# Point & Shoot



## Honeybee (Jan 9, 2008)

Just wondering how many people here only use a point and shoot camera.
Seems to me not very many, but I could be wrong. That's all i have is P&S. Would love to get a digital slr one day.  But anyway...yeah....who else using a p&s?


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## Sw1tchFX (Jan 9, 2008)

I do, i keep it in my car.


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## bhop (Jan 9, 2008)

I have a Sony DSC-H3.  I use it occasionally, when I don't want to drag an SLR around.


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## Honeybee (Jan 9, 2008)

I wish i had the option of which camera to use!  

Does anybody find anything wrong with a p&s? 

I feel out of my leauge since most here are using SLR's or ya know...high tech stuff i know nothing about.  I would like to get to that point but i think i need all the basic down before i even consider going to bigger and better things.

And another question...what does it take to 'impress' you people? Just curious. as i have posted a few shots but very few repsonses.  I feel intimidated.


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## bhop (Jan 9, 2008)

The things I don't like about p&s is the lack of control, limits on the lens, lack of raw.  Of course, the auto feature is what makes a p&s what it is to me...whip it out, *snap*, put it back in your pocket.   

As far as being out of your league.  I wouldn't worry about it if you're having fun and getting images *you* like with your camera.  I've seen some fantastic images made with p&s cameras.  To me, good images come more from composition and subject than what equipment it was shot on.  If it makes you feel any better, I barely get comments as well usually.  (though i'm still kind of a newbie around here)


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## kundalini (Jan 9, 2008)

I think you're underestimating numbers.  I feel there are many with P&S.  I wish I had one.  I agree with bhop that it's not all in the gear, it helps sometimes.

Bear in mind this is a photography forum and skill levels of the members cover the entire spectrum.  You are not out of your league, you're right where you need to be.

The nature of the beast is that sometimes so many post come in at times, your photo may get pushed down the list quickly.  I have had many to get buried.  If there is one you really want comments on, just reply to it and ask for help.

What impresses me is for someone such as yourself, trying to gain knowledge, and having a positive attitude towards comments of your photos.  Don't make excuses of why, where, when or who.  There's nothing wrong with challenging a responder to explain themselves, but engaging in flame wars does not get the information you want.  I have not a clue of any of your responses, so no accusations are being thrown in your direction.  Just a nugget of information for you.

Best of luck and keep posting.


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## Dagwood56 (Jan 9, 2008)

Right now all I can use is a point and shoot camera because I can't afford a dslr or film and developing costs for my SLR. 

I too have felt sort of intimidated posting any photos here, though I have done it. Many times I've felt that my posts are over looked  when its found that all I have is a P&S, but that probably just my imagination.
I got a canon powershot for Christmas, and once I've learned how to use it, I hope to have better quality shots than I got with my old point & shoot. [from 2001].

MY problem with the P&S are their small size, and in most cases, the lack of a viewfinder. I really can't see how anyone can really compose and clearly focus a shot on an LCD screen looking at one of those just makes me feel dizzy - then perhaps its my 51 year old eyes..lol.

Don't give up, keep posting.


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## dpolston (Jan 9, 2008)

Funny that you ask. I have never owned a p&s (other than as a kid and that was probably a 110 camera (remember those) and I think my sister had a "disk" camera (piece of crap there)). I have big slr's and dslr's and I can't figure out my daughters cameras. Both of them have Nikon Coolpics (different models) and I can barely turn them on. I am a p&s idiot! <duh>

I do need one. Carrying around what I generally carry is a hassle.


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## peterfcassidy (Jan 9, 2008)

There was so much to learn I bought a feature rich and flexible (from manual to full automatic) P&S from Fuji, the Finepix E900 which took the 9 Mpx exposure engine from a DSLR and shoved it into a clamshell camera. The E900 let me explore digital image capture at a low cost while the bleeding edge of DSLRs evolved into more affordable pro gear. 

The results from the little camera, in terms of being able to capture a story-telling shot, have been admirable in terms of image quality and color trueness. Let's look at some images from the E900 I took during my travels. (Remember, these are Flickr reductions with nowhere near the resolution of the original RAW files from the E900.)





















None of these required any post processing. I just converted the RAW files to high resolution JPGs and I was ready to print. I don't feel I'm compromising image quality with the little camera, though I do feel frustrated sometimes I don't have an easy access to manual focus and metering controls. But that is the nature of a mostly P&S device.

That's just me. I read recently of a women who published an entire book of underwater photography taken with an E900, an Ikelite housing and a high-end strobe system. I should write her and find out if she shot manual focus or auto. . .

Caveat: I read on a website that the quality control of the E900 had been sliding and that they are extremely dust sensitive. Could be true. I bought mine a while ago and while it complained of a couple of grains of sand, I was able to shake them out without further harm.

Note: there's an enthusiast's site dedicated to the little camera called E900 Photography at www.e900photography.com run by a fellow from the UK living in Turkey. Actually full of useful ideas and musing and experiences in all dimensions of photography.

Peter




Honeybee said:


> Just wondering how many people here only use a point and shoot camera.
> Seems to me not very many, but I could be wrong. That's all i have is P&S. Would love to get a digital slr one day.  But anyway...yeah....who else using a p&s?


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## abraxas (Jan 9, 2008)

Honeybee said:


> I wish i had the option of which camera to use!
> 
> Does anybody find anything wrong with a p&s?
> 
> ...



Ms Bee,

Don't be intimidated- Think of us as pretty much all of us sitting around in our underpants ('cept me) typing stuff into the internet -- don't visualize it, just think about it that way.

In my opinion, composition is the most important thing.  A P&S will take care of the rest for the most part, but a simple to operate camera, cheap even, will allow you to concentrate on composition until you're ready to take more control.

Keep shooting and posting.  If you don't get enough, or a reaction/feeback, reply to your own message with the word -bump-. This will bring it back to the top of the heap.  Also, participate. This helps everyone get to know everyone.  You see a photo you like, say so.   Ask questions- ask for comments/help.  Start threads (like you did this one).  Have fun with it. .


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## RKW3 (Jan 9, 2008)

DSLR's are pretty much better than point n shoots at every aspect of a camera. I know because I had to use my first year of photography using a non-SLR camera. This doesn't mean you can't produce some cool shots though, but photoshop will have to be applied. (usually)


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## Don Kondra (Jan 9, 2008)

Hi Honeybee,

Not a darn thing wrong with using a P&S if you're having fun... 

I think we sometimes get caught up in the details and miss the point.

For me a thoughtfully composed shot is worth more than a gazillion megapixels 

And for what it's worth, I've had a product photo I took with room lights and a Kodak CX4230 2 mp P&S published in a magazine. 

Cheers, Don


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## Honeybee (Jan 9, 2008)

Thank you all for your comments and opinions.  It's greatly appreciated....like always.  I guess it's hard not to feel overwhelmed by all the knowledge and beautiful shots that are posted on here. But i will use full advantage of everything I learn.  I want this to end up being a life-long hobby.  

And I won't be going anywhere, as I have too much to learn and gain from this site.

Hope to get to know some of you better. Once again...thank you all for the feed-back!!!!!!


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## kundalini (Jan 9, 2008)

Oh Honeybee, I had such a hard time trying to figure out much of the terms used here about photography, but I had much more troubles tyring to decipher the acronyms and texting short forms ( I think that's what they call it) I'm turning......having another birthday shortly and all the abbreviations confuse me at times. 

Have you ever been in a conversation with someone and didn't have a clue what the other person was talking about? You just smile, laugh and carry on. But then ask your best friend, you google and try to what the heck they were talking about? Not much difference here.

The more you invest of yourself, the quicker you absorb. When something is being discussed and you are wondering, ask for clarification, research for yourself. Use the search function here. There is loads of information available. Many of us will try to help.


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## Honeybee (Jan 10, 2008)

Awesome....

BTW....Google is my friend! Been doing lots of searching.


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## Silverbackmp (Jan 10, 2008)

The picture below was shot with an older 5MP Pentax point n shoot.  Granted it is a composite of one photo exposed for the sky and one photo exposed for the land but this is still a valid technique even with an DSLR.  It is an accurate representation of the scene.


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## gpimages (Jan 10, 2008)

Honeybee,
I keep an Olympus point and shoot in the car at all times. Every couple of months I download and sort the pics off of it. A while back I was looking over the pics and was quite proud of a couple of very good sunset pics. I was tooting my  own horn and showing my wife the pics. She very humbly told me that those were pics SHE took! Point is, it's not just the camera. My wife who doesn't take pictures all the time, has a very good eye for what is a good picture. If you have an eye for photography and the desire, just keep taking pictures!


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## Honeybee (Jan 10, 2008)

gpimages said:


> Honeybee,
> I keep an Olympus point and shoot in the car at all times. Every couple of months I download and sort the pics off of it. A while back I was looking over the pics and was quite proud of a couple of very good sunset pics. I was tooting my own horn and showing my wife the pics. She very humbly told me that those were pics SHE took! Point is, it's not just the camera. My wife who doesn't take pictures all the time, has a very good eye for what is a good picture. If you have an eye for photography and the desire, just keep taking pictures!


 




that's a funny story!  burst your bubble? 

But yeah, i like to think i have an 'eye' for photography but mainly it's something i've come to love doing.


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## gpimages (Jan 10, 2008)

Honeybee,
Yep.....it was funny and humbling for me. I certainly am no expert but I do know how fun it is to take pictures. Keep on taking them and posting them!


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## Pinus strobus (Jan 12, 2008)

I used a P&S for a couple of years before I bought my DSLR.  It took me forever to get a digital camera of any kind, since I didnt own a computer.  I still use my p&s all of the time while working, I am not a pro photographer, it is much easier to carry around my small p&s all day than it is to carry my dslr.


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## mrodgers (Jan 13, 2008)

P&S vs. dSLR.  I gather from this forum and others that I have been on, that these are the only 2 categories of cameras.  I feel differently.  I view P&S as the little ultra-compact cameras that don't have a viewfinder and don't have any manual settings other than the "scene" settings.

I had a question I posted a while ago here about P&S cameras and I got as a response, _"anything that is not SLR is a P&S camera"._

The fact is, the difference in an SLR camera is the way the image is sent from the lens, directed on mirrors to both the viewfinder and the image sensor.  dSLRs also utilize a better quality image sensor than all other cameras.  Other than that, what does a dSLR have that mine doesn't have?  I have Aperture priority, Shutter priority, Program select, and full manual mode.  I can also select my ISO from 64 to 1600, change the flash settings, change the exposure compensation, view and compose according to a histogram.  That tells me it is NOT simply a point and shoot.  All cameras have a point and shoot mode, or Auto mode, including dSLRs.  

To the original poster, you are not alone out there with a non-dSLR.  I only wish I could waste the money on a dSLR.  I wish I could work where these people work.  For the price of a nice dSLR, flash unit, extra lens, and something to carry it all with, I could buy my self a much needed upgraded car to get to work!

Oh yeah.  Before the holidays, we were not very busy at work.  I as well as the other guy I work with were looking on the internet at cameras.  I was deciding on a $200 camera while he was loading up the Rebel XTi.  After the holidays I asked how his camera worked out for him.  He was looking at $1000 that included the camera, lens that normally comes with it and various other lenses, filters, and accessories.  When he called, they talked him out of that and into a different "package".  All-in-all, he spends $1500 while I spend $200.  My hopes are to learn how to use all the features of manual control and different modes.  I asked how his was and he says, _"Takes great pictures!  I put it on automatic and it does EVERYTHING for me.  All automatic!"_  So, I spend $200 to learn a bit of photography and camera settings and he spends $1500 on a _Point-and-Shoot_  LOL  .


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## seisky (Jan 13, 2008)

I'm getting a Fujfilm S700(P&S) soon to learn how to use manual controls and get the most out of pictures. Point and shoot cameras can take amazing pictures, you just need to know how to use the camera.


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## ianm (Jan 13, 2008)

I'm. or i'll phrase that correctly, i've been using a point a shoot for my photos so far - just an Olympus C350 - had it about 3 years i think, it's been useful and should be getting my first dslr at the end of this month beginning of feb


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## VADER1775 (Jan 15, 2008)

"Photography is art. It's abstract. Therefore it's difficult for many people to grasp. It's easy and lazy to think a camera makes the photos. It's easy to blame bad photos on a camera. When you get better you'll realize you would have been better off to pay more attention to your images and less to your camera"... Ken Rockwell


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## Honeybee (Jan 16, 2008)

mrodgers said:


> P&S vs. dSLR. I gather from this forum and others that I have been on, that these are the only 2 categories of cameras. I feel differently. I view P&S as the little ultra-compact cameras that don't have a viewfinder and don't have any manual settings other than the "scene" settings.
> 
> I had a question I posted a while ago here about P&S cameras and I got as a response, _"anything that is not SLR is a P&S camera"._
> 
> ...


 


  

That's a great story!  

But the way you put it (p&s vs. slr) is wonderful.  I too, wish I could afford a $1000 camera. But I'm working with what I got and I love it all the same as a high priced camera.  And as you said...it does do the same things as a SLR.  I'm continuing to work on my "skills".  I already have seen improvement in my work as I've been learning.  So thanks for your input.  Much apprecitated!




To everyone else who responded....thank you too!!!


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## Sontizzle (Jan 16, 2008)

P&S lack the control of setting your ISO, aperature, shutter speed, etc which combined make for a great photo. ive had a few P&S cameras and just bought a DSLR the other day and there is a HUGE difference between them.


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## LaFoto (Jan 16, 2008)

Without having read through all the replies that have been given already, I want to say that I ALSO have a compact digital camera (which I refuse to call "a point&shoot", since that denomination alone characterises the way compact cameras are supposed to be used, and that does not cover the truth about how I use mine when I use it), and I still use that one from time to time.

The thing is, I was with an SLR before I "went digital", took my first steps into digital photography with a borrowed "compact" (well, it was as "compact" as the first mobile phones were :shock: ... which also were about as "compact" as if a piece of furniture is ), then had to give it back but replaced it with the very Powershot I am talking about. 

But having come from the SLR-world, I soon longed for a dSLR... and saw my wish granted on my birthday 2 years ago. That is the story ... 

Already familiar with the wider range of possibilities an SLR can offer, I too soon felt the limitations of a compact digital camera, but this is not to say that camera was/is unable to produce good photography!


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