Originally posted by RioRico I'm curious about the logic of these exclusions. I'd expect that phone.cams and vid.cams would have small frames with IQ characteristics close or inferior to P&S quality
Quite true, but the P&S competition is not primarily about IQ. Its more about capturing the "right moment" which is arguably far easier to do if you extract a single image from a vid cam movie.
As far as phone cams are concerned, I personally have no objections whatever, but several posters seem to feel that they should be excluded.
Originally posted by audiobomber "Interchangeable lens" and "p&s" are mutually exclusive terms. No p&s cameras have IL. Pentax will not market the Q as a p&s and the reviews will not call it one.
However it is marketed, the Q is essentially a small, carry-along camera, which
most owners will use as a P&S. And I haven't yet seem any images from the Q which convince me that its current range of intended lenses will give it any unfair advantage in the P&S competitions.
Originally posted by audiobomber That's odd. You want to allow large sensor cameras, and small sensor cameras, but not cameras with 2/3" or 1" sensors? It doesn't make sense to me to allow large sensor cameras, which have dynamic range and ISO performance equivalent to a DSLR. A small sensor has techical limitations that make it more challenging to get a great photo.
I am not too bothered about the sensor sizes. Larger sensors obviously improve IQ, but as made clear, IQ is not a major factor in the P&S competitions. What I was trying to eliminate was a range of cameras that have an
unfair advantage in terms of shutter lag, TTL manual focus and so on. No doubt there will be exceptions where someone wants to submit an image to the competition taken with a specific camera that has a big sensor and otherwise doesn't fit the suggested rules... And who knows what new camera models will be introduced in the future?
Originally posted by wildman Point and Shoot contest. Theme - Post your best "Point and Shoot" camera shot. Restrictions: None. However your work will be judged by your peers as to the appropriateness of your gear for this contest as well as photographic qualities. In other words if you post a picture taken with a DSLR, for instance, its unlikely anyone will vote for it. Make and model of camera must be clearly stated. One shot only.
Interesting idea. It doesn't fit the rules of the
existing P&S Competition, but maybe offers an
alternative, third competition for those who would want to enter it?
Personally I would like to see the
existing P&S Competition long continue, based on a wide variety of "winner-chosen themes" and major emphasis on the composition and uniqueness of the shot rather than IQ. I will keep supporting them because they are interesting, fun, friendly and not too serious. Also the competitors get to learn, practice and refine skills which are equally applicable to shooting with any camera while still considering the limitations imposed by their equipment.
Originally posted by Laurentiu Cristofor That is why they are the Top 10 cameras and not the Bottom 10!
Apparently the top 10 listing is based on sales popularity, which seems to indicate that the vast majority of new camera buyers want a fully automatic camera but also the option of "graduating" to the use of manual controls as well. This must push camera manufacturers towards ensuring that their new models, even at the basic compact camera level, have more manual controls than just the various mode settings typical a while back. It, of course, makes it impossible to limit entries to the P&S competition to cameras with no manual settings!