I really enjoyed this Q&A with travel photographer Robert Caplin on the New York Times’ website. In it Caplin, who has shot for National Geographic, ESPN The Magazine and The New York Times, tells a little bit about his style, his technique and, of course, his gear. But even though he travels with thousands of dollars in camera equipment, one of his favourite recent cameras is the little lens on the iphone.
He says, it’s not the gear that makes you a better photographer:
Having better equipment can give you better control over how to take the photo, but I don’t think it necessarily makes you a better photographer. Someone who’s a good photographer can take a photo with their telephone nearly as good as they could with a professional camera.
With that in mind, Amy and I have been thinking for a while about getting a point-and-shoot that would be less burdensome to take places than her DSLR. But we can’t find a good pocket-sized one that we feel hits the sweet spot in terms of performance and price. There just seems to be too many compromises in smaller compact cameras these days.
Then I saw the specs on the new Canon S90. Every single reviewer I’ve read absolutely drools about its larger, better sensor, its f2.0 lens (28-105, btw) and its killer click-wheel. Read reviews, here, here, here, and here.
Of course, it’s $500. Someone please either talk me into it, or talk me out of it?
Grant Hamilton
3 Responses to “Robert Caplin tells it like it is”
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I’d look at this:
http://www.vistek.ca/store/DigitalCameras/238993/panasonic-dmclx3k-lumix-digital-camera-black.aspx
or this:
http://www.vistek.ca/store/DigitalCameras/245348/panasonic-dmcfz35k-lumix-digital-camera-black.aspx
Don’t do it.
For that price, you can get a LEICA lens (2.0 as well, BTW) that goes wider — 24mm equivalent — on the Panasonic Lumix LX-3. I got this camera before going to China this summer and it flat-out rocks.
Very easy to use, the files are super clean and it allows full manual control easily (even manual focus). Even shoots HD video, and allows you choice of 3 format ratios, including 16:9 (for both still photos and video).
Canon also has some issues with repairs and servicing which I shall not go into here.
Man, I looked long and hard at the LX3, and Colin’s, yours was very pretty. I’ve been reading side-by-side comparisons a lot, and for all that people love the LX3, they’re *drooling* over the S90.
Banana, I think the FZ35, tho probably a great camera, is far bigger than what I’m looking for. I want pocket-sized — and not cargo-pants-pockets
I’m also trying to not spend $500, so finding me *more* $500 cameras doesn’t really help that affliction!
(Devil’s advocate: You say that Canon has issues with repairs and servicing, but you suggest Panasonic???)