Point and shoot/Compact camera's the good the bad ?

I prefer my SLRs and my DSLR, but I do have a point-and-shoot digital that I quite like. It's a Kodak EasyShare M341 12.2 megapixel model. It is pocket-sized (smaller than my smartphone actually) and very versatile for a mass-market consumer product. I've taken some photos with it that I'm very pleased with and overall I'm happy with the camera. It comes with its own rechargeable battery, which is great, because you don't have to keep buying batteries all the time, and it supports a 2GB SD card. I wouldn't put a card larger than 2GB in it; that tends to slow down the firmware for some reason. This camera cost around $160 and I've had it for two years.

As for example shots, it's not just the camera that makes the pictures. Photography is more about the photographer than the equipment. I can get pretty good results with a point-and-shoot as can any experienced photographer, but a person who doesn't know what he or she is really doing might not get the results they want, even with a top-of-the-line DSLR.

But I have example shots...

Everything in this Gallery shoot was done with my Kodak EasyShare M341 compact point-and-shoot camera!


shot with my Kodak EasyShare M341 on "Beach" preset


shot with my Kodak EasyShare M341 on "Beach" preset


shot with my Kodak EasyShare M341

 

I am currently limited to my point and shoot, but I think it works out really well. I use a Canon SD1400 IS and love it. I've used Canons for about 12 years now and have been happy with all of them. I don't have any on-topic pictures, but this gallery http://www.flickr.com/photos/nodivision/sets/72157626155233025/ is all taken with my current little Canon.

 

The beauty of digital cameras nowadays is that you don't have to spend a ton of money to get a fairly decent one. True, DSLRs are expensive and probably best-suited for someone with a bit more photography experience, but you can see from the photos already shared in this thread that you don't need a DSLR to take great photos. Also, you can pretty much buy a point-and-shoot anywhere (my Kodak EasyShare was purchased at a pharmacy chain!) so knowing where to get one shouldn't be too intimidating.

I'm going to offer a suggestion. If you're not sure what you want, go into a camera shop or electronics store and "visit" some cameras. Ask the sales people to let you check them out, and ask lots of questions. Also, you might look around in your area for a beginners digital photography class.

 

I picked up a Canon G11 a few years back....and was pleasantly surprised at how versatile a p/s could be!





These are snapshots using the light off the computer monitor!

The Sony p/s which feature the Carl Zeiss lens are also GREAT compact cameras!

 

My first (and current) camera is a Vivitar x225, It was a birthday present from my parents
Although all the reviews give this camera 1/ stars out of 5 . (Because if there isn't enough light you can't get a good picture)
I'm starting to get the hang of getting some good shots out of it.

These where all taken with a £30 point and shoot camera , so it really a matter of knowing it's strong/weak points.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/visible_magic/

 

These are REALLY old shots, but I still think my little Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W55 was an awesome little camera.
It was a 300 or 400$ PS back in the day (2007) but now they can be found dirt cheap.
Once I figured out how to abuse the Programmable mode, it was fantastic.\

(photos circa 2008-09)






the iphone4 (and newer) also have extremely powerful cameras in them.
It has to be IPHONE, ipod touches were not manufactured with the same cameras.

Pairing my iPhone 4 with Camera+ always gets me fantastic quality shots



Camera+ offers a lot of filters like a DOF filter, color filters, enhancements, and also the "hipster" type filters you get with instagram
+borders and other fun stuff.... I love camera+ >_> can you tell?


/instagram is also awesome for quick sharing with other doll owners there's a whole network of us out there!
It's not hte best quality, but I honestly shoot a lot with camera+ and then just open up those shots up in instagram and edit from there :P

 

Knibitz brings up a great tip - you don't have to buy new! My favorite camera that I've owned was a Canon PowerShot S2 IS. New it was around $400, but I've seen working ones sell on ebay lately for around $25. Finding a camera that's a few years old but is still a quality camera is a great option.

 

Personally I'd buy a micro 4/3 or similar "mirrorless" camera. Better image quality than a point & shoot but they're really well-priced these days, and you can get a total steal if you buy a model that's being discontinued, which isn't hard because they seem to release new models every six months or so.

 

I'm also a believer that you don't necessarily need to get a DSLR to take nice doll photos - you just need to know your own camera well, and naturally you need to be familiar with some basic do and don't rules. Nobody starts out as a professional photographer, and you'll have to keep practicing anyway - buying an expensive camera cannot give you experience.

I've been using the same, lower mid-range point'n'shoot (Canon a720 IS) for years now. It cost about $270 when I bought it - I chose that particular model because even though it's a lower range compact, it still had shutter priority, aperture priority and even manual mode that I was able to use. It's not available anymore, but if you want to go the least expensive way, I can recommend its successors.

Some pics I took with the a720:







low light conditions (single desklamp):

 

This. You can get a dated but still good refurbished Olympus E-PL1 with kit lens for about $200. That is well within compact camera pricing and will "age" a lot better since it has an upgrade path.

 

I have just ordered a new camera, a Canon Powershot s100. I chose it after reviewing lots of point and shoot cameras using google. I found that when I entered a store to ask for advice most salespeople were not up to date with information. With Google I found dozens of reviews from professionals and other users. I also like the way that they show examples of photos that are taken with the camera. I only had a $400 budget so DSLR were out of my range. But I like the way that the point and shoot cameras are pocket size and easy to carry around. Also with young children I didn't feel comfortable having such an expensive camera.
I guess the proof will be in the pudding! I'm not bragging yet :-)