Are digital point & shoot cameras relevant in 2024?
Canon S100
Despite the growing popularity of smartphone cameras, digital point-and-shoot cameras still seem to hold relevance in 2024 and are increasingly more popular now than in years. What exactly is going on and who is interested in these old gadgets?
Everyday photography today.
Smartphone cameras have replaced the little pocketable point-and-shoot cameras for many casual photographers due to their convenience and ever-improving image quality. Phone cameras now are packed with features that before required buying a computer and software and of course some know-how to accomplish. Automatic bracketing, photo stacking and making a high dynamic range photos in instant has never been so easy. In a click of a touch screen shutter button the phones camera app does the heavy lifting for you and produces stunning results with minimal effort making low light photography a breeze and landscape shots turn out amazing with almost perfect exposure without blown out highlights. Of course getting the best possible image quality still requires using more professional equipment, but phone cameras have made it easy for just about everyone to take a decent photos. However, there still appears to be a growing market for digital point-and-shoot cameras in 2024.
Point-and-shoot cameras are gaining popularity.
While smartphone cameras have improved significantly in recent years, a proper digital point-and-shoot cameras still offer advantages such as higher image quality, better zoom capabilities, and more advanced shooting modes and settings. Dedicated cameras have physical buttons for different features. This makes a huge difference in using the device. Phone cameras with mostly relying on touch screen gestures can sometimes be frustrating, especially for those who are used to the tactile feel of physical buttons. Digital point-and-shoot cameras also tend to have larger sensors than smartphone cameras, which means better image quality with less noise and more detail. Additionally, digital point-and-shoot cameras often have better optical zoom capabilities, allowing for closer and clearer shots of distant subjects. Therefore, photographers or individuals who prioritize image quality, advanced shooting modes, and better zoom capabilities are still interested in digital point-and-shoot cameras.
Canon S100
Other group being interested in these old daily carry cameras are young people wanting to part ways with their smartphones and explore photography as a hobby or profession. Years go buy really fast and technology continuously evolves. For many young people these digital point-and-shoot cameras provide a stepping stone into old world. Dedicated pocket cameras are coming to an respectable age when they can be considered vintage or retro and younger generation is just rediscovering these old digital machines. People are drawn to the nostalgia and unique aesthetic of using a digital point-and-shoot camera, as it offers a different experience from smartphone photography. Older cameras also produce less perfect photos unlike those clinically perfected modern mirrorless and phone camera photo.
My experience with old digital cameras.
I've used to have digital point-and-shoot camera when they were the thing before smart phones. I have also revisited few models in current time trying to find a daily shooter since I´m not big on using a touch screen devices. I have to say, there is a certain charm and simplicity in using these older digital cameras. They may not have all the bells and whistles of modern smartphones, but they still produce excellent image quality and provide a unique shooting experience. The small enough cameras that could be considered pocketable all had their draw backs which eventually made me pass them. They all had really cramped button layout and felt too fiddly to use. Also the interface was quite slow and many times you had to wait for the camera to do it´s thing before or after taking the photo, disconnecting you from the event and waiting for the camera to react. Some cameras also really struggled to make great use of the flash when taking indoor shots, radically over or underexposing. Nevertheless, despite these drawbacks, I still appreciate the charm and nostalgia that comes with using old digital point-and-shoot cameras. Personally I don´t want to carry an unreliable and frustrating apparatus with me. Many people find them quite the opposite and that´s ok by me.
My recommendation for someone wanting to get an older digital camera to compensate for smart phones shortcomings is to get an old DSLR rather than point-and-shoot. They can be bought at the same prices. You get better image quality with bigger sensor and more control over settings compared to digital point-and-shoot cameras. Not 100% comparable as DSLR are not pocketable but you won´t be disappointed with the image quality and overall shooting experience. Just my two cents.
One very good low budget APS-C DSLR is Nikon D90. Not the cheapest option but it´s there and I was very pleased with one for a while.
