Citing an article from the Digital Photography Blog, Engadget asks "Should you get a prosumer digicam or go for a DSLR?"
What they came up with is a very succinct summary of the merits of each:
So which is it gonna be? With prosumer EVF digicams hitting 9 megapixels (like the Fuji FinePix S9000, pictured) and prices for low-end DSLRs falling into the $600s, the two variations are competing for the wallets of well-heeled shooters ready to move beyond point-and-shoots. The typical advice is to go with a DSLR if you want complete control over your shots or have a collection of compatible lenses left from your film days, and to go with the EVF model if you want an easier-to-use camera with extra features like a VGA movie mode and an included super-zoom lens. However, Paul Watson makes a strong case for DSLRs that goes beyond common wisdom to focus on nuts-and-bolts issues like better high-ISO capabilities, superior auto-focus capabilities and, of course, optical viewfinders. The bottom line: if you want a camera that can grow with you, a DSLR is hard to beat.
Having recently moved from a prosumer digicam (Sony DSC-F717) to a dSLR myself (Nikon D70) these are issues that drove my own decision to switch. It takes time to get comfortable with a new camera, however, and there are several things about the way the Sony handled that I miss: the live histogram; its ability to hang over the shoulder and sit comfortably under the arm; the swivel body; the macro capability. But mostly I miss the three years of photography we shared. We got to know each other during that time. Fancy that—getting sentimental about a camera!
The D70 has its merits (good riddance to JPEG artefacts, and more) but we're still strangers. Time will no doubt breed familiarity, but in the meantime I'm grateful my wife has a simple point-and-shoot compact because, quite frankly, that's often all that's needed. I'm sure that even the most professional and accomplished photographers must sometimes pine for a camera the "just works" with a minimum of fuss straight from the handbag or jacket pocket.
I hypothesise that in each photographer there is "serious" mode and a "snapshot" mode with an associated change in requirement and expectation. Unfortunately there is no one camera that has both modes covered. My point? Why buy one when you can have two for twice the price? Perhaps the ideal solution is a dSLR to be taken out for "serious" work (using RAW, of course) and an always-on-hand compact digicam (or camera-phone, PDA) for capturing those spontaneous moments that always seem to happen when your dSLR is packed away.
Good comments and I certainly often wish my 10D with 24-70L lens was easier to wield for casual shots. Maybe better quality cameras in phones are going to take over the bottom of the digital camera market.
BTW the original article is from I Like Cameras. Digital Photography Blog were the kind folk who linked to my ILC article and Engadget picked up on that.