File :-(, x, )
S3 IS versus DSLR Anonymous
Every year, I go on a business trip to the same conference at the same hotel. Last year, I decided to use the trip as an experiment to see if I'd be happy with just an S3IS on a "vacation", so I treated the trip that way photographically. The S3IS is very flexible, and it did okay, but I was pushing to and beyond it's limits a lot of the time, and it was somewhat frustrating to use, in multiple ways (focal length range on the wide end, speed, and focusing performance mostly).

So, this year I took a dSLR kit - Canon 5D, Sigma 15mm fisheye, 24-105/4L IS, 70-200/2.8L IS, 2 1.4x teleconverters, and a 580EX flash, all in a ThinkTank ChangeUp waist pack. This is around 10 times the weight of the S3IS, and 20 times the cost. But is it better? Some have claimed the differences between a good compact and a good dSLR are marginal in all but poster-sized prints, or concede only a high-ISO advantage for the larger camera.

Here's what I found. Remember this was a business trip, and only a test, so none of these are much to brag about photographically (we never left the airports or hotel). Below are four images taken with each camera in very similar conditions - in fact these specific images were chosen for their similarity of conditions. They are each setup so that you only see the S3IS image until you click on them, at which point the 5D image will appear on the right.

The first one is in the theater at the hotel. It's the awards banquet for the conference. The theater is quite beautiful, so I thought I'd get an overview shot of it. Unfortunately, it's very dark, and also very wide but not very deep. The S3IS struggled with both - 0.8s at f2.7 and ISO 400 didn't allow a shake-free shot, even with IS, plus the 6mm wide end of the lens (36mm equivalent) didn't get in much of the theater. The 5D with 15mm fisheye managed 1/8s (and no visible shake) at ISO 1600, and got in far more of the theater:
EXIF data available. Clickhereto show/hide.
Camera-Specific Properties:Camera SoftwareAdobe Photoshop Elements 3.0 WindowsImage-Specific Properties:Image OrientationTop, Left-HandHorizontal Resolution300 dpiVertical Resolution300 dpiImage Created2008:02:24 10:30:15Color Space InformationUncalibratedImage Width1080Image Height360
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
The second image is of the chandeliers in the casino. I wanted to get a shallow-DOF shot with good background blur with the S3IS, so I used it at its maximum focal length of 72mm (432mm equivalent) and wide open. It had trouble focusing on the particular light I wanted and I couldn't tell for sure if it had it or not because of the deep DOF even at those settings. Plus, it tended to blow out the areas around the bulbs. The 5D at 200mm and f2.8 allowed me to frame the way I wanted to while still retaining good background blur, it nailed the focus easily, and held the highlights far better:

Camera-Specific Properties:Camera SoftwareAdobe Photoshop Elements 3.0 WindowsImage-Specific Properties:Image OrientationTop, Left-HandHorizontal Resolution300 dpiVertical Resolution300 dpiImage Created2008:02:23 21:00:56Color Space InformationUncalibratedImage Width1080Image Height810
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
When you're stuck in a hotel for a week, you look for things to do. We went bowling in the bowling alley in the hotel. I was trying to get some images of my friends bowling but the alley was dark, flatly-lit, and of course things are moving. I used the S3IS at 17mm (102mm equivalent) which was closer than I wanted to stand, but the flash doesn't have much range so I tried to get as close as I could. I fired the flash at maximum power, used the lens wide open, and used ISO 400. It still didn't isolate the subject well, or freeze motion at 1/60th. The 5D at 200mm, f2.8 and ISO 1600 with a touch of fill from the 580EX allowed me to be much farther away (which is where I wanted to be), and still isolate and freeze the subject:

Camera-Specific Properties:Camera SoftwareAdobe Photoshop Elements 3.0 WindowsImage-Specific Properties:Image OrientationTop, Left-HandHorizontal Resolution300 dpiVertical Resolution300 dpiImage Created2008:02:23 21:00:58Color Space InformationUncalibratedImage Width1080Image Height540
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
This last one is in Denver International Airport. These were taken at night. As you can see, the S3IS blew out the lights on the ceiling quite abruptly, turned the green plants in front of the fountain to near-black, and lost all detail in the planters. The 5D did far better in holding the highlights, maintained the color of the plants, and held detail in the dark planters. Plus, the 24mm wide-end of my standard zoom allowed me to stand far closer to get in all I wanted to see:

Camera-Specific Properties:Camera SoftwareAdobe Photoshop Elements 3.0 WindowsImage-Specific Properties:Image OrientationTop, Left-HandHorizontal Resolution300 dpiVertical Resolution300 dpiImage Created2008:02:23 21:00:59Color Space InformationUncalibratedImage Width1080Image Height360
>> Anonymous
So, the 5D system, at 10 times the weight and 20 times the cost, really did perform much better under difficult conditions even viewed at these very tiny sizes. The extra focal length range on the wide end was a huge help in many situations, the focusing performance is far faster and more reliable, the DOF control is dramatically better, the flash is more than 100 times more powerful, dynamic range is massively better, the camera operates faster, and of course it does way better in low-light.

This is not to say the compacts can't get the job done. They can. But they are far closer to the performance of the larger cameras in easier conditions - those with good light and less need for DOF control and huge dynamic range especially.

My strategy for our next real vacation is to actually take both - I'll carry the 5D kit mentioned above, and my wife will carry the S3IS, which will give her a camera to use and give us a pretty solid movie mode, which the SLR lacks. Plus, in good light, it's a pretty solid performer - one of Canon's best compacts ever, IMHO.
>> Anonymous
Amazingly well thought out and executed thread anon.

have an internet.
>> Anonymous
Fucking great thread.
>> Anonymous
I agree. Hell, I think ill give you two.
3 internets so far, then.
>> Jeremo !iKGMr61IHM
Awesome.

Now if you only had used a G9... it would have blown the 5D out of the water.

Ho. ho. ho.
>> Anonymous
I want a 5d :(
>> Anonymous
Did you steal this from DPR or are you that guy?
>> Anonymous
http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK

Try playing around with this on your S3 IS.
>> Anonymous
shit noise control at 1600 is impressive on that thing..
>> Anonymous
>>131753

Anon is no longer anonymous.

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/postersprofile.asp?poster=hjifidixhlih
>> Jeremo !iKGMr61IHM
>>131912

you'd expect it with Canon's processing and a FF sensor
>> fence !!POey2hdozCZ
damn, what a twist! i was really expecting the $300 bridge to come out ahead of the semi-pro dslr.
>> Anonymous !SDPEsPMnww
>>131934
Me too. What a fucking let-down ;_;
>> Anonymous
ITT:

Guy uses 80 ISO, slow shutter speed, gets blurry picture.

User error anyone?
>> Anonymous
Hey guys, have I got a surprise for you!

The Canon 5D takes better pictures than my toaster does!

Like, wow!
>> Anonymous
>>133159
But that's not what Ken Rockwell says!
>> Anonymous
>>133161

Ken's toaster obviously has an 18-200VR mounted, duh.
>> Anonymous
>>133164
Nah, his toaster was some cheapo Powershot A-series, but he still says it's the same as a 5D.