5 Rules to Buying a Point and Shoot Camera

The point and shoot digital camera are compact and easy to use. All you need to do is press your shutter button and the camera takes care of everything else (shutter speed, focus, light sensitivity, focus, etc.) Trying to choose from the hundreds of cameras with different price points and different features can be daunting. Here are 5 rules to help you buy a point and shoot camera.

Rule #1: Don’t Just Focus on Megapixels
Far too often consumers put all their focus on the megapixels, and in the earlier days of 2-3 megapixels, it was important; however, with megapixels up around 16 it no longer matters, as most people will never print images large enough to take advantage of the extra pixels. The size of the sensor is far more important. 

Rule #2: Weigh Size versus Features
You can find very time point and shoot cameras but they usually don’t have a long zoom lens and other more advanced features, because the slim body just doesn’t have room for it. If you have big hands, you may also find it awkward to operate such a tiny camera. Take this into consideration when buying your camera.

Rule #3: Watch the Lens Focal Length as well as the Zoom Factor
We tend to put a lot of focus on the zoom factor but really, what’s far more important is the lens focal length. This is generally expressed as a 35mm equivalent value so if you have two cameras both with a 5x lens but one covers 28-140mm while the other covers 24-120mm the first ones better if you are going to be shooting in spaces that are small and tight, while the latter is going to be better if you have a longer telephoto reach. The better point and shoots begin around 28mm.

Rule #4: Display Resolution is as Important as Size with LCD Screens
The rear LCD is handy to frame your photos and videos and then review them. Look for a camera with a 3” screen. LCDs are measured in dots. The larger the value the sharper the image. Touch screen interfaces are also available and they are very handy.

Rule #5: Image Stabilization is a Must
Optical image stabilization compensates for shaky hands, a perfect feature especially when you don’t have tripod handy. It’s not always available on the lower end cameras but it is one feature that’s worth paying a little extra for. 

Rule #5: Good Low-Light Performance Lessens the Need for Flash
A higher ISO performance of your camera makes it more sensitive to light and so it requires less flash use. Look for a camera that allows you to set it higher than 100 ISO. 

Put these 5 rules into play when buying a point and shoot camera and you won’t be disappointed.
