If you could keep only one P&S...

I shoot alot in low light, sometimes in almost complete darkness where the AF beam doesn't go past 8 feet. So snap mode is really important for me...

Out of the cameras that I own, I guess I would keep the GR1s, but I'm more of a 35 guy...thank dog this is a hypothetical situation. 😀
 
My opinion on the definition of a point & shoot is something that is designed so that it can be used by a complete novice. Basically, an auto everything mode. Switch it on, point it and press to release the shutter. Whether it has manual settings as well is a bonus. I realise a modern SLR has an auto mode, but 99% of novices wouldn't go near an SLR.

In a nutshell. Able to give it to a person who has never used a camera in their life and they can switch it on and take pictures without having to understand it.

Paul
 
The Contax T3 or the Ricoh GR1S depending on my whim at the time the final answer was needed. Either of these could possible be the only camera I would ever need. Well, having just written that it's the T3. Can I have two of them?
 
muf said:
My opinion on the definition of a point & shoot is something that is designed so that it can be used by a complete novice. Basically, an auto everything mode. Switch it on, point it and press to release the shutter. Whether it has manual settings as well is a bonus. I realise a modern SLR has an auto mode, but 99% of novices wouldn't go near an SLR.

In a nutshell. Able to give it to a person who has never used a camera in their life and they can switch it on and take pictures without having to understand it.

Paul
Click to expand...

Exactly; the sort of camera you buy for someone who wants to take pictures and doesn't know how* and would lose the manual (if they ever read it). So that knocks out a lot of cameras in the list: meaning you can chose another one...

Regards, David

* You see them in the one hour places asking the staff to get the film out of the camera, as they don't know how.
 
Well, I didn't "have to" but I did thin out the herd to just one P&S: the Pentax UC-1 [Espio Mini, I think, for the non-US market ].
I liked the Olympus Stylus Epic but it was a bit too small for me to use easily, the Pentax is effectively the same functionally but in a slightly bigger package.
Rob
 
I have given this question much more thought than it deserves, but it came just at the time that I am working on "thinning the herd".

The choice that I keep coming back to is my Minolta AF-C. This camera has a sharp and contrasty 35mm f/2.8 lens composed of 6 elements in 6 groups. Auto Focus, Auto Exposure, Focus Lock, Flash and Self-timer. The shutter is nearly silent. Film advance is manual by a thumb wheel, very quiet and quick. The camera is also very small with the flash removed. Quintessential point and shot camera that is easy and fun to use. 😀
 
Here's a question for you point and shoot aficionados....

What small camera with the following features?

AF
Flash can be turned off.
Can handle film up to 1600 iso or higher.

I'm pretty sure my Stylus epic can do it, though you have to turn off the flash every time you turn the camera on.
Any other options?
 
dazedgonebye said:
Here's a question for you point and shoot aficionados....

What small camera with the following features?

AF
Flash can be turned off.
Can handle film up to 1600 iso or higher.

I'm pretty sure my Stylus epic can do it, though you have to turn off the flash every time you turn the camera on.
Any other options?
Click to expand...

Ricoh GR1v has a slide switch you can set to off, so it's off even when powering up. The Canon Sureshot Classic 120 is a zoom P&S which has a mode dial. You can taylor the 'personal' setting to flash off and even include spot metering mode if you like. It will keep those settings even after powering off.

Paul
 
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Yea, I've got a few with flash off, but I'm not sure they can handle 1600 iso or higher.
Looks like my Stylus Epic can handle 3200.
My T3 Super can handle 1600, so if I change the dx coding on the film, that'd be an option too.
It's a shame that the XA and pentax C35AF don't handle high iso film.
 
The Canon Sureshot Classic 120 can take film ranging from ISO 25 - 3200. The only real down side of the Classic 120 is that it has a max aperture of 4.5 on the short end of the zoom and 10.9 on the long end.
 
camera.bear said:
The Canon Sureshot Classic 120 can take film ranging from ISO 25 - 3200. The only real down side of the Classic 120 is that it has a max aperture of 4.5 on the short end of the zoom and 10.9 on the long end.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but its a heck of a camera. Takes excellent pics. With good light and ISO400 film it's extremely capable.

Paul
 
dazedgonebye said:
Here's a question for you point and shoot aficionados....

What small camera with the following features?

AF
Flash can be turned off.
Can handle film up to 1600 iso or higher.

I'm pretty sure my Stylus epic can do it, though you have to turn off the flash every time you turn the camera on.
Any other options?
Click to expand...
Ricoh FF70/FF90 can take 1600 film, and if you don't want flash, just push it down.
 
Wanting AF means you are into complex electronics and that means a flash with (usually) several modes and "OFF" is always somewhere in the middle.

If you could live with zone focussing then the Olympus XA3 takes up to to 1600 ASA film and the flash can be left at home in a drawer...

I've often wondered what would happen if I took the back off of a decent P&S like (say) the Olympus µ-I or II and cut the lead to the flash tube or, perhaps, the condenser. Trouble is, if might mean ruining a good camera and the logic of the thing's CPU might need an "OK" from the flash or the flash mode set to "OFF". OTOH, it would mean it would be ready quicker as the things often refuse to even consider a shot until the flash is charged and ready.

Regards, David
 
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