S3 IS to DSLR- should I upgrade? Need Advice

I'd really suggest going the DSLR route. You'll find flash sync easier (it's possible to use off-camera strobes with the S3 via manual control of bot h your flash and the slaves, but you'll have a significant learning curve going to multiple flash regardless of how you try, and E-TTL on an EOS will be much easier to cope with). Noise will be better on the larger sensors of DSLRs. DoF control's easier with a larger format sensor because of the longer focal length of the lens. The optical reflex viewfinder of the SLR gives you a much better view of what you're actually going to capture than do the EVF or LCD on the S3, since the optical finder's not pixel-limited and responds quickly. The DSLR has much less lag time; when you're photographing squirming children or pets, that matters. And you'll find that manually zooming the lens gives you much better control of your framing than the motorized zoom on the S3.

Those are a few of the practical advantages of the DSLR. There's also the marketing issue of your clients seeing you with a P&S rather than a big, "pro-looking" SLR. And don't underestimate that point's importance, in their eyes at least.

Jon wrote in post #3947818
Those are a few of the practical advantages of the DSLR. There's also the marketing issue of your clients seeing you with a P&S rather than a big, "pro-looking" SLR. And don't underestimate that point's importance, in their eyes at least.

Yeah, the mall Santa setups that use a P&S feel like such a rip off to alot of people. I've got a few friends that complain about that very point.

My advice to you, aside from the obvious professional look when using a DSLR over a compact (If I had a portrait booked and a compact came out, I'd be out of there) is to have both. The DSLR for your formal shots and the P&S for the more candid informal ones.

Cheers.

Thanks so much for your input/advice. The point about the view from the client's end is a valid one and will definately effect my decision. It's a tough one because to me, it's the final product that is all that matters. The means to that end is irrelevant, in my eyes. However, to a client who is giving me their money, I guess it is important to "look the part".

I think I need to handle/use a DSLR and see if I can get a superior product of photography from it. Who knows, maybe I'll fall in love with it! I grew up with a 35mm SLR (Olympus OM10 to be exact - still use it on occasion) so I think I'll take to a DSLR just fine.

I bought my S3 a year ago yesterday. I was originally going to buy an XTi, but the budget wouldn't allow it, so I settled for the S3. I knew I wasn't going to be 100% satisfied it from the time I bought it, but I knew it would get me by and maybe keep me satisfied for at least another year until I could get what I wanted. The S3 is a great camera, that is undeniable. I was able to pull off some really good work with it. I did some very nice family shots with it last spring that came out wonderfully. I did some engagement photos for a friend and her fiancee and they were extremely please and impressed with the results. I also did a photoshoot of a friend's truck and was able to get him a spot in a calendar. But, the S3 was always meant to be a filler for the time being until I could get what I really wanted.

The S3 does have its limitations. Doing the family and engagement photos, I wanted to get some bokeh (background blur) in a lot of the shots. To do that with the S3 requires having to pretty much zoom to the end of the lens (12x), and so I was having to be 20-30' away from the subject to get what I wanted. These were all shot outdoors, so it wasn't a huge problem, but with a small in-home studio, it just would not be practical at all.

I wasn't paid for the engagement photos or the truck photos. I did them as favors to friends and to get myself some valuable practice. Although I wasn't paid and they were just friends that I was doing them for, I felt somewhat unprofessional walking around shooting the pics with a P&S camera.

Don't get me wrong, in no way do I regret buying the S3. It gave me a good step up from the really crappy P&S cameras I was using to something that I could use without cussing every single time I pressed the shutter. The inability to afford the XTi at the time last year was also somewhat of a blessing in disguise as it gave me another year to better research what I wanted and to allow Canon to bring out the 40D, which I bought last week. Even with just the kit lens, I am so extremely happy with what the 40D can do for me.

My S3 isn't going anywhere, though. It still has its place. I just need to get the LCD fixed, but it's still a keeper.

I reccommend DSLR! Just starter model like Rebel XTi and buy the portrait lens. DSLR give better response for focus & have no time lag.