Point and Shoot Camera vs. DSLR

[TroyH]

Okay, I feel a bit ridiculous asking but I got a good internal struggle with this!

I have a nice Rebel T3i DSLR camera that takes great pictures. However, i'm not sure if I want to lug it around the parks for 4 days in May. With that being said, i'm considering buying a point and shoot camera that will cost around $299.

Are the rides, in general, large camera friendly? Or do my DISers think its best to travel light?

 

[Dan Murphy]

I have the same DSLR, great camera. Last several trips I have just taken my Samsung Galaxy or Note as my camera. Most new, higher end smartphones take excellent pictures. You can do more with the Rebel, but do you need to?

You might check the photography forum here also.

http://www.disboards.com/forums/photography-board.97/

 

[hakepb]

No dry ride at WDW is too extreme when holding a padded camera bag (handle wrapped through legs) by your feet.

Kali can be too wet, but there are ride lockers.

It's all personal preference. To some, vacation is the best time to use and play with their best camera equipment. Other times it's nice to pack light.

 

[ebradley23]

It depends on your vacation style. Before I had my son, I would have said use the dslr. Now that we have a child, and I couldn't imagine trying to lug that big thing and chase after him. My DH bought me a point and shoot a few years ago just for WDW.

 

[TroyH]

I have the same DSLR, great camera. Last several trips I have just taken my Samsung Galaxy or Note as my camera. Most new, higher end smartphones take excellent pictures. You can do more with the Rebel, but do you need to?

You might check the photography forum here also.

http://www.disboards.com/forums/photography-board.97/

Nice i Had no idea about this board. I think my biggest reservation is the HD video and wanting to take more of this this trip. Thanks for the link!

 

[TroyH]

It depends on your vacation style. Before I had my son, I would have said use the dslr. Now that we have a child, and I couldn't imagine trying to lug that big thing and chase after him. My DH bought me a point and shoot a few years ago just for WDW.

I dont have kids yet, it will be me and the wife. I totally see what you are saying.

 

[Robertfam08]

We leave the DSLR at home for Disney, and I usually take that thing everywhere! The Canon G15 is the camera we take, but we like to shoot just as much video as pictures.

 

[fla4fun]

I take both on the trip, but it depends on what I am doing which one I bring each day. For example, if I was going to a special event, especially after dark, I would bring the dslr. But for every day snaps, the smaller camera is fine.

 

[Drusilla99]

I have the Nikon camera just like your canon & took it last year many of the days we were there in June & nov. I loved it! All the "big" rides have the holders on the cars/trains/whatever that the camera stored safely in. I even felt it was secure on Everest. And I got great pictures!

 

[mshanson3121]

Okay, I feel a bit ridiculous asking but I got a good internal struggle with this!

I have a nice Rebel T3i DSLR camera that takes great pictures. However, i'm not sure if I want to lug it around the parks for 4 days in May. With that being said, i'm considering buying a point and shoot camera that will cost around $299.

Are the rides, in general, large camera friendly? Or do my DISers think its best to travel light?

I would never take a point and shoot. You can get nice cross-body camera bags that carry your camera plus an extra lens and other goodies. I had no problem at all carrying mine in the heat and crowd of summer. Point and shoots just cant come close to matching the quality of DSLR especially when dealing with the less than ideal shooting situations youll encounter.

 

[Grand Admiral]

Last several trips I have just taken my Samsung Galaxy or Note as my camera. Most new, higher end smartphones take excellent pictures.

My point and shoot has been collecting dust since smartphone cameras have gotten so good.

I took this one with my iPhone 6+ (click for large size)

 

[ciera321]

A little of each for me. We do rope drop most every day, and use our phine cameras, which do take really good pictures. In the evening, when we go back to the parks for a couple of hours, I'll take our Canon Rebel DLSR, which I love for fireworks and nighttime photos.

 

[2Gma]

My point and shoot has been collecting dust since smartphone cameras have gotten so good.

I took this one with my iPhone 6+ (click for large size)

Great shot! and I am just awwing over your child's beautiful head of red hair!

As for which camera, we've done both. Some trips DSLR and others with just point and shoot. If you trying to get "artsy" photos definitely bring DSLR but if just for snapshots then we've found our high quality point and shoot is just fine. If you want other people to take photos for you, bring point and shoot. or use your phone. Whenever I've asked people to use my DSLR for a family photo, they usually turn out blurry. I liked having DSLR for character meet and greets, character meals, etc. when snapping a quick photo to catch my child's first expressions was important. DSLR was a beast to carry around in the heat but fit fine in all the rides we went on.

 

[mom2rtk]

My point and shoot has been collecting dust since smartphone cameras have gotten so good.

I took this one with my iPhone 6+ (click for large size)

Lovely shot!

Smart phone cameras really have come a long way. Outdoors in bright light it's hard for some to tell the difference. The difference will start to show up more in low light situations and in character shots where a flash is often needed.

 

[shm_helene]

We took my moms point and shoot last year because it could go in water. Some of our best pics are at night under water and under the waterfall at Disney. i k now some smart phones do that, but not mine. I don't know what to do this year as they are going on vacation at the same time, lol. I did like not having the dslr to lug around.

 

[KaSe]

My point and shoot has been collecting dust since smartphone cameras have gotten so good.

I took this one with my iPhone 6+ (click for large size)

Love this! Oh that red hair!!

I have the same camera too, and I've done both. Our first trips I always took my DSLR, but as trips went on, I found it was just easier to shoot the everyday stuff with a good point & shoot and my phone. I use the Canon Powershot for my point & shoot. It does a great job and does video plus photos (plus we can do both on our phones, too). It works well for us.

 

[Ratpack]

I have this same battle and this year I am complicating it more with the addition of a gopro. Our PnS is waterproff as is the gopro, so I am thinking that is the ones I will use most along with my Note 5. I truly love the photos the DSLR takes but the weight of carrying it around all day is a pain. Plus when you ask other to take your picture and hand them a DSLR, if they have not used one, I usually have to teach them and then I am not sure what my photo will look like. With a simple PnS, there is a high chance the photo will be a good one.

 

[pepperandchips]

I usually haul around my Nikon DSLR but I rented a nice point and shoot for my last vacation (for use at Universal, actually). Never had a problem taking my DSLR around Disney. But I kinda wanna buy that point and shoot now

 

[Keyser]

A little of each for me. We do rope drop most every day, and use our phine cameras, which do take really good pictures. In the evening, when we go back to the parks for a couple of hours, I'll take our Canon Rebel DLSR, which I love for fireworks and nighttime photos.

This. My wife is the camera person in our family, but this is similar to what she's done on various trips (not just theme park). For the more active parts of a day, she'll bring nothing along, but then will bring the good camera for less-active activities. If we bring a point-and-shoot, it's usually one I can carry in my pocket. She gets tired carrying around the DSLR, especially if she brings along the bag with other lenses, batteries, etc. She's not enough of a photographer to put up with it anyway, and honestly, if she has the camera, we will end up spending a fair amount of time taking pictures rather than maximizing ride time , so I sometimes hope she doesn't!

At Disney, she'll not bring any camera for rope drop/during the day, then if we've got a relatively relaxed night (dinner, fireworks shows, maybe a couple of rides, etc.) she'll bring along the DSLR. Of course, this assumes a mid-day break where you can retrieve the camera each day.

As someone else said, the good DSLR cameras used by someone who knows what they're doing will still blow away the quality of pictures taken with point-and-shoot or smartphone (despite how good smartphones have gotten). So, we still want the camera there, but for us it's too much of a hassle at some times.

 

[Love Tink]

I would never take a point and shoot. You can get nice cross-body camera bags that carry your camera plus an extra lens and other goodies. I had no problem at all carrying mine in the heat and crowd of summer. Point and shoots just cant come close to matching the quality of DSLR especially when dealing with the less than ideal shooting situations youll encounter.

Depends. If the OP really means a "point and shoot" - a type of camera that really barely exists any more (having been replaced by phone cameras) - I agree. But the OP mentions spending $299, which probably actually means a quality compact camera. Some of the good compact cameras have better specs and bigger sensors than the Rebel.

OP - if you want atmospheric type photos - walking around photos - a new, good quality compact is most likely plenty of camera. If you want tricky shots, like flash-free work on rides, or a lot of indoor character shots, or effects shots, you need the Rebel. Personally, I bring a compact. I get 90% of what I would want with it, and I am willing to sacrifice the other 10% to be able to slip the camera in my pocket.