To Point and Shoot or Not? That is the question.
My husband surprised me with a trip to Las Vegas to celebrate my 40th birthday, just the two of us. I was super-excited, especially since this winter had been less-than-kind in the Midwest. There is so much to see in Vegas and I was thrilled about the photographic possibilities. BUT, this was supposed to be a trip for the two of us and I knew that if I had my DSLR, I would spend more time looking for things to photograph than actually connecting with my husband.
I like to make lists, so I sat down and wrote the pros and cons of just taking the point-and-shoot.
Reasons to take your DSLR everywhere:
- You paid a lot of money for it. Use it.
- The control freak in you needs to be able to change ISO, aperture, and shutter speed.
- Grainy night shots will ruin your vacation memories.
- You can’t stand the thought of the camera choosing your focal points or metering for you.
Reasons to take a chance on that point-and-shoot:
- It is compact and will fit in your purse or pocket. No neck/shoulder strain! Also, no giant camera bag to keep an eye on or to bump into people with.
- You can’t overthink your shots because you just don’t have much control over the camera.
- It’s easier to hand to a stranger to ask them to snap a quick photo with you in it. You know the terror you see in someone’s eyes when you ask them to take a photo with your DSLR? It’s not an issue.
- If you don’t want to ask a stranger, it’s easier to snap selfies with a point-and-shoot. Love ’em or hate ‘em, they are part of our culture. (I’m lucky that my husband is a good sport.)
- No angst over which lenses and flashes to pack.
We went and I packed the point-and-shoot. And you know what? It was fine. I snapped some photos that I really love, like the Chinese New Year decorations at The Venetian and the entrance to “Love” at the Mirage.
There were a couple of shots that I missed, like the volcanic eruption at the Mirage. The point-and-shoot had no idea how to handle that.
Things to think about if you take your point-and-shoot:
- You will have better luck with your point-and-shoot if you are going somewhere with lots of bright light.
- You are not going to be able to be creative with depth of field, so you are going to have to think about composition more.
- Check out your manual to see if your camera offers different scene options and take advantage of them. One of my favorites is the night portrait that uses the flash, yet keeps the shutter open long enough to get some nice lighting in the background. If we had just used a regular setting, you’d barely be able to see those fountains.
- Turn off that flash unless you really need it. It sucks the life out of the battery.
- Enjoy the freedom of documenting your trip rather than setting up shots. Connect with your loved ones.
P.S. One negative about the compact point and shoot: because of its size, it’s easy to misplace. I haven’t been able to find mine in a month. Don’t tell my husband.
I took your advice and left my big-girl camera at home last week! I went on a girls only trip last week and at the last minute changed my mind about taking my d7000 and instead took my point and shoot. I felt uneasy at first thinking that I was going to miss it, but it turned out the point and shoot was better suited for my needs. I’m usually hot and sweaty hauling the dslr around, but the point and shoot was so small that it fit in my purse. Also, I didn’t spend a lot of time changing settings, I just used auto the whole time and got the shots I wanted. Thanks for this article and for helping me see that I don’t always have to have the big-girl camera with me.
I’m so glad it worked out for you, Dalinda!
I’m heading to Florida for the first time this weekend. I’d like to take both, but I still can’t figure out what “safe place” i hid my P&S in. Grr.