Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: North Carolina |
Thanks for the comments!
I'd like to chime in on the PnS rules FWIW. As I see these contests/challenges, they're meant to be fun. Really, who of us is going to land a pro photography job by a post to a PnS thread? And there's no prize money or anything, so why get all worked up about sensor size, film, etc.? When I think of a true "point and shoot" camera, I think of 110 and 126 type cameras, no zoom, no changable lenses, etc. You know, just a little fixed-focus, fixed-focal length lens where the only control is how you frame your shot, whether you had a flash bulb or built in flash, and then click the shutter. Though I think most of us would agree that is too narrow of a definition (can you even buy a digital PnS without a zoom?).
I understand trying to "level" the playing field a little, and so it makes sense to limit the contest to what I would term a "pocket" camera, or an "average Joe" camera. This to me would include 35mm film cameras like the Canon Sure Shot that many proud grandmothers might have used to chronicle their grandchildrens' lives. They may have a zoom, maybe not. Remember, that even though 35mm film may have a larger "sensor", it still has to be scanned, which in most cases is going to take away some of that sensor "advantage."
Though the argument's been made that an antique camera, even if large format but with "poor" optics could qualify technically as a point and shoot because you can't change lenses and might only have rudimentary aperture control, your average person is going to have one to lug around. Though you point it and shoot, it doesn't pass the "granny test" to me.
Likewise, as Erik mentioned about "pro" style PnS cameras, my dead Fuji F700, though it came out in 2003 and was non-IS with only 6MP, had a bunch of manual controls: Auto, Full Manual, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, AF Area, AF (center), Manual focus(!), Exposure bracketing, selectable flash power, several film emulations, etc. I imagine, that it really shouldn't qualify as a PnS, though it was mainly used as such since the manual controls weren't really convenient to use (it was great having Aperture and Shutter Priority though).
So, after that long ramble, I would think that a reasonble definition of a PnS camera, would include a size definition (pocket/small case), a lens definition (no interchangeable lenses), and a level-of-control definition (should a pocket size, fully manual capable digital camera be allowed? but not a pocket size fixed lense, fixed focal-length, fixed aperture 35mm film camera?). Once rules as to what camera is acceptable are set, they shouldn't be changed though IMO. The winner should get to pick the topic and judge it, perhaps even restricting the timeframe for the shots (i.e. from the start of the challenge and not allow old shots).
Just my thoughts
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