New Nikon

apparently the furture but I feel filly with a small little camera like that

 

Don't feel silly. Some of those little cameras are marvellous pieces of kit.

As well as my DSLR I have a Canon Ixus 105 -- smaller than a cigarette packet, 12 megapixel, fits in the top pocket and takes nice sharp photos. It goes everywhere with me 'cos you never know what you might see!

No need to fork out mega bucks, mine was £99 reduced from £160 last year.

 

For £400 you could get a pretty decent entry-level Nikon or Canon DSLR that has all the auto functions that a compact has and much more if you wish to learn a little about how they work.

 

Ah, but this new generation of "compacts" have all the manual functions of a DSLR too. Provided it's not so small that it's difficult to hold steady (and these new Nikons probably are for some), who wouldn't want the quality and versatility of a DSLR (in 90% or more of situations) that can fit in your pocket and likely be carried around all the time? I don't think anyone's developed the perfect one yet, but they are getting there...

 

I think Neil has missed the point; whilst my main kit is a Nikon D700, my Nikon P5000 fits in my pocket and takes a nifty shot that reproduces well at 200ASA. The only problem with these "pocket rockets" [sorry Ian !] is that the ISO is restricted and the noise levels are very noticeable above 200ASA. That said they do a job at a reasonable price and what more does a happy snapper want ?

 

That's why this new generation are getting more exciting for "serious" photographers, unlike the P5000 they are generally large sensor cameras with good noise properties that also have the ability to shoot RAW, manual mode, interchangable lenses, no shutter lag, etc. The downside (IMHO) at the moment is that the lenses are often quite large in comparison to the body, but as more pancake primes or collapsable lenses come along then they will become even more pocketable.

 

Problem is, would fit in your pocket without the len's. Probably better looking at an high end compact like the canon s100, LX5 or XZ1 all of which will give you a good range of zoom and fit in your pocket.

Tad bigger you could look at the P7100, just got one of these myself, or g12 or maybe fuji's new x10.

What you have too look at is the size with lense to cover the range you are after, which is where most of the new mirroless lens camera's fall down, without the lens they are small but once you put any lense with a zoom range on it is not. If you can can live with one of the pancake fixed range lenses then you maybe in with a shout.

By the way, P7100 is nice, you would need a larger pocket to fit it in, but they have fixed all the issues that prevented the p7000 being a good camera and its the only one to give you 28-200mm range.

 

I personally think many photters have become a bit obsessed with needing to maximise their zoom range. Despite having a good range of zooms and primes for my DSLR covering a wide range of focal lengths, when I look back through my images I see that the vast majority are taken within a few mm of the same focal length, so I wouldn't feel too constrained by a single pancake. I'd rather work within those confines than feel I was compromising image quality too much, particularly as I tend to use this kind of camera for those occasions when something special crops up and I haven't got chance to go and grab the "proper" camera. I also find it enjoyable having to use my feet to compose an image, rather than relying on the zoom. Each to their own though and I certainly wouldn't complain if someone developed a decent collapsable 24-200 solution for these cameras...

 

I haven't, I just don't think it's worth spending £400 on a compact when you could get a DSLR

 

Why? If that "compact" has all the features and image quality of your DSLR, and is errr...compact? Why do you want to carry around a bigger, heavier camera if it doesn't provide any benefit? Personally, I'd rather have the smallest camera I can get that provides the features and image quality I need (at least up to the point where it's so small that I can't grip it easily and hold it steady). I know a lot of photters that are pretty pleased to have been able to ditch their medium format cameras for Canon 5DII's. If you're buying a mobile phone, do you look for the biggest you can find?

 

Personally I'll always prefer the feel and handling of a DSLR over something that fits into the palm of my hand and would rather spend £400 on something 'bigger and heavier' than on a compact.

 

Fair enough, each to their own. I expect you'll struggle to buy a DSLR for £400 within the next few years, as the lower end of that market will be swept up by mirrorless cameras with EVFs. I'll certainly not be complaining if my DSLR turns into something closer to a Leica Rangefinder in style and size.