Point & Shoot and Mirrorless Interchangeable-lens cameras

As we travel the globe we come into contact with all sorts and level photographer.  We love meeting them all.  Without a doubt the largest segment of photographers we meet are sporting a point & shoot.  And they use them to create some fun shots that tell awesome stories – like the image below of our guest pro Ron Wyatt – the city boy from Jersey who hiked to Delicate Arch and gave it a nice greeting or hug or maybe it just gave him a place to rest after suffering in the 106 degree heat!

Canon S100, handheld ISO 100, 1/250, f/8, @32mm, Lexar Digital Film

These cameras have come a long way from when consumer digital photography was introduced.  Sensor technology has vastly improved.  Noise control and higher ISO ranges are much more capable than ever in these powerful machines.  Lenses on point & shoots have improved greatly.  Image stabilization was introduced leading to sharper images overall.  Autofocus on these machines has advanced light years from its early days.  All of these lead to better photos and many point and shoot cameras produce top-level “pro” quality images.  Oh, and we shall not forget the fact that many of these point & shoot models can also capture full HD quality video.

In this post we we’ll share a few images from point and shoots we use under different circumstances and share some of the latest and greatest cameras on the market.  Point and shoots are important to our work – we NEVER go on a trip without one.

Here is a sunset in Yellowstone National Park taken with a Canon G10.  Handheld, ISO 80, 1/250, f/4.5, @140mm, Lexar Digital Film

We are partial to Canon point & shoots but there are several awesome options for every consumer.  Here are just a few of the latest and greatest point & shoots on the market:

the Canon G1 Xthe Canon S100 the Canon G12 the Nikon P7100and the Panasonic DMC-ZS20

The big trend in small cameras today is the mirrorless interchangeable-lens segment.  These cameras, like true point and shoots, are a fraction of the size of DSLRs and many pack an even more powerful photographic punch than top of the line point and shoots.  In this arena Sony, Panasonic, Olympus, FujiFilm, Nikon, Pentax, and Samsung lead the market.  Of course, these models also shoot full HD quality video.  We encourage you to review the cameras you are interested in and if you are inclined get one and then go out and shoot with it.  You’ll be amazed at the results you can get.  They make excellent back-up cameras on our tours.  Top cameras in this class include the Sony NEX-7 the FujiFilm X-Pro1 the Panasonic GH2 and the Olympus OM-D

Here are a few shots with our point & shoots that hopefully show the quality you can capture with these little beauties.  This shot was taken recently at Sea World with the Canon G10, handheld, ISO 100, 1/800, f/3.5, @71mm, Lexar Digital Film

The next two shots were taken at San Diego Zoo with the Canon G10, handheld, ISO 200, 1/125, f/4.5, @140mm, Lexar Digital FilmHandheld ISO 200, 1/50, f/4.5, @140mm, fill flash, Lexar Digital Film

This polar bear at Sea World had an itch on his cheek – handheld ISO 200, 1/125, f/6.3, @140mm, Lexar Digital Film

These little powerhouses (point & shoots) also can render some excellent detail in macro mode.  Take a look at these peacock “feathers” that the Canon G10 rendered during a recent trip to San Diego Zoo.

Handheld, ISO 100, 1/200, f/3.2, @50mm, Lexar Digital Film

The bottom line is the best camera is the camera you have.  If that happens to be a point & shoot don’t worry – be bold, creative and get out and shoot.  You can create awesome images you’ll like and that is what is most important.  Enjoy your photography.  If you are tired of carrying your full-size DSLR all the time invest in a point & shoot or mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera and get out and shoot.  Enjoy!

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