Confused

[cpaussie]

I am new to digital photography so I am not certain of the technology. I asked a shop assistant for the price on a Canon 350d. She told me that the only cameras she had were dslr type.
So I asked her if they were prosumer type cameras but she did not know what a prosumer camera was, I told her that I think it meant that it is a fixed lens camera. She told me that all but 2 Canon cameras have interchangable lenes, is this true?:confused:

[patrickt]

If you'll go to the Canon website you will find a plethora of fixed-lens digital cameras so the answer to your question is, no. I find the terms point and shoot and prosumer to be imprecise and not very useful.

[cpaussie]

Thank you I will have a look at the canon site.

[Rex914]

If you'll go to the Canon website you will find a plethora of fixed-lens digital cameras so the answer to your question is, no. I find the terms point and shoot and prosumer to be imprecise and not very useful.
Not really, a point and shoot camera (more precisely called a compact or fixed lens camera) is a camera that doesn't let you change lenses.

The term prosumer is used to describe a class of either DSLR or point and shoot cameras that cater to amateurs and enthusiasts. For a point and shoot, this means a camera with full manual controls and typically a beefier body. For a DSLR, it's a model that's one step above the entry level model(s).

[Vich]

There's a distinction between "SLR" and "DSLR" (Digital SLR).

SLR is a film camera. DSLR has an electronic photo-sensitive sensor that rests exactly where the film would normally be, but otherwise has the same mechanical principles - AS REGARDS THE PHYSICAL HANDLING OF LIGHT.

They look similar, and for the most part use the same lenses (some DSLR lenses don't fit the SLR for the same manufacturer).

SLR means "Single Lens Reflex". There is a mirror that directs the lens output up to the viewfinder. The mirror flips out of the way for each photo.

Digital cameras that are non-DSLR are generally divided by category of sophistocation of user:

P&S (Point And Shoot). There are also film P&S cameras. They have fixed lenses and are usually much smaller.

Prosumer. An in-betweener product for camera enthusiasts who like the all-in-one package (ie: don't want a removable SLR style lens) but want top performance and manual controls similar to the SLR. These have no mirror. A few of these do have specialized interchangable lenses, but nothing you can take with you on your next camera upgrade.

P&S and Prosumers do not have a mirror that directs the light up to the viewfinder. If there is a viewfinder, it is just a separate cheaper lens. This has obvious ramifications for things like Manual Focus and accurately determining what fits in the field-of-view after zooming.

I don't know if there are "prosumer" film cameras, but I can remember paying over $300 for a P&S a few times and getting a very nice little package.

The shop you went to was obviously run by film enthusiasts resistive to the digital era. There's still a few of these dinasours and the one's I've seen usually they have a lot of 35mm SLR, medium, and large format cameras, but not many point-and-shoots (even in film). Go take a picture of them while they still exist.

[cpaussie]

Thanks everyone for your help.
I am slowy saving for the canon 350d. I can't wait unitl I get it in my hands and try it out.
I've just bought my son a nikon coolpix 4600 for Christmas, I'll just have to play around with that for the meantime.

[erichlund]

Not really, a point and shoot camera by definition is a camera that doesn't let you change lenses. That's indisputable. It's also commonly called a fixed lens camera.

The term prosumer is used to describe a class of SLR or point and shoot cameras that cater to amateurs and enthusiasts. For a point and shoot, this means a camera with full manual controls and typically a beefier body. For a DSLR, it's a model that's one step above the entry level model(s).
Actually, I would say settings, not lenses. You can certainly use a dSLR in point and shoot mode. Just set it on Auto. Even with fixed lens cameras, point and shoot depends on the camera. An FZ 30 is not really a point and shoot, since it gives full control to the user. However you can use it as a point and shoot. The only cameras that truly fit the point and shoot definition are the ones where your only control is to press the shutter. Box film cameras pretty much fit this bill. Some of the most basic fixed lens cameras come pretty close, with only minimal controls. I guess what I'm trying to say is that there are two ways of thinking about point and shoot: Absolute, where you can't change anything so only a limited number of cameras qualify, and Mode, where you use the settings the camera gives you, but any camera can be used that way.

Cheers,
Eric

[Vich]

Actually, I would say settings, not lenses. You can certainly use a dSLR in point and shoot mode. Just set it on Auto. Even with fixed lens cameras, point and shoot depends on the camera. An FZ 30 is not really a point and shoot, since it gives full control to the user. However you can use it as a point and shoot. The only cameras that truly fit the point and shoot definition are the ones where your only control is to press the shutter. Box film cameras pretty much fit this bill. Some of the most basic fixed lens cameras come pretty close, with only minimal controls. I guess what I'm trying to say is that there are two ways of thinking about point and shoot: Absolute, where you can't change anything so only a limited number of cameras qualify, and Mode, where you use the settings the camera gives you, but any camera can be used that way.

Cheers,
Eric
According to American Heritage Dict:
POINT AND SHOOT: Of, relating to, or being a camera that adjusts settings such as focus and exposure automatically.

To me; that includes settings such as "Portriat". It means the only thing you have to know is that "Protriat" means taking a People Picture (and of course which of those dumb little - tiny little - icons means Portriat). The user does not need to know the principles of photography.

IMHO; cameras with Manual exposure settings are where it's no longer just a P&S.

[erichlund]

According to American Heritage Dict:
POINT AND SHOOT: Of, relating to, or being a camera that adjusts settings such as focus and exposure automatically.

To me; that includes settings such as "Portriat". It means the only thing you have to know is that "Protriat" means taking a People Picture (and of course which of those dumb little - tiny little - icons means Portriat). The user does not need to know the principles of photography.

IMHO; cameras with Manual exposure settings are where it's no longer just a P&S.
Well, first of all, dictionaries are very poor at describing new and developing technology. But that's not really the point. I consider point and shoot to be more about mode than the physical object. My point was that I consider interchangeable lenses to be a minor consideration of the term. I will soon have a D200. If my wife were to want to use it, I would set it up and then she would just "point and shoot". For her, even a very sophisticated camera is a point and shoot. She would not want to own a D200. She has an S70, and the only control she uses is the zoom. The camera is actually a prosumer version, in that is gives the user full control of exposure.

Cheers,
Eric

[Chucko]

Like Rex, I tend to think "prosumer" refers to a quality level and design philosophy, not to a specific camera design approach. "Prosumer" to me means something adequate for light duty professional use.

For example, the Canon EOS 5D and 20D SLRs are widely regarded as a "prosumer" camera, because their capabilities and controls suit them to professional use, and indeed many professionals use them. But they are not as rugged as the 1D series cameras, which really are designed for heavy and continuous use by people who shoot for a living.

I usually say "point & shoot" to refer to those cameras that emphasize convenience and simplicity of automatic operation over absolute image quality and creative control. I also refer to these cameras as PHD cameras - short for "push here, dummy!" :D These are usually, but not always, fixed-lens cameras. Through the years there have been a number of film SLRs that were specifically designed for P&S use.

Not all fixed-lens cameras are P&Ss. There is a growing trend to produce fixed-lens digital cameras suited to serious photography. The Sony DSC-R1 is a good example. It has an APS-C sized sensor commonly found in DSLRs and extensive manual controls, but it has a fixed lens. Would I classify this as a "prosumer" camera? Yes, but I wouldn't put it in the same class as "prosumer" DSLRs because it is a fixed-lens camera.

To me, a description like "fixed lens" or "DSLR" is more descriptive of a camera's design than "prosumer" or "P&S".

[cdifoto]

To me it's quite simple:

Point n Shoot: Small, convenient, fully automatic, and pocketable.

Prosumer: Shaped like a dSLR but fixed lens rather than interchangeable.

dSLR: duh.

[cpaussie]

To me it's quite simple:

Point n Shoot: Small, convenient, fully automatic, and pocketable.

Prosumer: Shaped like a dSLR but fixed lens rather than interchangeable.

dSLR: duh.


Thats what I thought as well.