20
votes
Accepted
Why do compact cameras keep using 4:3 and not 3:2 like DSLRs?
4:3 (1.33) is a very good ratio. It's aesthetic and easy to get a nice composition in both horizontal and vertical orientation. It's also closer to square, which makes best use of optics (larger ...
- 2,090
10
votes
Accepted
Are scene modes on compact camera much useful?
Scene modes are particularly important on small cameras. In fact high end DSLRs do not have any scene modes because they give complete control over the camera.
Scene modes basically abstract the ...
- 103k
9
votes
Why do compact cameras keep using 4:3 and not 3:2 like DSLRs?
A 3:2 sensor ratio would be using a smaller share of the circular picture produced by the lens optics.
That means - compared to 4:3 - either you get less pixels/quality, need a smaller sensor (with ...
- 2,032
8
votes
Canon G12 vs 2022 phones
Aside from @xenoid's points, there're a lot of great features with the PowerShot G series that you're in no way gonna get from a phone, if you're into the technical side of photography:
Hot shoe for ...
- 496
8
votes
Canon G12 vs 2022 phones
Let me add few point (for G12) to previous excellent answers:
you can take pictures in RAW. And G12 support 12 bits per pixel (can't find definitive information). On most of phones is real challenge ...
- 12.5k
7
votes
Accepted
Why does point and shoot cameras STILL exist?
Some of what is currently being sold might be old stock. Some models have special capabilities, eg superzoom or great lowlight performance. But even ignoring these cases, there are some niche uses, ...
- 7,252
7
votes
Canon G12 vs 2022 phones
Are there things it can do that a recent high-end phone cannot?
Yes, take natively good pictures. Even if phone cameras have made progress over the last 10 years, the pictures they take may look good ...
- 22k
6
votes
High end smartphone camera vs. high end compact camera for beginner?
Buying someone a big expensive toy is always fun. But this isn't a toy - it's a tool. People use cameras for so many different things that this tool has been customized into hundreds of configurations ...
- 20.5k
6
votes
Why do compact cameras keep using 4:3 and not 3:2 like DSLRs?
I think it's useful to look at a few questions like
Why has no one invented a 4:5 aspect ratio APS-C/35mm-sized DSLR?
Why don't sensors have a wider aspect ratio?
What are the advantages of ...
- 144k
6
votes
Are scene modes on compact camera much useful?
Scene modes as they are typically referred to are very useful in basic compact cameras. They allow the user to hint to the camera what type of image settings to use. For example a common scene mode ...
- 46.6k
4
votes
Samsung Digimax S700 won't work with not fully charged batteries
NiMH batteries have a fully charged voltage that is lower than a standard alkaline AA. A partially discharged NiMH battery (or an NiMH battery that's been stored for a while) will have an even lower ...
- 6,819
4
votes
What is this compact 35mm camera from the 1990s?
It looks to be one of the Hanimex Vision series of cameras, possibly a Vision III. Hanimex was a company that imported cameras to Australia and New Zealand. They were founded shortly after WWII and ...
- 176k
3
votes
How does an iPhone 7 take 4K and slow motion videos?
'4K' is a resolution, and doesn't say anything about quality or noise. 4K is 3840 pixels × 2160 lines = 8.3 megapixels; this is also nothing special in nowadays cameras.
The feat is to take 30 frames ...
- 2,032
3
votes
What do I need to consider to choose between dSLR, mirrorless, or a compact as my first "serious" camera?
Here's a different opinion: forget about the technical capabilities, optimize for carry convenience. For someone just starting out, the most important thing is practice. Get a camera that you can ...
- 153
3
votes
Are scene modes on compact camera much useful?
I suspect the "seller"¹ told you what they did to entice you to buy the camera. What the seller told you isn't exactly true and correct.
¹ Which, as it turns out, is not a seller of this camera at ...
- 176k
3
votes
Accepted
Image size trade-off with exposure
So it appears that there is a 1:1 correspondence between the sensor pixels and the image pixels. Is this the same with all cameras?
Pretty much, yes. The image pipeline in the camera will always ...
- 22.2k
2
votes
Accepted
Is there an EASY way to get geotagging with a compact camera without GPS?
There are several options, but all of the take time. There is no such thing as a free lunch (or free beer):
Add geolocation in your photomanagement software: this is the manual way. This procedures ...
- 857
2
votes
Is there an EASY way to get geotagging with a compact camera without GPS?
The way I have done it in the past is this:
Carry a handheld GPS, which records a GPS track
Take your pictures, while carrying the GPS
For best results, take a picture of your GPS displaying the ...
- 473
2
votes
How do I get sharp focus of insects and animals with a camera that doesn't have manual focus control?
With thanks to Roflo for finding the relevant page in the CHDK documentation, I'll state here as an answer that you can with an Alpha version of CHDK firmware extensions for SX410, do manual focus on ...
- 6,404
2
votes
How do I get sharp focus of insects and animals with a camera that doesn't have manual focus control?
As far as I know, there is no "hacked" or modified firmware available for your camera. The most popular firmware, Magic Lantern, is not supported for your camera.
Therefore, your only options are to ...
- 33.3k
2
votes
Accepted
How can I remove a piece of dirt from inside the lens system of a compact camera?
If you ever do have something stuck inside a device that doesn't decide to leave on its own, your options for removal are pretty much the following:
Shake the device and risk causing impact damage if ...
- 27.1k
2
votes
Accepted
High end smartphone camera vs. high end compact camera for beginner?
One difficulty in buying 'surprise presents' is you have to guess what the recipient will want from it, long-term.
Let me try explaining how my initial decision-making process went, & add a 3rd ...
- 23.4k
2
votes
High end smartphone camera vs. high end compact camera for beginner?
It depends on how you define the term "compact camera", but in most cases, the main advantages are going to be:
A larger sensor (1" vs 1/2.3" or so — about 4× the light-gathering area)
A zoom lens
...
- 144k
2
votes
Image size trade-off with exposure
In terms of exposure (light density/noise/etc) everything revolves around light/area, not light/pixel. If you have more pixels in an area it just means each gets less light, but the total remains the ...
- 19.4k
1
vote
High end smartphone camera vs. high end compact camera for beginner?
price range 400 - 600
I'd say you might get in a cheapo DSLR at that point. And that will blow everything out of the water, with the exception of mirrorless and other ILC systems. if that is in ...
1
vote
High end smartphone camera vs. high end compact camera for beginner?
As you suggest, the learning aspect has the most potential for growth but the phone is limiting since much of what you can do to exercise the newfound knowledge can only be done with a camera. Sure a ...
- 103k
1
vote
High end smartphone camera vs. high end compact camera for beginner?
My friend has a natural knack for taking photos and I would like to encourage this skill by buying her a better camera along with a photography book.
It's useful to explore e-books in addition to a ...
- 1,823
1
vote
What online tools exist to compare image noise between different sensor sizes?
Try DxOMark. The score under "sports" is what you looking for.
ISO performance is named by "sports" because sport photographers use very fast shutter speeds to snap the moments. They usually need ...
- 161
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