Rob Galbraith's site has an article titled "Alex Majoli points and shoots" about a Magnum photographer who is using a digital point-and-shoot for his award winning documentary photography:
In 2003, Magnum photographer Alex Majoli shot some big stories for Newsweek magazine. He spent a month in China shooting documentary images of daily life. He was in Congo for two weeks and Iraq for almost two months. In those two places he was shooting war.
...
It would seem reasonable to guess that all that award-winning work in remote and frequently dangerous places must have been shot with big, fast, bulletproof pro SLR cameras. But in fact, Majoli shot every frame with Olympus C-5050 digital point-and-shoots -- the same camera your snap happy Uncle Maury takes to Disney World."
(Via The Leica Users Group.)
Wow, this guy and I think remarkably alike in some ways.
"I miss the strongest of the old generation cameras -- Olympus OM-1, the Leica. The dream would be a digital camera the size of the C-5060 -- not bigger than a Leica, let's say -- with exchangeable lenses. Small lenses. I would like to see fixed lenses, not zooms. Maybe some bigger apertures -- f/1.8."
Of course, there are a few other things I'd like to see as well:
High-ISO settings (EA 3200, at least) that are quiet enough to compete with film
Easy controls for manual focus, shutter speed and aperture. Particularly focus: where did the focus ring ever go to?
Fast operation: with autofocus and autoexposure off, there should be no lag when pushing the shutter button.
Hm. Maybe all I really want is a manual camera. :-)
Interesting article! The guy likes to keep it simple and concentrate on shooting... and he gets reallu eye-catching shots!
Hallo
I hear you about the manual focus.
If you like old-style cameras, the Lumix LC1 (I think) is great.
It's the one without the raised pentaprism.
Why I like it:
1. separate switch for metering - so I just click among spot, centre-weight and matrix.
2. separate switch for motor-drive.
(that menas no scrolling in the menu for the above)
3. lens has a real aperture ring which I can use.
Dislikes:
1. 4/3 system.
2. image stabilization is on the lens (and not on camera - as with Pentax)