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Feed Your Love for Photography With the Best Point and Shoot Camera

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Feed Your Love for Photography With the Best Point and Shoot Camera

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Buyer’s Guide for Finding a Point and Shoot Camera

When it comes to point-and-shoot cameras, a large part of the digital camera market is dedicated to them. This has a lot to do with their affordability, ease of use, and compact nature, especially when compared to DSLR cameras. With point-and-shoot cameras, you can take high-quality snapshots without needing to put in too much effort or worry about your prior photography experience. With point-and-shoot cameras, all you need to do is point toward the scene you want to capture and click a button — the camera will adjust the shutter, aperture, speed, light sensitivity, and focus all on its own. To make navigating the purchasing process a little easier, here’s a comprehensive list of the leading point and shoot cameras of 2023.

Considering the wide variety of point and shoot cameras on the market today, it can be confusing to choose the right one for yourself. You walk into a store and you’re bombarded with all kinds of cool-looking cameras, and these can cause you to make a rushed, ill-informed decision. We’ve put together this useful guide to help you carefully consider all your options and find answers to some of the most commonly asked questions regarding point and shoot cameras. Keep reading to learn how to find a great point and shoot camera in 2023:

Reasons You Should Buy a Point and Shoot Camera

You’re probably wondering why you’d need a point and shoot camera when you’ve already got a smartphone with a perfectly good camera available to you at all times. Here’s why:

Larger image sensor

The camera in your smartphone is probably great for everyday use, but there’s not a lot of space inside your phone’s body to place an image sensor in there. Point and shoot cameras come with a larger built-in sensor, which provides you with crisper, more vivid pictures than the ones you’d get from your phone’s camera.

Better quality close-ups

Instead of digitally resizing what the lens captures (like smartphone cameras do), point and shoot cameras use optical zoom, which reduces any kind of degradation and provides shots with significantly better detail.

Higher durability

If you’re an outdoorsy person, point and shoot cameras are going to suit you a lot better than your smartphone, which most likely isn’t water-, dust-, or drop-proof. Point and shoot cameras are a lot more durable in that respect.

Things to Consider Before Buying a Point and Shoot Camera

Megapixel count

Most people wrongly believe that more megapixels mean better quality pictures. The truth, however, is that sensor size has more to do with the clarity of your pictures than the number of megapixels does. If you’re going to be shooting in low-light environments, a point and shoot camera with a larger image sensor will serve you better.

Viewfinders or LCD screen

Most point and shoot cameras don’t include viewfinders — they have LCD screens instead. Larger LCD screens can be pricier but will provide you with a more convenient way of framing your pictures. If you’re buying a point and shoot camera with an LCD screen, choose one with at least a 3-inch screen for an accurate preview of the picture you’re taking.

Optical zoom or digital zoom

Digital zoom offers a longer zoom range, but you’ll end up with lower-quality pictures. Optical zoom is a better choice, even though it makes your device a little bulkier. Some point and shoot cameras even come with both, featuring optical zoom with extended digital zoom.

Image stabilization (IS)

This is a great feature, especially when you’re taking pictures in low-light situations as point and shoot cameras automatically shift to a slower shutter speed to increase exposure in these environments. This can have a blurring effect, regardless of how sturdy your grip is, and IS helps correct the blurred image after the picture is taken.

Battery life and storage

Most point and shoot cameras come with rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that will last a while. Other options may be powered by regular batteries, and these can be useful for users who don’t have easy access to power outlets. Most point and shoot cameras have SD or SDHC card slots with storage capacities of up to 32GB. You should ideally go for the maximum amount of storage you can get in your price range.

Additional features

If you’re willing to invest a little extra, spring for a point and shoot camera with extra features like facial recognition, which automatically detects a face and snaps a picture when the subject smiles. Built-in WiFi can be pretty useful as well, especially if you’re someone who’s active on social media.

01 Nikon Coolpix Point and Shoot Camera

Thanks to its 83x zoom range, you’ll have a hard time finding a digital point and shoot camera with a longer zoom lens than the Nikon Coolpix P900. This robust gadget also features excellent image stabilization, which works well alongside the magnifying lens to give you some top-class snapshots.

This point and shoot camera features a bright viewfinder with a resolution of 640 x 480p to help you clearly see your subject. It has a 3-inch rear LCD screen that you can flip and rotate, which means you can even hold it up to take selfies, and it comes with a second zoom level on the lens barrel for fast, smooth zooming. Thanks to its high-quality, easy-to-use design, this point and shoot camera is our top pick.

Pros

  • Extremely long zoom range
  • Impressive image stabilization system
  • Built-in WiFi and NFC
  • Clear electronic viewfinder
  • Vari-angle LCD screen

Cons

  • Design is somewhat bulky
Nikon Coolpix Point and Shoot Camera

02 Kodak Digital Point and Shoot Camera

This popular camera has earned itself a pretty great reputation among videographers and photographers alike, mostly because of how affordable it is for what it offers. The Kodak AZ421 PixPro Point and Shoot Camera has a 42x optical zoom and 24mm wide-angle lens that makes it excellent for taking pictures of objects both near and far. It also allows you to crop your pictures without compromising on their quality and recognizes facial features as well — not just humans, we’re talking dogs and cats, too!

This digital point and shoot camera comes with a 3-inch LCD screen that makes browsing your captures pretty easy. It features a panorama mode for capturing landscapes, an optical image stabilization system, and a fast-acting autofocus system as well, and the whole thing is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery for easy point and shoot camera use.

Pros

  • Exceptional 42x zoom
  • High-quality, user-friendly design
  • Comes with additional accessories
  • Facial detection features

Cons

  • Records videos in low resolution
Kodak Digital Point and Shoot Camera

03 Sony ZV-1 Digital Point and Shoot Camera

The Sony ZV-1 Digital Point and Shoot Camera is one of the top vlogging cameras on the market thanks to its impressively fast autofocus system and 24-70mm lens with real-time tracking and eye autofocus systems. Its 1-inch sensor makes it pretty easy to shoot high-quality vlogs with a nice background blur and consistent focus, and you can easily and smoothly switch between this point and shoot camera’s various modes.

This point and shoot camera comes with a 3.5mm mic port to offer you solid audio to go with your videos, and it also comes with a mic windshield for noise reduction when you’re shooting in less desirable weather conditions. You can pick this point and shoot camera up in black or white color options, as well as purchase just the camera or a bundle option with some accessories included.

Pros

  • Vari-angle rear screen
  • Fast, sharp autofocus
  • Compact, lightweight design
  • Easy color grading

Cons

  • No front-facing touch control
Sony ZV-1 Digital Point and Shoot Camera

04 Canon PowerShot Point and Shoot Camera

The Canon PowerShot SX740 Point and Shoot Camera is the perfect choice for anyone looking for a travel camera with great zoom. Thanks to its 40x optical zoom you’re going to get a pretty versatile focal range, and it also comes with a five-axis optical image stabilizer to keep your photos sharp when shooting at longer focal lengths.

This point and shoot camera also allows you to record high-resolution 4K videos with beautifully vivid colors in great detail. The build of the camera itself is slim and stylish, which makes it easy to carry around with you wherever you go. It also comes with built-in WiFi and Bluetooth for easy file transfers, making this point and shoot camera a no-brainer for your next vacation or weekend getaway.

Pros

  • 40x optical zoom
  • WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity
  • Features a flip-forward screen
  • Compact and portable

Cons

  • Unable to shoot in RAW
Canon PowerShot Point and Shoot Camera

05 Panasonic LUMIX Point and Shoot Camera

The Panasonic LUMIX ZS80 is a superzoom digital point and shoot camera with 4K video capabilities, a lens that offers a pretty solid focal length, and a decent-sized viewfinder with a 2.3 million-dot resolution.

This point and shoot camera also features modes for shooting in RAW as well as 10fps burst shooting, and it has built-in WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity for hassle-free file transfers. The large sensor built into it enhances this point and shoot camera’s performance in low-light conditions, while its optical image stabilizer works to minimize blur. The body of this point and shoot camera is pretty compact and travel-friendly, and it features a 3-inch LCD touchscreen that can be flipped around to face forward.

Pros

  • Quick autofocus and face detection
  • Portable, compact design
  • Customizable controls make it user-friendly
  • Responsive touch screen and UI

Cons

  • Limited framerate options
Panasonic LUMIX Point and Shoot Camera

People Also Asked

How can I protect my point and shoot camera from damage?

Invest in a case! A case is probably the most important accessory for a compact camera, especially if you’re someone who travels a lot. Go for a case that offers a snug fit, is waterproof, and has a couple of pockets and a strap.

How should I clean my point and shoot camera?

Point and shoot cameras are actually pretty easy to clean and maintain as they don’t require professional cleaning (unlike mirrorless cameras and DSLRs). Since point-and-shoots typically come with lens covers or caps, they’re protected from dust and scratches when not in use. For occasional cleaning, pick up a microfiber cloth.

Iu2019m an amateur photographer. Is a point and shoot camera suitable for me?

Point and shoot cameras are an excellent choice for beginners because they’re specifically designed to take high-quality pictures with minimal effort or professional experience.

Alex Baum

Jul 13, 2022

37 Articles Published

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We're not just tech junkies, but we're also tech experts. Each and every "Best of.." list on TechJunkie is curated by our content-area subject matter experts to provide a well-rounded, unbiased perspective to help and inform you, our reader. Our lists are constantly reviewed and updated, so you can be sure you're reading relevant and up to date information.

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