Light Meter: Point and Shoot 101

There is an abundance of cameras on the market these days for the consumer to choose from. The important question is, which one is right for you? Do you only take photos at birthday parties and family gatherings? Are you at every soccer game cheering on your daughter? Have you found yourself hoping for more control over your images? These and many other questions will help to determine what type of camera you are looking for.

In this chapter, I will go over the basic differences between compact point and shoot cameras and those designated as high end. Afterwards, we’ll take a 10 minute break and resume with a whole hearted discussion on why Donald Duck only wears a shirt but after a shower, has a towel around his waist.

Compact cameras come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. They have 1 of 2 types of lenses: normal or internal zoom. Since most cameras are small they can be carried around easily. Just like many people wear their cell phone case on their belt, a small camera case can also be worn in the same manner. Compact cameras vary in additional features however they all (less some kids cameras):

Have a timer
Record video clips
Have red eye reduction
Have an LCD
Offer scene modes: Auto, Portrait, Night, Action, Landscape
Have a built-in flash
Have an optical zoom of 3x or 4x and a digital zoom

Additional features may include:

Scene modes: Fireworks, Dusk/Dawn, Beach/Snow, Museum, Copy, Pets, Macro, Copy, Food
Sound with video
Voice recording
Adjustable ISO settings
Aperature Priority
Manual Mode
Shoot in enhanced color, B&W and/or Sepia

Pictured above are two examples of compact cameras. On the left is the Nikon Coolpix S50. That square on the top right of the Nikon is an internal zoom lens. To the right is the Fujifilm FinePix V10. Does anyone else hear “It’s Hip to be Square” playing in their head right now?

High end point and shoot cameras are right smack dab inbetween compact cameras and SLRs. They offer more creative control than compact cameras and better lenses yet don’t measure up to the quality of an SLR. You also can’t change lenses. These cameras are also inbetween when it comes to size. They won’t fit in your handbag (well, most anyway) but you could put the case in a duffle bag.

What you’ll find on high end point and shoots:

Timer
Video recording with sound
Rey eye reduction
LCDs and viewfinders
Scene modes
Built-in flash
Optical zoom of 10x, 12x, or 18x digital zoom
Higher quality lenses
Adjustable ISO settings
Manual Mode, Aperature Priority, Shutter Priority
Image Stabilization

Additional features may include:

Hot shoe for external flash
Macro and Telephoto lens attachments
Custom Functions
Greater range of ISO settings
Advanced metering

Pictured above we have the Sony Cybershot H5 and the Olympus SP-550UZ.