Point and Shoot cameras make up a large segment of the digital camera market thanks to their ease of use and their affordable price. As opposed to digital SLR cameras, Point and Shoot cameras are compact, easy-to-use and provide great picture quality without much effort. For the usual travel, street, or even portrait photography, point and shoot cameras are very capable. Point and Shoot cameras are ideal for many situations and for most people who are interested in getting into photography, they are a great way to start. Before buying a point and shoot camera, it is necessary to compare the different types in the market. This point and shoot buying guide will help you choose the best one to suit your needs.

What are the benefits of buying a Point and Shoot Camera?

Point and shoot cameras are the best type of camera for travelling. Point and Shoot cameras have a long list of features and capabilities, compared to even slightly older versions. There are also portable super-zooms that offer 10-15x zoom with even more portability. Lastly, Rugged-style point and shoot cameras are made to withstand extremes in just about any environment, making them ideal for the extreme-sport enthusiast, mountaineers, etc. These cameras are uniquely designed to be shockproof, waterproof and weatherproof. Extremely durable, but still providing great image quality. Let us discuss some benefits of owning a Point and Shoot camera.

Great Quality 

Point and shoot are small cameras and is available everywhere. This small camera delivers high-quality images. Technology has been so advanced, that full-frame sensors can be included in a relatively small camera. If you are searching for a simple and compact camera Point and Shoot camera is a suitable choice.

Great for Travelling

When it comes to travelling it is not always easy to carry around heavy and bulky DSLRs. Point and Shoot cameras have a clear advantage, that they are more compatible and portable. With a point and shoot camera, you can click pictures anywhere easily without much effort.

Taking more Pictures

In today’s generation, we are not satisfied with a single click. The more pictures we take, the higher the potential that we capture a good photograph. With a heavier and bulkier camera, the chance is higher, that you cannot carry it everywhere along. In contrast, the point and shoot camera can always be in my pocket.

No other accessories needed

DSLs have many extra gears like the extra lenses, tripod etc. Of course, the photo quality will be good with those gears but it is not always easy to travel carrying them. A Point and Small camera are easy to carry around and do not have any extra accessories. 

More compact

Carrying an extra bag just for the camera and the lens is also not every time. Size might not matter for you at the moment, but when you see the difference and work with it more often, you will appreciate how small and compact Point and Shoot cameras are. 

What are the factors to consider when buying a Point and Shoot Camera?

When choosing a digital camera, it is essential to first understand the features which are most important in your future purchase. Point and shoot camera feature that you might want to look into.

Megapixel Count

Majority of the people have misunderstandings that the more the megapixels better the image quality, but this is not the case. The size of the sensor has more impact on the image quality. If you are shooting in a low light surrounding get a Point and Shoot Camera with bigger image sensor. 

Battery

Most point and shoots come with their rechargeable lithium-ion batteries for extended use. Some still are powered by normal AA batteries for those who don’t always have access to an outlet.

Viewfinders

Most point and shoots do not have viewfinders and instead have an LCD screen to help you line up a shot. Larger LCD screens are more expensive but offer you a better view of your framing. 

Zoom

When looking at different point and shoots, it’s important to differentiate those that utilize optical zoom vs. digital zoom. Some cameras offer both optical zoom with extended digital zoom. Though digital zoom offers a longer zoom range, the image quality isn't as good as optical zoom.

LCD Screen

Good quality LCD is important while choosing a camera. Higher quality LCDs provide better colour and have better visibility in bright light.

Wireless Connectivity

Many modern Point and Shoot cameras now come with built-in Wi-Fi, offering a great way to share photos through social media sites by connecting to a Wi-Fi hotspot.

Face Recognition 

Most digital cameras these days offer facial recognition features to help detect your subjects faces in a scene. Like face recognition, some cameras provide smile recognition features which automatically detects a face and takes the picture when they smile.

Memory cards

Cameras require a memory card, usually a Secure Digital (SD card). Cards that are bundled with cameras have a small capacity, so you will want to buy a card with a larger capacity.

Conclusion

Almost everyone takes a camera with them on vacation, and we’ve decided to put together a guide to the best point-and-shoot cameras for travel to help you choose the best option for you. Having a great travel camera will help you capture those wonderful travel moments and share them with your family and friends. We hope this guide provided you with all the information you needed.