dSLR versus P&S

I remember the very first digital camera that I bought. It was a Casio Exilim ZX3. It came with a 256MB SD Card and had a 3.2 Million effective Mega Pixels. Mind you this was back in 2003. I remember that I had paid for it by writing a piece on Loreal Artistic Ambassadors. The Casio did it's job and followed me on my trips to Japan and the States. I officially retired it in 2006 when I purchase my Pentax K100.

Why did I choose the Pentax? The main reason was that it didn't come with a proprietary battery. It gets it's juice from 4AA batteries. After having been on a trip to Cambodia with my Casio and running out of batteries when we hit Banteay Srei, I didn't want to be caught out without juice for my camera again. With the Pentax, if the batteries ran out, I could hop into a 7-11 to get a set and I'd be good to go. Also, Pentax has a long history of producing quality lenses and the beauty about the K100 was, it could take any of the older K-mount Pentax lenses. 

When people ask me what I shoot with, I reply proudly, "A Pentax". I can just hear FBB sniggering in the background now..."You shot those with a Pentax ar? Not bad wor." Having a dSLR with the options of changing lenses to suit the occasion opened up a whole new world of photography to me. I even purchased a prime lens (50mm, f1.4), which I have to say is, my favourite of the 3 lenses that I have in my bag.

The main difference (to me) in shooting with a dSLR and a point and shoot is the composition of the photo. with a dSLR, you have to compose your picture via the viewfinder. It was a big change, but it made me take better pictures. You got a better feel of how the picture would turn out compared to composing a picture using the LCD screen of a point and shoot.

You would be hard pressed to recreate the creaminess or "bokeh" that a dSLR can produce with a point and shoot camera. The amount of control you had over a picture with a dSLR Exposure Settings, Aperture Settings, EV levels...the list goes on. you just can't top that with a point and shoot. The main disadvantage of shooting with a dSLR is it's bulk and heft. Try packing for a trip with your dSLR and you will get what I mean. You will have to take most, if not all of your lenses with you. This adds to the weight of your luggage. Not really nice. It's probably why I have the 50mm stuck on my camera most of the time. It's the quickest, smallest and lightest lens that I have.

Another thing I have noticed is most people tend to shy away when you point a dSLR at them. At parties, some actually cringe! But point a point and shoot at them and you see them actually readily posing. I guess people feel intimidated with the heft and bulk of a dSLR. There is also a certain level of expectation that comes with shooting with a dSLR. The pictures you take are expected to turn out nice ;)

Fast forward a couple of years and all I can say is, boy, have we come a long way. With the micro 4/3 system you can have the power of a dSLR in the convenience of the form factor of a point and shoot! I can see why so many have bitten the bug and gone down the 4/3rd's path =) 

But the rebel in me is looking for something different again. I purchased the Casio at a time when Nikon/Sony/Canon was ruling the P&S market. I purchased a Pentax instead of joining the millions who opted for a Canon or Nikon. I'm thinking of sticking to my guns and going for a brand which those of you who used to shoot with film should know. Fuji.

I'm seriously contemplating on getting a Fuji X-10. The reviews on this camera have been nothing but stellar. I had a chance to fiddle around with it recently, but walked away feeling a little sad when I found that it did not meet my expectations. I didn't give up as I was enraptured by the camera's looks and decided to do more research on-line. It turns out I would need to spend more time with the camera to learn how to use it properly. But being priced at just under RM2K, it isn't exactly cheap. Hmmm..

I'm contemplating selling of the kit which I have to finance this purchase. In fact, the full list has been posted in several forums of which I am a member. Here's what's currently in my bag:-

Pentax K100

SMCP-DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AL  (Kit Lens)

SMC-DA 50-200mm f/4-5.6 ED   (Zoom Lens)  

SMCP-FA 50mm f/1.4    (Portrait Lens)

Accessories

1 unit 4GB SD Card (SanDisk Extreme)

2 units 52mm UV Clear Filter (For Kit and Zoom Lens)

1 Unit 52mm CR Polarizing Lens (For Kit and Zoom Lens)

1 Unit 49mm UV Clear Filter (Portrait Lens)

1 Unit 49mm CR Polarizing Filter (Portrait Lens)

Should I keep my system and just buy the Fuji to complement it? What do you guys think?