Point and shoot cameras are everywhere these days. They are relatively inexpensive.
They are easy to use because you don’t have to manually focus the lens and adjust for light exposure. All you have to do is point and click!
Point and shoot cameras come in many different flavours and sizes. Some are as small as a box of matches; others are bigger and chunkier while others are built into devices such as smartphones or tablet computers. Other point and shoot cameras are incorporated into camcorders which can take still photos as well as recording videos.
As a consumer, you are faced with such a vast array of choices that I could write endless reviews which would be out of date as soon as the latest models come out. So, instead, I will confine my discussion to listing some of the features which you should be aware of when you go comparison shopping.
Most of the point and shoot cameras that I have looked at recently have some modest zoom capabilities; usually in the 2 to 6 times magnification range. Actually, I have a small Sony digital camcorder which will take still pictures and it has a 60 times optical zoom, which is pretty impressive for a relatively inexpensive camera.
Some cameras also feature a digital zoom mode which in the strictest sense of the word does not involve “zoom” but simply the enlargement of part of an image and in so doing, you lose image quality. Thus, the camcorder I referred to above will go to 2,000 optical zoom, but by that stage the image is getting quite grainy.
Many point and shoot cameras feature focus free lenses while others have an autofocus feature which enables them to automatically focus on the object to be photographed. Most of the ones which I have looked at will focus from about 2 feet to infinity. If you are into taking pictures of bees and bugs, two models of the Canon Powershot will let you focus down to just a little over an inch. Just make sure the bee does not sting you!
If you ever owned an older 35 mm film camera, you will be well aware that the aperture settings have to be changed to limit or increase the amount of light coming into the camera and exposing the film. Too much light and you get a wishy washy picture and too little and your photo is dark.
Most entry level point and shoot digital cameras will give you no control over the aperture settings, but this is not the case when it comes to some of the higher end models. These sorts of controls are important, let say if you are trying to photograph a sunset. Automatic aperture control will probably give you a washed out sunset where if you can manually reduce the size of the aperture; let less light into the camera, you may be able to capture the deep reds, pinks, oranges and yellows of a fine sunset.
Shutter speeds are especially important when you are photographing moving objects such as horses in a race, sports events, etc. If your shutter speed it too low, you will end up with a blurred image.
As with aperture openings, the shutter speeds are not adjustable. Again, the higher end cameras will let you make adjustments.
Most of the point and shoot digital cameras which I have looked at feature shutter speeds of between 15 seconds and 1/2000th of a second. A couple allowed exposures of up to 60 seconds, which can be great if you are photographing in very low light.
A pixel is the “little square” which you will see if you take a very strong magnifying glass to a photo. There are so many of them they are usually counted in millions i.e., in “megapixels”. This determines how sharp your picture will look when it is printed out.
In most point and shoot cameras, a 7 to 9 megapixel sensor should be more than adequate to produce nice sharp photos. If you intend to use your zoom feature a lot, then a higher number of megapixels could help.
The images captured by point and shoot cameras is in JPEG-no choice-nothing fancy at this entry level range of cameras.
Most point and shoot cameras have enough built in memory (up to about 2 gigabytes) to capture only about 15 full-sized JPEG pictures. If you want to exceed this limit, you’ll need to purchase additional memory cards. These will also come in handy if you plan on taking video (assuming your camera offers you this option).
The ISO speed measures the camera’s sensitivity to light. This is important if you are photographing in dark conditions. It seems that this is an area where point and shoot cameras have improved considerably in recent years.
The focal length is the distance from the middle of the lens to the back of the camera when the image is focussed. In most point and shoot cameras this distance is very small. The focal length determines a camera’s field of view and for the most part your field of view is limited, although you may be able to achieve some limited degree of “zoom” where your field of view is much narrower.
Because many point and shoot digital cameras are small in size, there’s not much room for a sizeable Liquid Crystal Display (LCD). So, if you have to wear reading glasses, I’d suggest that you bring them when you are photographing!
Some cameras have touch screen controls on their LCD displays. Just make sure you wash your hands after eating that hot dog with all the mustard, ketchup and fixings!
I should draw your attention to the fact that the number of pixels on your LCD display can vary between different models. They can vary all the way from a quarter million pixels to about a million. Obviously, the more pixels you have, the better your viewing experience.
I should point out that LCD screen sizes are measured diagonally; the same way computer monitors are measured.
There are even some cameras on the market which have an additional LCD on the front of the camera. This can make life easier if you are taking a self-portrait.
To make life easier, many point and shoot cameras feature a scene mode where you can choose between sunset, landscape, portrait, etc. Some will even have a setting for fireworks, so that you can capture the colours in all their splendour.
Believe it or not some point and shoot cameras use face recognition techniques to make sure that the camera shutter will not operate if the person you are photographing is blinking! And....smiles only, please!
Battery life is critical. You’ll have to make sure that your battery is fully charged before you intend to use your camera for any extended period of time. I’ll relate a story about a camcorder I was using to take video shots a number of years ago at the Toronto Zoo. It was right at closing time and we were exiting the zoo, when a peacock decided to show off his full plumage to the departing visitors. He strutted around in circles, as if he owned the world! And....guess what: I had used up so much battery filming the other animals earlier in the day that I couldn’t film even one second of the event!
The battery life of most point and shoot cameras is usually designed to match the number of pictures your camera can store in memory and I am talking in the range of 200 to about 300 images.
All the batteries are rechargeable.
Image stabilization is important when taking photos in a low light environment. If your exposure time is longer than it would be under normal light conditions, your image may not be sharp. Obviously, one way around this is to use a flash.
Many point and shoot cameras have flash built in. Just be warned that frequent use of your flash will reduce your battery life.
Some point and shoot cameras will let you record video and audio. In fact, the dividing line between what is a camera and what is a camcorder is becoming more and more blurred as the years go by. In fact, we may soon be faced with coming up with a new name for these devices.
Most of the sophisticated point and shoot cameras can adjust your image for red eye i.e., when your flash bounces off a person’s eye to give them the appearance of having a red eye. This feature has become standard fare.
Part of the attraction of having a point and shoot camera is the size. As you know, many are around the size of an old-fashioned box of matches. They are easy to carry around in a pocket or a purse. The flip side of this is that the controls have to be designed so that the camera isn’t “shooting off” on its own in your pocket as you move around! On the other hand, the controls also have to be made easy for beginners to understand and navigate.
If you are in the market for one of the larger point and shoot cameras with a protruding lens, you will probably have to carry it around in a camera bag. Because of this, it loses some of its convenience since it seems to me that some of the best picture opportunities turn up when you don’t have a camera with you!
There’s a gentleman who lives in my neighbourhood who transports his pointy-nosed dog around in a carriage behind his bicycle. The dog has its nose in the air and has the air of royalty-what an opportunity for a picture but each time I saw him with his dog, I didn’t have my camera with me!
There are several point and shoot cameras which are waterproof. These are good if you want to take underwater photos at a shallow depth or if you are taking photos on a rainy day.