Buying a Point & Shoot Camera

Point and shoot cameras encompass the versatile mid range of digital photography. I'm Jon Rettinger here with a snapshot look at the tech specs I find most important when shopping for a new camera. Smartphones can take decent pictures but sometimes those tiny cameras just don't cut it. And sometimes those DSLRs are just too big to lug around. Between too big and too small Goldilocks would find point and shoot cameras just right. There are a lot of options out there so here are the features I focus on. Image resolution is often the most highlighted spec. Every added megapixel is actually another million tiny dots of light to make up the image you see but paying for more doesn't always mean a better sharper picture. Mid range options around 8 megapixels can easily handle most common photo print sizes even up to 8 by 10 inches. Additionally, most photos on the internet are uploaded at shrunken sizes anyway. Paying for extra megapixels is useful if you might need to do some major cropping on the images but normally I'm comfortable with mid range megapixel options and prioritize my money elsewhere. I do however pay close attention to optical zoom. This is the mechanical ability of a lens to magnify what it sees. A big optical zoom range is a huge asset but once you hit its limit the only way to magnify the image further is by using digital zoom. Blowing up images this way looses quality and sharpness. Some camera models offer impressive optical zooms with over 40 times magnification. This can get you really up close and personal even from really far away. Maybe you don't need to go that high but bigger is generally better. Good low light performance is key. It reduces the camera's need to use flash which can produce unflattering results. I look for cameras that have fast lenses. Those are ones with low f-stop numbers around 2 that can let more light in as the image is captured so you don't need any artificial light from a flash. Often times this leads to a better looking picturre. Good low light photography is also helped by a camera that performs well at a high ISO settings. ISO is the light sensitivity of an image sensor. Turning ISO up means you need less light for your photo. However, increasing ISO can lead to digital noise in the image. Some cameras do better than others at higher settings and these cameras get higher marks from me. If planning to shoot casual life moments like parties a small design will probably be important to you so you can comfortably keep it with you anywhere you go. If you don't feel like carrying it around it's not going to be much good. But, I also look for one that has a fast response time for starting up and resetting after taking a picture. I mean how many times have you had to freeze a smile during a family photo op when the camera just won't fire. Avoid these painful moments by getting a fast response time camera. Some are ready to take a picture less than a second after turning them on. If you're more on the active side looking to take more action shots look for models that stand up to some abuse. Rugged and water resistant bodies have saved many a camera from a premature demise. And, for taking these pictures on the go an image stabilization function can really improve the sharpness of your photos especially when zooming in on something distant when more camera shake is definitely going to be noticeable. Point and shoot cameras are compact; they can still be incredibly versatile and high performing. It's a great thing to have start capturing your craziest adventures or just a good photo op with some friends. Thanks for tuning in! We have much more on cameras your other gadgets needs right here on eHow Tech.