What is a P&S?

[richard_l]

I always thought it was a compact camera with a non-interchangeable lens which was fully automatic, so all you had to do was aim it and press the shutter button. Point (compose the shot) and shoot (fire the shutter).

Now it seems to to refer to any compact camera without interchangeable lenses, whether it's fully manual, fully automatic, or anything in-between.

Any opinions?

 

[JoeFriday]

I think it's the combination of non-interchangeable lens, auto focus and auto exposure as you said.. literally point and shoot.. the vast majority of consumer level digicams are in this category

 

[celerystalksme]

for me...a p&s camera is compact, non-interchangeable lens, autofocus, and autoexposure...

 

[ChrisN]

Not to be confused with POS. 😉

 

[bmattock]

The first consumer-grade cameras were 'point and shoot' cameras - the Kodak Brownies. "You press the button, we do the rest" was Kodak's motto. No AE, no AF, a simple shutter, no speed selection, no aperture, a miniscus lens ('focus-free' in today-speak).

I believe people started actually referring to simple consumer cameras as 'Point-n-Shoot' back in the '60's, but I could be wrong about that. At that time, the basic 127 roll-film cameras and 126 Instamatics were what was meant. Same thing, no focus, no exposure settings, no shutter speeds, just point, pull, and pray.

The amazing thing is, if you have roughly f8 and 1/75 and 100 speed film, you can get about anything with good film latitude and a more-or-less sunny day. Worked for generations of holiday happy-snappers.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

I think of the modern P&S's as starting with the original Olympus Trip 35 and Canon Sureshot.

 

[dmr]

The first consumer-grade cameras were 'point and shoot' cameras - the Kodak Brownies.
{snip}

I believe people started actually referring to simple consumer cameras as 'Point-n-Shoot' back in the '60's, but I could be wrong about that. At that time, the basic 127 roll-film cameras and 126 Instamatics were what was meant.
{munch}

I definitely remember the expression "point and shoot" from when I got my Brownie Starflash back in 1960 or so when I was quite young. Back then I remember the expression used more as a verb (what you do with the camera) than a noun or adjective.

Today I consider a point and shoot (camera) to be one that lacks significant user options, the ability to focus, the ability to set exposure, etc. I consider my Olympus Stylus to be a P&S as I do the disposables and all of the classic box cameras and Instamatics and the like.

 

[sf]

well

well

Point 'n' shoot refers to those cameras that require no focusing, cannot switch lenses, are auto-exposing, and autowinding. Like the camera I used in 6th grade on a field trip to the state capital. In other words, just point it and shoot. Heck, pointing was about the best you could do for accuracy because the viewfinder was wildly innacurate. If anything else comes into the equation, in terms of focus, winding, exposure calculation, etc., it is not a p&s.

 

[dmr]

If anything else comes into the equation, in terms of focus, winding, exposure calculation, etc., it is not a p&s.

Hmmmm ... if that is the case, then the Brownie Starflash would not be a P&S. It did have a two-position exposure, EV 13 and 14, IIRC, one for color and one for B&W, and you did have to wind it. The winding knob was a bit stiff for young hands, actually.

 

[nwcanonman]

Nope, it's as simple as it's name - You just "Point" it at the subject and "Shoot" the picture.
Anything else may be easy to use, but it's not a true P&S. But it could be a POS too - LOL.

 

[oftheherd]

Nope, it's as simple as it's name - You just "Point" it at the subject and "Shoot" the picture.
Anything else may be easy to use, but it's not a true P&S. But it could be a POS too - LOL.

I'm not sure, at least these days, that we can exclude hybrids. I have a Toshiba PDR 4300, 4 MP digital. If I wish, it is total P&S. I consider it to be so.

However, if I choose, I can select focus for close up work, I can select aperture or shutter priority, or select both shutter and aperture myself, as well as a b/w. The best of both worlds. It is quite small as well, which is something I think is necessary to qualify as a P&S. Of course, as with many of today's P&S cameras, it has a zoom lens, but defaults to wide angle.

 

[zeos 386sx]

The first consumer-grade cameras were 'point and shoot' cameras - the Kodak Brownies.

P&S cameras actually date from the late 1880's. The Brownies were first marketed in February of 1900. The early cameras didn't have viewfinders - They were "point-guess-and shoot" cameras.

Kodak's first numbered roll film (101) sold continuously from 1895 until 1956 - an astonishing 61 years. It produced a 3.5X3.5inch image and was first used in the #2 Bullet camera.

I've examined some circa 1903 negatives taken by a photographer using a tripod (you could see his and the tripods shadow on the ground). Though exposures were problematic, the simple lenses produced sharp images.

At the other end of the photography spectrum, Kodak has just announced its new 39 million pixel KAF-39000 Image Sensor.

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

Does anybody remember the 1960's Agfa Rapid cameras?

Same market segment as the Kodak Instamatics, and featured drop-in cassettes of 35mm film, from one cassette to another so no rewinding, and 24mmx24mm negatives.

 

[FPjohn]

Hello:

A P&S is a camera used with no or minimal controls - to my mind. The original Kodak, a LTM set for hyperfocal distance and exposure on the Sunny f16 rule are the models. The automatic exposure, fixed lens consumer 35mms of the seventies, which ended the reign of the amateur SLR (OMs and Nikkormats, etc), set the expectations for the current crop.

yours
Frank

 

[hms624]

a point and shoot does not have to be limited to a camera that has no manual functions. I believe that a point and shoot can be a camera that is sufficiently automated to allow the user to do absolutely no work beyond pressing the shutter button. Through this definition, a Canon 20d is a point and shoot. Even more so when shooting jpegs, as the finished picture is made immediately when the button is pressed. On auto-mode, the camera does all of the work.