Point or I'll Shoot

PERHAPS some of us do not care at all about the origin of the so-called "point-and-shoot" camera. That would be all right because it would be more important to know that most SLRs or 35 mm cameras with the AF function (that's Auto Focus for you) can now be set to operate in a point and shoot mode (from hereon, referred to as P & S). This feature can be considered as one of the greatest inventions in terms of documenting the fleeting memorable moments in our very own lives.

The P & S revolution began in the late 1880s with that famous slogan "You push the button, we do the rest" coined by Kodak's founder himself, George Eastman. When he started selling cheap box cameras this had become, in many ways, the original P & S camera. Thanks to Eastman's inventive genius, anyone could now take pictures with a handheld camera simply by pressing a button. He made photographers of us all. Over the years we have come to expect more from these compact cameras to the point that we now have digital P & S filmless cameras where you have no need to drop films off at your favorite photo lab. All you may have is a memory card to be downloaded and could even be printed by your whole lonesome self.

Most P & S automatically set the lens aperture and shutter speed needed for correct exposure, using their built-in light and flash meters. Sensors automatically trigger the built-in flash units when lights are too low to ensure a sharp photograph. Built-in motors automatically advance and rewind the film. Moreover, their non-removable lenses focus automatically, either through light beams or by analyzing actual subject light. The most important thing with these compact cameras is that they provide us confidence and a lot of convenience when taking snapshots. This makes us ever so ready to shoot (just do not forget to check your batteries). You just have to frame your subject, move closer and presto! Some of the world's Top Gun photographers have wisely used these compact cameras as back-up even for important projects.

So yes, it can be done! Do not feel inadequate because you have this puny camera in your pocket, and your friend is lugging around with a Nikon F5 SLR, with a Tamron 28-200 zoom lens, and a moby flash. You can get a better picture than he can, for the following reasons:

Your camera weighs 8 ounces and is weatherproof so you have it with you at all times.

You have a decent lens in front of the film; like most first-time SLR owners these days, your friend most probably has a cheap low-contrast zoom lens.

He is using that moby on-camera flash as his main light. Well, you can be more creative than that (especially if you have read the maiden article of this column on "Basic Lighting," January-February 2001 issue).

Your camera has a better system for combining light from the flash with ambient light ("fill-flash").

Our tip for the month: One thing about P & S cameras is that they work best if you understand a little bit about exposure. Exposure meters in cameras try to make everything medium tone (think of green leaves--that's medium tone). If you are trying to take a photo that's bright, the camera will still try to render it medium tone. The solution in those cases is to get a lock on something medium tone but in the same distance, press the shutter release halfway down, and then recompose and shoot. For example, if you are trying to take a photo of a sunset with the sun in it, point at the horizon with no sun, press shutter halfway, point at the sun, and then shoot. This explains why all sunset photos taken with P & S cameras look too dark. Got the picture?!*

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