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Tips for Using a Point & Shoot Camera
As to Philips paragraph at the top of this article, I'm sure if he had been standing next to
the girl with the point and shoot, he would have taken a better framed, better exposed,
sharper and more contrasty shot with his slr.
-- Jim Tardio, May 25, 1999
Sorry, Jim -- I disagree w/r/t Philip's example at the graduation. If Philip were sitting
next to the woman with the point and shoot, he wouldn't have his big cache of gear with
him -- a point & shoot is likely all he'd be able to bring to that position.
...he would have taken a better framed, better exposed, sharper and more contrasty shot
with his slr
Better framed? No, that's entirely related to the skill of the photographer. Better exposed?
With print film (and a little bit of brain power) it wouldn't make a difference. Sharper?
Yes. More contrasty? Likely.
But this is all missing Philip's point -- you can bring a point & shoot with you almost
anywhere. You can whip it out at a moment's notice and get the shot. Hence the value of
a point & shoot. They may not suit you, Jim, but that doesn't mean they're without value.
-- Russ Arcuri, May 27, 1999
Sorry Russ--I never said they were not of any value, and I never said I didn't like them. I
said I am losing my faith in them. I also said I am considering buying a Ricoh GR-1, and
still use my Minolta FZE.
I really don't know what Phil would have been using had he been closer, but I would
have had an slr with 1 or 2 lenses AND a point and shoot.
And I just don't agree that a point and shoot is better than a cheap body with a slow
consumer zoom and Moby flash. When Phil first wrote this piece I did, but after having
gone through many of these cameras I've come to the conclusion, IN MY OPINION, that
they're not much better than a disposable camera.
For example: take the Zeiss lens away from the T4 and what do have left? A little box
where the only control you have is turning the flash on and off. If light is indeed the main
ingredient of photography...as Phil states...how do you capture it faithfully when you
have no idea what the camera is exposing the film at? With practice all you have is an
educated guess at best. How do you lock focus if the camera is on a tripod? How do alter
film speed?
http://www.photo.net/learn/point-and-shoot-tips (13 of 35) [5/15/2002 7:15:46 PM]