Best 'point' and 'shoot' digital camera buyer's guide
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You want a digital camera that automates everything. You 'point' and 'shoot' the picture -- the camera does the rest.
Ideal for people who value simplicity, the top cameras in the point and shoot category produce high quality pictures with an absolute minimum of effort. Made for photographers who don't need a variety of manual controls but want an easy to use camera for vacations, parties, reunions and other events.
These cameras take the guesswork out of picture-taking. But don't be fooled into thinking they are just for beginners.
Point-and-shoots are by far the best selling type of separate camera, as distinct from camera phones.
What is a 'point' and 'shoot' digital camera?
Choosing a digital camera can be stressful.
There are essentially two types of digital cameras. You can make the digital SLR camera, or point-and-shoot digital camera. The housing is designed for active photographers. They tend to be used in motion and on the go. It is a great camera for action scenes. The box runs on a mirror system. The image reflected by the mirror and coming on the memory card. The price range for digital cameras can vary from "not bad" to "Oh my God." But they are a great piece of craftsmanship.
When you take a serious photographer, you look at the photo reflex. The camera is another point-and-shoot. This camera is the next best thing to peanut butter. It is essentially an automatic camera. He will do everything for you except to pick up, and target shooting. This does not come with a large number of tests to optimize your time or cause confusion. It should provide a lifetime hobby a little easier. Now, this is not to say that a point-and-shoot is a toy. Do not get me wrong. These digital cameras are great. Even if they are automatic, they always provide things like digital zoom, special effects, graphics and most of them come with a movie, some even with audio. Certainly not a toy, but they are designed to give you hours of pleasure.
For the average camera enthusiast, a point-and-shoot camera is good for the money. If you get a camera to capture precious memories of your family, you can not go wrong. If you play affects how and with many other options, then you may want to check the SLR. The choice is yours. Good luck and good shooting. For more information and a full range of digital cameras can be viewed on our website.
Important Characteristics of a 'point' and 'shoot' Digital Camera
Here is a list of the main features of a good point and shoot digital camera
- The image that the photographer sees through the viewfinder of a point-and-shoot camera is not the same image that passes through the primary lens of the camera (that is, the lens that projects the image onto the film or, in the case of digital cameras, the image sensor). Rather, the image in the viewfinder passes through a separate lens. Point and shoot cameras obviate the need for the SLR design to some degree, as the camera's LCD image is projected through the lens, not a separate viewfinder. Many newer and smaller digital point-and-shoots omit the optical viewfinder.
- Point-and-shoot cameras generally don't have lenses that can be changed, and they typically do not accept filters to create optical effects.
- The size limitations of compact and ultra-compact cameras, including digital ones, encourage the occurrence of photographic orbs - unexpected, typically circular artifacts that occur in flash photographs - where the short distance between the lens and the built-in flash decreases the angle of light reflection to the lens, directly illuminating the aspect of the normally sub-visible particles facing the lens and increasing the camera's ability to capture the light reflected off the particles.
- A point-and-shoot camera uses focus free lenses or autofocus for focusing, automatic systems for setting the exposure options, and has flash units built in.
- Available features include optical and digital zoom, movie mode (some with audio), special image effects, and many other options that can keep novice and experienced photographers alike very happy.
What to Expect From a Point and Shoot Digital Camera
If you keep your files, then a simple point and shoot digital camera is best for you.
Of course, point to point and shoot cameras are the towers is a bit more expensive than normal, which explains why they are targeting the serious amateur photographer. But for the normal holiday snaps into a compact point and shoot digital camera is ideal. What follows is a brief overview of what you expect from a point and shoot digital camera. One of the most important for a good digital camera is the shutter speed, and that's what people think was used, the reverse of a point and shoot camera to a digital SLR before . But technology has improved your standard compact camera has reduced the time the shutter and you can now get high quality images.
The only drawback is that with point-and-shoot cameras is that if you do not always have a zoom, but only the improvement of digital image-zoom. This means that if you get the picture to print, it might appear distorted. If this bothers you, then you may need to look at using a SLR camera. In the old days of photography, your image was on film. In these days your image on the memory card, and for this reason it is important that your memory card has enough space for your needs, especially if you're on vacation and will not be able to store your photos PC. But whether to include most of your photos when you're in your town, you should not worry too much memory, you can place on your computer, the same day they are. Granted, when you entered the memory card, you may find it starts to look a little confusing, but if you tell the person that you should buy as you want to use the camera, they are able to You get advice on the correct card type.
Finally, it is one of the last of the great advantages of this compared to normal photography, if you make a mistake with the image, which can take you, you repeat the shot immediately without waiting for it developed and then see your mistakes and not able to do something. If you're in the new world of digital cameras, and one of the words you are required to come is about megapixels. Basically, a normal point and shoot to get good, you will receive one to three megapixels as a minimum. In fact, however, if you go to your camera you will, most point and shoots have to find and buy at least 3 or 4 megapixels anyway. Now, it is possible to buy a point and shoot with more megapixels, but if your device is only for family and vacation photos, go to more megapixels will not make much difference except to your wallet.
Best Canon Point and Shoot Digital Camera
Canon PowerShot A480
Canon PowerShot A480 10 MP Digital Camera with 3.3x Optical Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Black)
Amazon Price: $159.98 (as of 02/17/2012)
With its streamlined silhouette and smoothly curved edges, the Canon PowerShot A480 has the compact sophistication and relaxed simplicity that make it a natural for beginners and everyone else who craves style and convenience. The 10.0-megapixel resolution and 3.3x optical zoom make it easy to capture the action in dazzling color and brilliant detail. The DIGIC III Image Processor keeps it all looking sharp. While a bright, bold 2.5-inch LCD makes shooting and playback a genuine pleasure.
Canon PowerShot SD980IS
Canon PowerShot SD980IS 12.1MP Digital Camera with 5x Ultra Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3-inch LCD (Silver)
Amazon Price: $189.47 (as of 02/17/2012)
Canon's iconic ELPH has always been a show-off, with the looks and smarts that make you want to carry it out in the open for everyone to see. The PowerShot SD980 IS takes the concept even further with Canon's first-ever touch panel interface. The camera that invented sleek and slim is equipped with a huge 3-inch PureColor System LCD screen that responds to your touch, delivering operation that's as natural and intuitive as cutting-edge technology should be. Four opulent color options are the icing on the cake.
Canon PowerShot D10
Canon PowerShot D10 12.1 MP Waterproof Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-Inch LCD
Amazon Price: $229.99 (as of 02/17/2012)
For those with a taste for adventure, there's a camera as bold as the active life you lead. It's the Canon PowerShot D10. Waterproof, freeze-proof and shockproof; it's tough enough to take what you dish out. Plus it's got all the high performance features you expect from a Canon digital camera. You've got 12.1 megapixels of resolution plus all of Canon's powerful, state of the art imaging technologies so you can capture your epic experiences in breathtaking color and awesome detail.
Other point and shoot Canon digital cameras
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d-artist
Mar 11, 2010 @ 4:11 pm | delete
- 5*lens....very well written with a great deal of information...thank you for sharing...will come back to take some more notes.
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Best Fujifilm Point and Shoot Digital Camera
Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR
Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR 12MP Super CCD Digital Camera with 5x Wide Angle Dual Image Stabilized Optical Zoom
Amazon Price: $269.00 (as of 02/17/2012)
Fujifilm won a great many fans with its F30 and F31fd models, which combined slightly larger than average sensors containing fewer pixels than their competitors with some clever image processing, to produce some of the best high ISO images we'd ever seen from a compact camera. In fact, three years later, there are very few compacts we can think of that do a better job once the sun goes down. While playing lip-service to the needs of low-light photography (and continuing to produce cameras whose processing give them a slight edge over their contemporaries), Fujifilm didn't appear to make further progress in the direction the F30 had pioneered. With the F200 EXR, Fujifilm seems to suggest that it wants to regain its low-light crown, based on a novel sensor technology it has developed.
Release Date: 11/30/2009
Fujifilm Finepix J38
Fujifilm Finepix J38 12MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom and 2.7 inch LCD
Amazon Price: $51.99 (as of 02/17/2012)
An impressive 12.2 megapixels resolution of Fujifilm FinePix J38 won't miss the finest details of your subject. Images are captured sharp and clear with vivid colors, even when printed at large sizes. Featuring a 3x optical zoom, this compact performer lets you enjoy a range of picture-taking options, from atmospheric wide-angle scenes to dramatic close-ups. The large, bright LCD display makes it easy to compose great photos. And sharing pictures is a pleasure, thanks to a high-impact 230,000-dot resolution.
Fujifilm FinePix Z33WP
Fujifilm FinePix Z33WP 10 MP Waterproof Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Black)
Amazon Price: $349.95 (as of 02/17/2012)
The FinePix Z33WP is Fujifilm's first waterproof digital camera. No longer do you need to worry about damaging your camera in less than optimum shooting conditions. The FinePix Z33WP ensures you'll never miss capturing any of life's precious moments, any where, any time, under any conditions, and be able to share them easily with your extended network of friends and family members. The 10-megapixel FinePix Z33WP is ready for any adventure including underwater activity up to 10 feet. The Z33WP uses a Fujinon 3x optical zoom lens, has Fujifilm's 'Automatic Scene Recognition' SR AUTO mode, and features a 2.7-inch, 230,000 pixel resolution LCD screen.
Other point and shoot Fujifilm FinePix digital cameras
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Best Kodak Point and Shoot Digital Camera
Kodak EasyShare Z1285
Kodak Easyshare Z1285 12.0 MP Digital Camera with 5xOptical Zoom
Amazon Price: $229.99 (as of 02/17/2012)
Great moments deserve great pictures. The Kodak EasyShare Z1285 5x zoom digital camera lets you relive your favorite memories in brilliant HD quality. Take crisp pictures and videos and share them with your friends and family. And best of all, it's affordable, making picture-taking easier than ever on you, and your wallet.
Kodak V1273
Kodak 12.0MP Digital Camera
Amazon Price: $298.99 (as of 02/17/2012)
Combined power of 12 megapixels with a 3X zoom lens with optical image stabilization help you get crisp, clear pictures. Make amazing quality prints to display or share with friends and family.
Other point and shoot Kodak digital cameras
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Ramkitten
Feb 28, 2010 @ 2:09 pm | delete
- To be honest, I've not had good look with my Kodak M1033. I've had to send it in for repairs twice already (under warranty) for a problem with the lens, and now it's happened for a third time. Kodak is now going to replace the camera with "refurbished" one, so we'll see what happens. Their customer service HAS been good, though, so I give them credit for that. And perhaps I just happened to buy a lemon and these cameras are otherwise reliable. We'll see what happens with the replacement, but I'll have to wait a few weeks for it and, in the meantime, will again be without a camera. They want to receive my bad one before sending me a replacement.
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Best Nikon Point and Shoot Digital Camera
Nikon Coolpix P90
Nikon Coolpix P90 12.1MP Digital Camera with 24x Wide Angle Optical Vibration Reduction (VR) Zoom and 3 inch Tilt LCD
Amazon Price: $509.00 (as of 02/17/2012)
Experience even closer encounters with Nikon's Coolpix P90, with 12.1 effective megapixels and an incredible 24x optical Zoom-NIKKOR ED glass lens for stunning prints as large as 16x20 inches. The camera's bright, 3.0-inch high-resolution vari-angle LCD and Electronic Viewfinder make it easy to compose and share your pictures. And Nikon's new 4 Way VR Image Stabilization makes incredible pictures incredibly easy. Nikon's New Smart Portrait System, which automatically detects your subjects face, takes a picture when they smile and warns you if they blinked.
Nikon Coolpix S700
Coolpix S700 12.1MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom with Vibration Reduction (Silver)
Amazon Price: $210.00 (as of 02/17/2012)
From the solid feel and comfortable wraparound grip of its ultra compact all metal body to its large, easy-access control buttons and 2.7-inch high-resolution LCD monitor, the Coolpix S700 is a joy to carry and to take pictures with.All functions are optimized for immediate response, freeing you to capture special moments as you experience them. The Coolpix S700 powers up within 0.9 seconds, and the shutter releases in 0.005 seconds.Light sensitivity range up to ISO 3200 with manual control or auto control (up to ISO 1000) creates new opportunities to take sharper, more natural looking photos in lower lighting conditions, or to capture fast-moving subjects with outstanding clarity.
Nikon Coolpix L22
Nikon Coolpix L22 12 MP Digital Camera with 3.6x Optical Zoom and 3.0-Inch LCD (Blue)
Amazon Price: $187.00 (as of 02/17/2012)
Make memories and share joy with Nikon's new high-resolution Coolpix L22 and its 12.0 effective megapixels, 3.6x zoom and huge, bright 3.0-inch LCD. Nikon's 3-way VR Image Stabilization System automatically detects subject movement and adjusts the shutter speed and ISO to compensate for camera shake and minimize image blur. The camera's Easy Auto Mode with Scene Auto Selector simplifies your picture-taking experience by letting camera automatically select the best setting to get great pictures. Nikon's Smart Portrait System will; fix red-eye, detect faces, fire the shutter when your subject smiles and warn you if they blink, to get you great portraits.
Nikon Coolpix Digital Camera highlights
Other point and shoot NIkon digital cameras
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Best Olympus Point and Shoot Digital Camera
Olympus FE-4000
Olympus FE-4000 12MP Digital Camera with 4x Wide Angle Optical Zoom and 2.7 inch LCD (Dark Grey)
Amazon Price: $129.99 (as of 02/17/2012)
Whether you're enjoying a wedding or a fun weekend afternoon, the new Olympus FE-4000 digital camera will consistently capture extraordinary, in-focus pictures of your family and friends. Inside its new premium crystal shell finish, the FE-4000 packs 12 megapixels, creative in-camera Magic Filters like Pop Art and Pin Hole that make your images stand out, and new AF Tracking that keeps kids, pets, tossed wedding bouquets and other fast-moving objects in focus. The FE-4000 also has a wide-angle zoom lens inside its new super-slim body, so you'll be able to capture even more friends in one memorable image.
Olympus Stylus 9000
OLYMPUS STYLUS TOUGH-8010
Olympus Stylus Tough 8010 14MP Digital Camera with 5x Wide Angle Zoom and 2.7 inch LCD (Black)
Amazon Price: $195.00 (as of 02/17/2012)
Attention adventure-seekers: this is the go-anywhere, do-anything camera you've been waiting for. It snaps stunning photos -- and records HD movies -- wherever you are. Hurtling down a rugged trail. Plunging underwater. Balancing on your snowboard. The Stylus Tough-8010 is engineered to thrive in any conditions.
Other point and shoot OLYMPUS digital cameras
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Best Panasonic Point and Shoot Digital Camera
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX150
Panasonic DMC FX-150K 14.7MP Digital Camera with 3.6x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
Amazon Price: $399.95 (as of 02/17/2012)
The FX150's manual controls and creative-shooting features distinguish it from many of its ultra-compact competitors. For instance, the Manual Exposure mode lets you choose the shutter speed, giving the freedom to render artistic images of ordinary scenes. The multi-exposure function superimposes up to three consecutively shot images together while the user views the previous image on the LCD, creating a surrealistic effect that cannot be achieved with a single image alone. Furthermore, the manual bracketing function includes typical exposure and adds new color bracketing to capture color, monochromatic and sepia shots of an image simultaneously.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP8
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP8 12.1MP Digital Camera with 4.6x POWER Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7 inch LCD (Black)
Amazon Price: $192.00 (as of 02/17/2012)
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP8 digital camera pursues excellence in both design and function. The Lumix FP8, with 12.1 megapixels, features a high-quality 28mm wide-angle, 4.6x Leica DC lens with folding optics--encased in a futuristic-looking stylish body.
Other point and shoot Panasonic digital cameras
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Best Pentax Point and Shoot Digital Camera
Pentax Optio S10
Pentax Optio S10 10MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Blue)
Amazon Price: $239.86 (as of 02/17/2012)
The stylish Optio S10 compact digital camera with 10.0 effective megapixels offers digital Shake Reduction and a high-speed Face Recognition AF and AE function for fast, high-quality portraits. The Optio S10 is the seventh DivX Certified digital camera from Pentax. Now enhanced with digital Shake Reduction, the DivX format enables photographers to create high-quality video files that may be played back on a wide variety of DivX DVD players and other devices. The Optio S10 digital camera is one of the smallest, lightest 10-megapixel digital cameras in the world.
Pentax Optio Z10
Pentax Optio Z10 8MP Digital Camera with 7x Optical Zoom
Amazon Price: $268.99 (as of 02/17/2012)
With a 7x optical zoom, you'll get closer than ever! The Pentax Optio Z10 is equipped with a 7x optical zoom lens. Designed with a refraction lens system so the lens never protrudes from the camera while zooming, the 7x optical zoom covers a broad range, from wide-angle to telephoto zoom, and offers an ultra high-magnification of up to approximately 35.7x when combined with digital zoom. This sleek, stylish digital camera also features 8.0 megapixels, Face Recognition, Shake Reduction and a sliding lens cover for extra protection that also operates the on/off camera setting.
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Best Sony Point and Shoot Digital Camera
Sony DSC-W370
Sony DSC-W370 14.1MP Digital Camera with 7x Wide Angle Zoom with Optical Steady Shot Image Stabilization and 3.0 inch LCD (Silver)
Amazon Price: $68.89 (as of 02/17/2012)
The Cyber-shot DSC-W370 captures breathtaking panoramic images with Sweep Panorama mode. SteadyShot Image Stabilization reduces blur while a large 3.0-inch LCD screen makes taking and reviewing images easy. Plus, iAuto mode makes capturing scenes in a variety of elements a breeze and 720p Movie and HDMI output make recording and playing back HD videos is a snap.
Sony DSC-TX7
Sony DSC-TX7 10.2MP CMOS Digital Camera with 4x Zoom with Optical Steady Shot Image Stabilization and 3.5 inch Touch Screen LCD (Silver)
Amazon Price: $199.95 (as of 02/17/2012)
The DSC-TX7 features a 10.2 megapixel "Exmor R" CMOS image sensor that brings out the full resolving power of the camera's Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens to deliver extremely fast speed, high resolution, and stunning low-light sensitivity with improved image clarity and drastically reduced grain. In addition, the combined "Exmor R" CMOS sensor and BIONZ image processor delivers extremely fast 10fps, Anti Motion Blur, Hand-held Twilight and 1080i movie modes.
Other point and shoot Sony digital cameras
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