The Point & Shoot Convenience

Now that I've written a few articles explaining the many benefits of a DSLR camera, there is one thing that DSLRs are not quite up to snuff on, and that one thing is compact size.  If I have my Nikon D80 DSLR with me, it is because I have specifically blocked out a portion of time to go shoot photos.  I lug books, paper, notebooks, my MacBook Pro, and anything else I need for classes around every day.  I just don't use my camera enough to justify carrying it around 24/7.  However, point and shoot cameras have come a long way in just a few years, and while they can't match the quality of a nice DSLR, when that moment comes that you really wish you had your camera, a pocket-sized point and shoot is far better than nothing.

There are many nice point and shoot style cameras out there, and I've used many different types and styles.  In general, Nikon, Fuji, and Canon are the leaders, while olympus goes for a certain niche of the market (weatherproof/waterproof).  Sony, Samsung and Panasonic make very decent cameras as well, but my personal favorites are Nikon and Canon.  In my experience, Sony cams tend to lack accurate color, Samsung makes their cameras out of a brushed nickel, making them very durable, but too heavy, and Panasonic's Lumix line tends to lack build quality and feel cheap in the hand.

The most important things in a point and shoot are:

1. Small size - if you can't fit it comfortably in your pocket/purse, you won't carry it.
2. Speed - if your son is about to jump from the swing set, you have about half a second to turn your camera on and take that photo.
3. Image stabilization - When he jumps from that swing, you might want to be able to make out that it is indeed your son jumping, not just an ambiguous blur!

Nikons and Canons will give these features, with the highest quality output, at the best price for the quality.

My current point and shoot is a Canon SD800IS.  This camera has survived many scrapes and falls, and sits in my pocket nearly every moment I'm not at home.  The camera features image stabilization, a wide angle lens, and packs all the quality I need into the photos I take with it.  I absolutely love my 800, but it can be a bit large for some users.  I would recommend the SD1000 which packs the same photo quality without the wide angle lens in a much smaller package.

Here's a link to a small gallery with some pictures taken by my SD800