Point-n-Shoot?....show your Magic!

[LegoMom3]

I am an avid photographer but currently still in point-and-shoot mode. I'd like to upgrade to a DSLR someday, but I do like my little Kodak Easyshare Z712 IS.


SO!....I thought I'd see who else has some photos to share taken with a fairly basic camera. They can be Disney shots or anything else you like. Show off your stuff!

I'll start with a favorite sunset:


Location: Bryan, TX

 

[havoc315]

Not sure how "basic" my camera is, but it is a point and shoot.


DSC02055 by Havoc315, on Flickr

 

[wdw1976]

 

[LegoMom3]

That is PHENOMENAL!! WOW! Great shots.


My Kodak has some features and different settings to it (fully auto, landscape, portrait, night time, etc.) but the night- and fireworks- settings don't seem to live up to their potential. My camera is definitely better for outdoor, daytime, landscape type photos.

.

 

[hakepb]

My point and shoot:
(it's more "basic" than Havoc's, but there are still many PnS that are evenore basic)

 

[LegoMom3]

Here's a WDW one of mine....

POFQ

 

[LittleMissMagic]

I truly believe that one of the best point-and-shoot cameras out there right now is the iPhone 4s.

I used my 4s to photograph all of my structures projects last year (my philosophy: build a mediocre model and photograph it well).


IMG_0906r by vshingl, on Flickr


IMG_0949r by vshingl, on Flickr


IMG_0976r by vshingl, on Flickr


IMG_0834r by vshingl, on Flickr

I did set up all of my shots with a white board behind them and used a desk lamp for light. Then I just cropped and bumped the contrast a bit on Photoshop.

 

[havoc315]

That is PHENOMENAL!! WOW! Great shots.


My Kodak has some features and different settings to it (fully auto, landscape, portrait, night time, etc.) but the night- and fireworks- settings don't seem to live up to their potential. My camera is definitely better for outdoor, daytime, landscape type photos.

.

I should have tried the fireworks setting just out of curiosity, but I went with full manual. Even shut down the image stabilization and noise removal. Positioned the camera, applied my preferred manual settings, and then blindly clicked every 8-9 seconds, hoping for some good results by the time it was over.

 

[havoc315]

Here's a WDW one of mine....

POFQ

Amazing light.

 

[havoc315]

My point and shoot:
(it's more "basic" than Havoc's, but there are still many PnS that are evenore basic)
]

Between your skills and camera, I think you usually get better results than me. I just get a low light advantage.

 

[LegoMom3]

I should have tried the fireworks setting just out of curiosity, but I went with full manual. Even shut down the image stabilization and noise removal. Positioned the camera, applied my preferred manual settings, and then blindly clicked every 8-9 seconds, hoping for some good results by the time it was over.

I think I will have to fiddle with my manual settings and get more familiar with them. In the fireworks setting the shutter stays open too long, IMO, and they end up blurred. I like your approach - may have to try that!

.

 

[havoc315]

I think I will have to fiddle with my manual settings and get more familiar with them. In the fireworks setting the shutter stays open too long, IMO, and they end up blurred. I like your approach - may have to try that!

.

Oh, the shutter doesn't stay open long enough for me. You really need a tripod for good fireworks shots (or something else to stabilize the camera for several seconds).
I used a small gorilla pod (fits in my pocket) and then secured the camera to the railing at World Showcase. I use a 2 second timer, so that I don't shake the camera with the shutter release.

 

[havoc315]

DSC02056 by Havoc315, on Flickr

 

[havoc315]

Some fun filtering


Big Thunder Mountain by Havoc315, on Flickr

 

[hakepb]

From what I have read on DSLr fireworks threads, a "proper" fireworks picture is a 2-5 second exposure (so you capture the entire path of the firework). My cameras fireworks mode is 2 seconds.
With such a long exposure, you need great timing and/or luck to capture the firework up to its "peak" so you avoid capturing the "drooping" that eventually happens. If possible, they suggest watching multiple shows so you can learn the moments you want to capture. I get the feeling most truly great fireworks pictures take a lot of work.

Of course such a long exposure only works if you have a tripod, or are lucky enough to find a surface to put your camera on. I happened to get a few keepers (and many blurry misses because my grip was not perfectly steady) holding my camera against a post, using fireworks mode and relying on luck and memory to guess timing:

 

[havoc315]

DSC01995 by Havoc315, on Flickr

 

[havoc315]

From what I have read on DSLr fireworks threads, a "proper" fireworks picture is a 2-5 second exposure (so you capture the entire path of the firework). My cameras fireworks mode is 2 seconds.
With such a long exposure, you need great timing and/or luck to capture the firework up to its "peak" so you avoid capturing the "drooping" that eventually happens. If possible, they suggest watching multiple shows so you can learn the moments you want to capture. I get the feeling most truly great fireworks pictures take a lot of work.

[/IMG]

I found 6 seconds was the sweet spot for my camera. Though it was too long for the finale (just got big white light), it worked well for most of the show. And I just kept clicking, crossing my fingers that I would capture something good within each 6 second frame.

 

[zackiedawg]

I 'cut my teeth' on P&S digital, coming over from SLR film cameras back in 1997. I always liked to have two cameras - one 'serious' P&S camera which usually had some more manual controls, more focal range, and a bigger body, and one tiny ultracompact portable one that could disappear in a jeans pocket. I've gone through a wide range of P&S cameras over the years...here are some favorite shots from some of them:

Sony DSC-U20 - doesn't get more basic than this! About the size of a zippo lighter, took AAA batteries, had a fixed lens, a 2MP sensor, and no modes or controls other than changing the focus from wide to spot. All metering had to be done by pointing the camera around to different lighting and half-pressing to lock it in when you got it where you wanted it. You viewed this on a 1-inch LCD and no viewfinder!!:

My first 'real' digital camera, a Sony F717, with good manual controls, tilting body/lens, F2.0 Zeiss lens, and a 5MP 2/3" sensor. This was the camera that really got me into digital, as I was still shooting film alongside digital for many years until I got this camera, then the film shooting slowed to a crawl:

Sony DSC-H5 - a superzoom P&S model:

Sony DSC-TX1 - a followup credit-card style folded lens camera:

 

[wdw1976]

When I go to WDW in Nov. I will be bringing a small tripod. Hopefully that will help!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Fun thread! It can be done!

3.1 MP HP Photosmart

5 or 6 MP Canon S2 IS or Canon S3 IS - mostly S3 IS

These two photobombed my picture ...

S3 IS Paul McCartney @ Fenway Park (shot from clear across field)

S3 IS Niagara Falls