I'm just exploring all the features on mine, don't think I've really scratched the surface yet. Just recently read about histograms and my camera does RGB histograms – sweet 🙂

A decent size sensor (APS-C or bigger) that seems to handle noise better than a compact camera, especially in low light.
And good lenses with sensible apertures.
And aperture control.

Show me some of your low-light pics then?

The History Gram dead important for lighting/metering
A high quality sensor and the Digi 4 proccesor on the
Cannon G11 and DSLR camera for image stability and a
higher usability ISO without using flash

it's the sheer versatility of the system that I love. High shutter speed, no lag, let's you get a shot like this

and then to be able to switch to a wide angle and get a shot like this:

Technically I don't have a dslr but I like fast lenses – f1.7 and faster, for the low light capabilities and nice shallow DOF.

Edit – nice pics!

molgrips – Member
Show me some of your low-light pics then?

OK! Agree that modern sensors make good quality low light shooting so much more achievable.

Lovely 🙂 My f1.4 50mm was my fave lens on my film slr. Can't seem to afford one for my Oly tho 🙁

What lens was that red arrows pic taken with? I tried at Farnborough Airshow and got crap results – I had a crap spot tho too far away from the action 🙂

Think it was a 400mm (or maybe a 100-400mm), I rent my more expensive 'specialist' glass from Fixation in London. Last time I went to RIAT (Royal International Air Tattoo) I took a 600mm prime (worth £10k+!) was amazing, but fooking heavy!!

50 1.8s are pretty cheap molgrips.

My favourite feature is the EF400mm f2.8L IS lens on the front of it 😀 The full frame sensor is superb too.

i like the fact that it's an slr, but digital..

Not for my camera… Not if you want AF.

molgrips – Member
Show me some of your low-light pics then?

Got a nice one of York in flood with the street lights reflecting off the waters of Skeldergate that I'll try and look out. I like small scale cityscapes (ie not the shots across the valley with the city laid out below) at night and living in York you get the opportunity for some nice ones.

What camera?

Yowsers hadge that's a pricy lens!

Olympus E620 I have, so four thirds lenses.

AF-on button on the back, so much nicer than using the shutter button to focus
Focus and recompose to your hearts content, no more messing about changing the lens to manual or aimlessly trying to AF on nothing

I'm new to the world of DSLR and have just bought a D40 with kit lens and 55-200VR.

The thing I like best is the software that auto corrects any distortion , vignetting, WB, etc.

This makes my lenses/camera perform far better than they otherwise would and lets me get involved in the 'developing' stage as well.

a real, proper, optical, thru-the-lens viewfinder.

My 10D is donkeys years old now in the world of DSLR's but it still serves me just fine.

Just the speed of it. I can leave it turned on all day, touch the shutter and it fires up instantly, and it's so fast and easy to change the settings (I rarely shoot in fully auto modes) And the lask of shutter lag compared to a compact makes action shots easy, not a hit and miss affair.

And also being able to add to it so I can get the shots I want: Lenses and remote flash. Love it! 🙂

There's no way I'd have got shots like this at the BBB with a compact:

151 by PeterPoddy, on Flickr

BBB 2010 761 by PeterPoddy, on Flickr

Not for my camera… Not if you want AF.

Manual focus then! I did with my fifty on the D40 and it's a good skill to learn (rather than relying on focus points). THE sharpest lens I've ever used.

Jen by ronnie101, on Flickr

OT – favourite DSLR feature would be variable ISO, rather than having to use different rolls of film.

rondo don't leave any sanurai swords lying around..

Lovely portrait there, Rondo 🙂

Favourite feature? Teh ability to shoot in RAW and then adjust the image later. Oh and being able to take pictures in large format so that they can easily be converted to high-resolution for magazine print reproduction.

Best DSLR features over a compact for me are:

– speed of operation
– much wider aperture range
– low(er) noise in low light conditions
– excellent button layout to allow quick selection of most functions without delving into menus
– choice of lenses (although the 12x optical zoom on my old KonicaMinolta DimageZ3 was quite versatile)
– battery life

Main disadvantages are:
– bulk
– geek factor
– lack of discretion
– snob factor

Manual focus then! I did with my fifty on the D40 and it's a good skill to learn (rather than relying on focus points).

Learn? I've taken great pleasure un-learning it after spending a fair few years on an MF film SLR 🙂 MF is fine in certain circumstances, even desirable, but I wouldn't want to be limited to it, purely for reasons of speed and simplicity.

Plus I only want 3-4 lenses max, otherwise I'd be forever wanting a different lens for a different option. I reckon the best option for me is the 25mm F2.8 Oly pancake lens (50mm eq). With the IS I can probably get the same amount of light in the camera as I used to on my film one.

Big fan of the Nikon wireless flash system.
It really transforms the pictures I can take.

CHB – agree but it's not infallible – if it's night-time or strong sunshine the CLS is unreliable. Fortunately you can buy cheapy radio triggers on ebay for £20 or less.

M

taken at iso 3200

Bloody hell, should look like a techni-coloured snowstorm, nice that!