the dSLR debate

On my last trip, to Spain in 2008, I took my DSLR and was sorry almost from Day 1. I used my P&S much more (back in the pre-iphone days). I going to Italy in a couple of weeks and am leaving the DSLR at home along with the laptop and external hard drive and spare lenses, etc. I picked up a Fuji X100 for the trip, but I'll also use my iphone alot.
Just be sure that your iPhone is only sending to Dropbox when you're on a wifi connection or you'll come home to a data bill large enough to buy that next lens you've been lusting after.

Thanks Bill - Absolutely I am only using my iphone on Wifi and will be keeping it on Airplane mode for the trip (thank heavens for Skype unlimited to the US for less than 3 bucks for a full month!). Thanks for your reply!

It really is up to you and how important photography is to you. As much as people will say IPhones and point and shoot cameras take great photos, they truly don't compare to the technical quality of an DSLR (not factoring in quality of the photographer). This is especially true in low light settings like churches, museums, sunsets, etc... And it's not just how big you print the photos, another common claim. For me personally, my DSLR is most appreciated when I'm on vacation somewhere exotic and want the best shots I can muster. I can dispell the concern about it getting stolen. Use the basic precautions of never set it on a cafe table, sling it over a chair or stash it in a backpack slung over your shoulder on the Metro.... It is highly unlikely anyone would try to rip it off your body; stolen cameras are crimes of opportunity. Without a way to backup memory cards you'll need plenty of them and I'd keep full cards in your moneybelt right next to your passport.

I always take my DSLR and a few lenses with me. I've never seen it as an issue. I just carry it and two lenses with me during the day. It's never been a problem. I also carry multiple memory cards. I change out cards everyday so if something were to happen to the camera I wouldn't lose the pictures for the entire trip. Donna

It's up to you and what you want to do. As handy as my iPhone camera is, it does not hold a candle to the photos I take with my dslr. Hubby is happy with a point and shoot, needs to fit in his shirt pocket so for him even the iPhone is a good choice. For me, carrying my dslr is not an issue and I prefer to have it with me for better photos.

I understand your pain! I solved my dilemna with - a new camera. I got a Nikon CoolPix 7100 that meets the demands of quality, takes RAW format, and folds up nicely into a larger pocket. I even bought a ScotteVest to store all my stuff elegantly, invisibly.
Go try one. You'll love it.

Thank you everyone for your advice. I do feel more confident to bring my camera with me but still am toying with bring it along daily with me. I may take the advice on the Nikon/ compact advanced suggestion.. Again thank you all for taking a few moments to help me!

If you do get a new camera, get it now and shoot a couple hundred photos before you go. The vacation is not the time to figure out new things. Have a great trip

Think about going micro four thirds. I have a panasonic gf3 with changeable lens and it is tiny compared to my Nikon D2H DSLR. Unless you plan to print out poster size the difference is negligible

On your vacation, are you planning to "do photography"? Or do you just want good vacation photos? Unless you really want to take the best photos, I recommend leaving the SLR at home for all the reasons you mention. Our Point & Shoot was great (though we should have brought a battery charger). One reason - our P&S has a 10x optical zoom. Many P&S cameras have only 4x or so. The Panasonic gf3 sounds awesome, but it's about $500; I just noticed that Canon has a new P&S with a 20x zoom for under $300! Here's the Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/Canon-PowerShot-Digital-Stabilized-Wide-Angle/dp/B0075SUK14/ref=sr_1_3?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1347738252&sr=1-3 Dave

Sara, I tend to agree with Dave in that it depends on how important photography is to you. To me & my hubby, photography is our main purpose when we travel so we each take our DSLR's. A few years back, we traded in our DSLR's for cameras considered to be in between a point & shoot & a DSLR because we were tired of lugging around the DSLR's & all the gear. We went back to DSLR's because we simply didn't have the flexibility & the quality that our DSLR's afforded us. But, I like to shoot in RAW format, shoot HDR, do time lapse & enlarge pictures fairly large to hang in my home. Another plus for DSLR's is that in low light situations (museums, churches, etc.) they tend to work better & let more light in than a P&S. But as Dave said, this might not be a big deal for you if you're just wanting vacation snapshots & if you don't plan on enlarging or doing much with the pictures. I have an Iphone 4s & I take pictures with it all the time but honestly, the pictures don't compare to the quality of my DSLR & although the pictures look crisp on the phone, when I enlarge them on the computer, they are not very sharp. If you decide against taking your DSLR, I would at least get a good P&S as I believe the quality will still be better than the Iphone. If you do decide to take your DSLR, I'd get a good camera backpack that will evenly distribute the weight across your back so that carrying it won't be so cumbersome. We recently got KATA "minibee" backpacks which are really light weight & evenly distribute the weight, but unfortunately they are fairly expensive. Have a great trip.

This year I ditched the DSLR for my trip to Rome. Instead bought a Sony P&S. What a joy! No hauling heavy equipment and I found it perfect for shooting in even dimly lit churches. Ideal camera for those unexpected scenes where you don't have time for a set-up. It's small enough to fit into a pocket or purse. The battery was good for a full day of photography and then just charged it up each night. For what I wanted/needed this trip it was perfect.

Sara, I always take both a dSLR along with a P&S on all trips to Europe. I bring three Lenses (one on the Camera), but tend to use the wide angle (10-22) and medium range zoom (24-105) about 99% of the time. The entire kit fits into one LowePro Nova 4 case. My philosophy is somewhat similar to what Sheron mentioned. Photography is an important part of my travels, and I want to have the equipment available that will get the results I want, and I'm willing to haul the extra kit around for that reason. I'm presently on a RS tour of Sicily, and I've been using both Cameras extensively. I also have an iPhone and have been taking a few shots with that, but there's no way the sensors in a P&S or iPhone will produce the quality that I can get from my dSLR. Since I may only be able to visit many of these locations once in my lifetime, I want to make sure I get the best results possible. Despite the minor inconvenience of hauling the extra gear, I plan on continuing to bring the dSLR on future trips. I haven't found "the greater chance of rip off" to be a problem so far. I walk freely around cities with the Camera on my shoulder, and have never been bothered (I'm a larger male, so that may help). Good luck with your decision and happy travels!

Wow I am very surprised that so many people have responded- Thank You! To answer a lot of replies, my husband and I are going as a make up honeymoon (our first was a phenomenal disaster) and as an "introductory trip" as we know we will not get to see or do everything due to our short stay (1 week). As I do hope for some good shots, photography is not the main focus of this trip, I am sure that will change for the future. I keep going back and forth with taking a p&s amd my dslr - I have to make my mind up quickly as I leave late this week. currently I have a 85% camera over iPhone, I just have to decide which one. A p&s would need to be purchased - which means taking away from my vino/gelato fund and that's no fun. I just do not want to spend my time behind the lens this trip and when I do take photos I would hope they are clear and of good quality. Thanks again and I appreciate all of the tips and suggestions.

I am in Italy, sitting in my hotel room. We are on a bike trip. I brought my dslr and my G11 camera. After much debate, it boildes down to that I knew I wanted good photos of my trip. I am so happy I have that full size camera with me! Consider that I'm on a bike for 5 hours of the day, I use the G11. When we arrive in town, I use the dslr exclusively. So, the dslr is for when we are walking around. I can take better photos with the dslr, I have a better zoom lens on it, plus a better wide angle. If you enjoy taking photos, you won't regret bringing the bigger camera. Lots and lots of tourists are walking around with full size equipment!!! Just take care, like you would anywhere to watch and protect what is yours. You said it, you LOVE to take pictures. Why limit your self on a maybe once in a life time chance to get a great photo? You are paying big bucks to come to Italy, take back the most important rememberances, your personal photos!

The last couple of trips my husband took his Nikon DSLR and I had my Canon 10pix. Each time we took thousands of pics downloading each night and reformatting our memory cards for the following day. When I looked at our daily folders, I saw we shot mostly the same things and his pics were sooo much sharper and lighting accurate and once in a while I would have one pic that was better than what he captured. So this trip we will both be taking our Nikons. Me with his old D90 and he with the new D7000. We are both happy:)

Sara, To comment on the point you mentioned about "living behind your lens for the entire vacation", I've never found that to be a problem. I try to use the viewfinder only when taking pictures, and try to enjoy the scenery with my eyes the rest of the time. "Living behind the lens" could also be a factor when using an iPhone or P&S Camera. The only difference is that you'll be seeing Europe via an LCD display rather than through an SLR viewfinder. The most important point that I try to remember is that it's sometimes not possible to get the shots I want unless I have the dSLR available. There were quite a number of times when I was in Sicily over the past few weeks that I needed to use AV, TV, focus points or change the ISO settings to get the effect I wanted, so a dSLR was essential. If it's sitting at home, it's not much good to me! Cheers!

I agree with Ken about the "living behind the lens" comments. I'm not sure really what that means or how it would be different between a P&S and a DSLR. Either you are taking photos or you are not. While many people do take extra lenses and use manual settings with their DSLR, there is no reason you can't use one multi-purpose lense and the auto settings. Taking a photo that way takes no more time than with a P&S. That's mostly what I do. The camera is a little heavier and bulkier than a P&S, but other than that and the MUCH better quality photos, there is no difference.

THe DSLR v P&S camera debate is one of personnel preference. If you already have the DSLR then that's to choice here, and the P&S price is "saved" for vino and gelato sampling. you're already taken the step up and I think your expectations wont be disappointed either. you already know how the DSLR performs so there there will be no fumbling for a control on a new camera. Holidays are not the time to learn about a new camera. I will say the same to anyone thinking of getting a DSLR just before you go on that holiday, don't or think very carefully. Regarding storage. Cards are cheap as these days so take more than you normally use.Europe has cameras.
I would ditch that supplied strap and get something more comfortable for your neck.. Regards