photos really be that much better with a DSLR?

I just love the features of the S3 & S5 SO much. I'm a firm beleiver in that it's not so much the camera but the photographer that makes a great picture.

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

S3 is a DSLR in disguise.

If you are happy with the prints and result you have now, probably you don't need any change but most people who do a lot of portraits, do have a full frame body such as 5D.
Be prepare to spend a lot more if you go DSLR including lens, light, etc.

Remembering Moon shoots of S3, shown in this forum before and all other wonderful image, I am too a permanent advocator of S3. The face recognition of S5 does not necessitate an upgrade but for closing prices to one another these days, if one doesn't have any camera, S5 is a better deal in its exceptional class.

The only other advise I may pass to you (Unfortunately for being a very Canon lover personally) and in fact if your photography includes sportic activities and shootings, is to go for Olympus, SP-560 UZ LINK (Click on 4th icon i.e. 15 fps) that offers a lot of extra ordinary features including burst mode with 15 fps (Yes you heard it right - 15, of course in lower rez).

Thanks, Samsen. I am extremely pleased with the prints I get from my S3 - even at 11X14. Can you or someone else advise on how I can use this camera in a studio setting where I will be using off camera strobes? Will I benefit from the S5's hot shoe??

Your comments and advice are GREATLY appreciated. Thank you!

You can always run a system of light based on multiple slave flashes triggered by the on-cameras flash that may serve as a fill in only.

May be some one can pass a better advise though.

samsen wrote in post #3943832
You can always run a system of light based on multiple slave flashes triggered by the on-cameras flash that may serve as a fill in only.

May be some one can pass a better advise though.

Oh, I see. Would the little green pre-flash set off the other flashes before the on camera flash sets them off? If anyone is using a system like this PLEASE respond to let me know how this works for you. If this system is iffy, I may just upgrade to the S5 because of the hot shoe. I'm REALLY avoiding moving to DSLR - not for the $$, but just because I think the S3 is just fantastic!

I thought the pre release flash is controlable under manual settings. Or am I wrong? Need to check with the manual.

samsen wrote in post #3943896
I thought the pre release flash is controlable under manual settings. Or am I wrong? Need to check with the manual.

Yes, you are correct. I just checked the menu and you can turn it on or off.

Since you'll likely be operating under controlled and ideal lighting conditions in a home studio, the S3/S5 will likely still serve you very well. And yes the photographer should have the greatest impact on a photo but remember that a DSLR will give you more creative control in terms of DOF and that is something that is often very desired in portraiture work.

LotsToLearn wrote in post #3944102
Since you'll likely be operating under controlled and ideal lighting conditions in a home studio, the S3/S5 will likely still serve you very well. And yes the photographer should have the greatest impact on a photo but remember that a DSLR will give you more creative control in terms of DOF and that is something that is often very desired in portraiture work.

Can you please elaborate on the Depth of Field issue? Shouldn't I be able to have good control over this with, say F2.7 in Manual mode on my S3?

Well 2.7 on a P&S vs 2.8 on a DSLR are going to be very different and I believe it's because of how sensor size comes into play. It's part of the nature of compacts and their tiny sensors. Honestly, I'm not the best to try to explain it but if you do a search on it you should find lots of information on it or if somebody later can put it in technical words.

With the Sx series the best way to achieve the impression of shallow DOF is when you're extremely zoomed out, and that's not practical given you're trying to set up a home studio.

With a DSLR you'll have lots of lenses to choose from with large apertures that can provide a shallow DOF at portraiture working distances. Go to the lens forum and take a look at the samples in the 85mm L lens thread for example.

I own an S5 and use it for semi-professional work and find it great - I actually made the decision to upgrade to this camera instead of to a DSLR because I wanted a multipurpose camera that I could use for everyday use as well as more serious work. So far, no complaints, except for the DOF issue, as mentioned!

One way I have found to get around this, other than zoom, is to shoot in macro mode!! It just requires a little more creativity when you don't have all the equipment!

All the best, and these are great cameras!!

LotsToLearn wrote in post #3944328
Well 2.7 on a P&S vs 2.8 on a DSLR are going to be very different and I believe it's because of how sensor size comes into play. It's part of the nature of compacts and their tiny sensors. Honestly, I'm not the best to try to explain it but if you do a search on it you should find lots of information on it or if somebody later can put it in technical words.

With the Sx series the best way to achieve the impression of shallow DOF is when you're extremely zoomed out, and that's not practical given you're trying to set up a home studio.

With a DSLR you'll have lots of lenses to choose from with large apertures that can provide a shallow DOF at portraiture working distances. Go to the lens forum and take a look at the samples in the 85mm L lens thread for example.

Really appreciate your input. I checked out that thread and see what you mean by killer DOF...

trialanderror wrote in post #3944378
I own an S5 and use it for semi-professional work and find it great - I actually made the decision to upgrade to this camera instead of to a DSLR because I wanted a multipurpose camera that I could use for everyday use as well as more serious work. So far, no complaints, except for the DOF issue, as mentioned!

One way I have found to get around this, other than zoom, is to shoot in macro mode!! It just requires a little more creativity when you don't have all the equipment!

All the best, and these are great cameras!!

I to like the multi-purpose aspect of the S3/S5. Does the S5 have a sync port or how do you controll external lighting/flash (if you do at all), off the hot shoe?

trialanderror-
Are you using the macro/supermacro settings for portraits? I just did a couple sample shots and only get a decent shallow DOF when up really close. Is this what you are talking about?

Why not shoot two studio shots; one with an S3 or S5 and another with a friend's SLR. Print them at 8x10 or 11x14 and then decide what you need. Can your customers tell the difference is the question.