Are DSLRs (Digital single lens reflex) giving way to smaller non-reflex cameras?

  

Email: brqyvn@gmail.com

Hi Photographer friends.

Are Digital single lens reflex cameras giving way to the smaller  non-reflex cameras.

(A single-lens reflex (SLR) camera is a camera that typically uses a semi-automatic moving mirror system (hence the name "reflex", from the mirror's reflection) that permits the photographer to see exactly what will be captured by the film or digital imaging system.)The trend with the newer generation of photographers seems to be the use of small cameras without the pentaprism/mirror arrangement of typical DSLRs. I always liked big cameras because they are easier to stabilize...more weight = less shaking. However, this is all changing with technology. Most digital cameras now have some kind of shake reduction system. With the evolution of technology, smaller sensors can now produce images as good as the top DSLRs of just a few years ago. The EVF cameras (Electronic View Finder) have evolved as well and there are no latency anymore.

I recently acquired the new Pentax Q cameras. It is currently the smallest interchangeable lens camera system in the world. I suspect it won't be for very long as other manufacturers are introducing models of their own. To my surprise, this little camera is very capable despite the small sensor. I believe we have definitely entered in the mirror-less digital cameras.

Wind the clock back just ten years, and big was in. Now big is on its way out and small is in. There are always going to be some people that will not accept new technology and will swear that in the good old days, camera were better built and that you had to be a real photographer to use one of these. At weddings, you would see the "Uncle Bob of the world" with their SLR cameras, but the Professional Photographer was always easy to spot with the big (D) SLR, Medium format camera or the good old twin-lens Mamiyas, that used to be the king of wedding photography.

The new generation of photographers, (the new generation period), don't give a hoot about big and impressive cameras. It's not about impressing others anymore, it's about taking pictures, anywhere, anytime, with or without a degree in photography. Just put your mirror-less camera in auto-everything and you're good to go. Heck, cell phones now have cameras built-in with image quality better or equal to expensive dedicated  digital cameras. Furthermore, with the cell phones, you can send your image via the internet immediately to friends and family. How cool is that?

I can't understand why no camera maker has come up with a Digital Camera with built-in internet access through cell phone companies 3G and now 4G networks. Look at the Apple iPad 2, it has a camera and for only $20.00 per month, you can access the internet via Verizon and AT&T.  It's time to wake up manufacturers. Don't let technology pass you over. Just think of the generations of tomorrow, everything will be done instantly via an even better and faster internet system.

You can hang-on to your big cameras, (and I personally will) but soon, they will join other items on dusty shelves as relics of the past. It just the way it is. You either embrace progress or eventually you are left behind. It's a young people's world, always has been and always will be.

The best you can do to stay young, is to adopt the way of young people. This is the Twenty-First Century, you don't have be in a rocking chair and wait for the big one. 

Thank you for reading, and don't get mad, it will come to past,

Yvon Bourque

Miss Peggy has been gone for a while. I miss her but...you don't think that I would buy a rocking chair and rock my life away, do you?

Email: brqyvn@gmail.com

Hi Pentaxian friends.

For those that have been following my blog for a long time, you know about Miss Peggy. For those that are new here, here is an introduction to Miss Peggy. Miss Peggy is a Jeep and we went on many adventures together. She has brought me to places so remote that getting there would have been impossible without her. I captured images from remote locations, from the desert to high mountains, from beaches to deep forests. She was my best photographic accessory for a long time. We both are a little older now and she needed to slow it down.

A young couple now owns her, and with young children, she will be having a new life, going along the beaches, with the top off. I see a lot of enjoyable moments with her new family. The children will have fun and so will the parents. She will not have to climb so much anymore. The new activities are going to be less stressful on her. Here are some of the last pictures of Miss Peggy that you will see on this blog.

I'm not a spring chicken myself, but  you don't think I would buy a rocking chair and rock my life away...do you?  It's just a step to another adventure. Yes, I will rock my life away, but to the sound of ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and the likes. I had to get another toy to replace Miss Peggy. Here it is or rather here they are:

Introducing "Spartacus", my new buddy. Together, we are ready for new photographic adventures and new  adventures period. I think he is beautiful, and full of energy with his 1300 cc of raw power and customized accessories. He was born from Honda in 2008, and his code name is VTX 1300C. Look at him, he's ready to go. He's been around for 9000 miles but is ready for a lot more.

That's not all, with the change, lots of change, I was able to get this next item. It was originally purchased by an elder couple to go to the lake with the grand kids, but the grand kids are now in their teens and don't care much about camping with the grandparents.  This was just good timing, right place at the right time, as I got this 23 foot Prowler Travel Trailer for a dime on the dollar of the actual value. I also shared the cost with my stepson, so that he too can use it at times.

The inside is like new. In fact, the gas stove was never used. It will come handy to spend economical weekends at places like Yosemite and other National Parks. Perfect for long weekends of photography, etc. My own children and their kids (my grandchildren) will be able to use it when they come visit here in California. We named the trailer "Freedom". It's a she. Here she is:

"Freedom" and "Spartacus" actually were purchased for less than what my cameras, including lenses and accessories, were purchased for. Crazy, isn't it?

Thanks for stopping by.

Yvon Bourque

My Samsung / Verizon Cell Phone camera IQ is getting closer to my Pentax DSLR. I want a Pentax in my Cell Phone.

Visitors to this page also liked: See "Recommended Reading" on the right column. We honor reciprocal links. Email: brqyvn@aol.com

Hi Pentaxian friends.

About a month ago, I purchase and posted about my new iPod Touch . I liked it except that it was only useful around my own home network or at places like Starbuck where Wi-Fi is available. I already have the second generation of iPod and the songs and images capabilities are about the same. Neither has a camera. I purchased it at Costco and was able to return it for a full refund. I cannot afford an Apple iPhone and don't really like AT&T for cellular phone services.

My cell phone contract is with Verizon. I explored what Verizon had available these days to see if I could upgrade my current cell phone for one with a better built-in digital camera . Well...I found it. I renewed my subscription for another two years and got a new phone for free. I also signed for unlimited internet for just $39.95. The cell phone I chose is a Samsung Omnia II. It is similar to the iPhone technology but uses Windows Mobile 6.5. It's like a mini laptop and I can get all my emails wherever I go. I can surf the internet, post on Facebook and even on my blog, which I eventually will.

The 5.0 megapixels camera (The iPhone has a 3 megapixels camera) combined with a 3.7" WVGA AMOLED display screen, is what impressed me the most.  Here are some of the camera features: 5.0 megapixels, Autofocus, Scene mode, single and continuous shooting, auto-panorama, auto and adjustable white balance, Face recognition, Special Effects,  Sensitivity of ISO 50 to 800, Contrast-Saturation-Sharpness adjustment, Flash on - Auto or off, Brightness adjustment, Anti-shake, Matrix - Center Weighted and Spot metering, and more. It even has WDR (Wide Dynamic Range)  which is a form of HDR (High Dynamic Range on DSLRs) Oh yes...it also has the capability of storing images in the phone's 8 gig internal memory, or use a mini SDHC card up to 16gig, or upload your pictures to places like Flickr, Facebook, Photobucket, YouTube, etc, on the internet, right from the phone. Grant you...the sensor is smaller than a DSLR, but look at how much progress that has been made in the last five years with cell phone technology. Will the cell phone cameras of tomorrow be as good as Today's DSLRs? Will Cell phones replace the cameras and computers as a media tool? Perhaps they will.

A few more attributes, my cell runs microsoft Word, Excel, Power point and all of the standard Microsoft Office applications. It can be used as a voice recorder and even has GPS. I plays video movies, TV programs, stores and play thousands of songs, podcasts, e-books, etc. My Pentax e-books can be uploaded in Word format including all of the images or in PDF without the images. Oh yeah! Did I mention that it also has video capabilities?

Ain't technology grand? Maybe Pentax will someday team-up with a cell phone manufacturer and offer Pentax Technology for the camera part. Pentax has always been know for the small footprint of their cameras.

Joshua Tree National Park

180 Degree Panorama

Victoria Gardens

Thanks for reading,

Yvon Bourque