Professional photographers have been known to express a certain disdain for point & shoot cameras, assigning them to the categories of “soccer mom” and “new Polaroid.” It’s a harsh criticism, and unfounded. In fact, if you can get them to admit it, a large number of professional photographers own P&S cameras, for the simple reason that they are, well, simple.
I’m an outdoors fan. Hiking trips already involve backpacks, water bottles, and enough trail mix for a small army. Add to that a bag containing my DSLR, lenses, filters, CF cards, and spare batteries, and my loadout becomes rather excessive. If you want an additional challenge, try to fit all that into a kayak!
Enter the P&S; small, compact, light-weight, and simple to use. Today’s P&S cameras usually come with a full range of auto and manual modes, and as you get into the higher-end models, the manual modes become more full-featured, sometimes even including a hotshoe and the ability to shoot in RAW format (such as the Canon G9 & G10).
Nearly all P&S cameras use standard “AA” batteries; finding models with rechargeable Li-ion batteries is somewhat rarer. The upside is that “AA” batteries are available at pretty much any gas station mini-mart, and carrying an extra set or two adds only a few ounces to your load. If you’re extra savvy, pick up some Energizer Rechargeable NiMH batteries; 4 of them cost as much as 20 regular alkaline batteries, but the rechargeables can be reused “hundreds of times,” according to the package. I have eight sets of them and have yet to encounter a single problem. And best of all, they provide more power than regular alkalines, lasting much longer.
The biggest concern I had about buying a P&S is image quality. Because the sensors in P&S cameras are so much smaller than the sensors in DLSRs, yet hold the same number of megapixels, noise is a serious concern. My Canon SX 100 IS goes up to ISO 1600, but I’d never use it except in an emergency. In standard conditions, I won’t go above ISO 400, and even then noise is visible, especially in poorly-exposed images.
The lack of RAW ability also bothered me, but the fact is, if you get your settings right in-camera, the lack of RAW isn’t critical. And shooting JPEGs certainly uses much, much less memory; a 2GB card gives me 500+ shots at the superfine setting.
A P&S will never take the place of a DSLR and good lenses, nor should it ever be used as a replacement for one; I’d never cover an event or do serious portraiture with a P&S. But if you’re looking for a small, lightweight camera to take into the outdoors, or keep in your car, or travel with, then a P&S is the way to go.
