Some of you might have just paused for a moment and said "what about field trips and bush camping?"
Yes, they are also pertinent, yet not as prevalent as what they have been in the past. It was supposed to be a year of exploration but alas, that year, good 'ol 2012, came and went so quickly that it feels like we lost it.
Getting sidetracked....but here we go. Have you ever "fumbled"? I call it that - specifically when you want or need to take a picture or video and you have the equipment but it needs to be set to "this" or "that" or the lens is not the best so you have to stand back and compose. Maybe it just takes a while for the darn thing to turn on and focus?
Those "my god! - that's awesome, I need a picture!!" moments. By the time you drag out your SLR or video cam, the moment is over.
Well, technology is certainly working in our favor. Imagine, being able to pull a camera out, aim and shoot. No prep, just set it on AUTO and that's it. Smart enough to figure out the scene, the action, set the best capture method and there you have it. A great pic, with the camera waiting for the next one to be taken.
RAC, or Rapid Action Cams are basically point and shoot cameras that offer great resolution, fantastic image quality, image stabilization plus a boat load of other features. RAC is a term that I made up because I can think of no other way to describe such a camera. How about maybe just a simple "Point & Shoot" ? Sure, but in my case, I am a little bit more picky with the features that I want.
This might seem like an odd post, given that I have not posted for some time, but hear me out. With Christmas holidays, New Years, Some vacation time that I took, there was one thing in common. People were taking pictures. There were some with SLR's - No doubt some fantastic photos and those cameras certainly have their place. Some had video cameras (Sticking my hand up in the air - I did photo and video with a JVC-HM1 HD camcorder). Some had a simple point & shoot.
This might seem like an odd post, given that I have not posted for some time, but hear me out. With Christmas holidays, New Years, Some vacation time that I took, there was one thing in common. People were taking pictures. There were some with SLR's - No doubt some fantastic photos and those cameras certainly have their place. Some had video cameras (Sticking my hand up in the air - I did photo and video with a JVC-HM1 HD camcorder). Some had a simple point & shoot.
When I was in the Dominican Republic I noticed a couple that were reviewing pictures on a small camera that had a beautiful large screen. Excellent photos. Standing beside them waiting for the bartender to attend to our thirsts, I turned and looked - before I could inquire they left, and I was left with "What type of camera was that?" It was only by fluke that they happened to be in the line to get into the New Years buffet,I noticed it was a Canon PowerShot Elph 320HS. (cont'd below)
I was impressed with the size. The lack of buttons (in lieu of a larger screen, turns out all the controls are touch-screen based).
Impressed with the fact that it was a 16.1mp camera with full 1080 HD movie recording capabilites (albeit at 24fps, with 30fps on lower resolution), 5x zoom (not that 5x is a lot but given the size of the camera, that's pretty good).
Built in WiFi to transmit your photos to Facebook, Email, Canon Image Gateway. What a nice little camera.
I forgot about this camera up until a few weeks ago. I did a technical survey that was quite long in duration. In return for my time, I was to receive a gift of some nature, which I did - A Canon Elph 320HS camera. Go figure.
Cameras like a lot of light. This camera is no different. It makes the best of the situation in good lighting conditions but makes up for less than ample scenes where you just can't make it any better.
I recall a photo I took many years ago, with a digital SLR - my Olympus Evolt. Hard shot, poor lighting. It was my backstop, having the ability to rest my shoulders against something and I ended up with very minimal blur. Fast forward to today, I don't know how it does it but this camera works great with the image stabilization and lighting situations. And, it starts up fast.
Convenience? Yes. Good image quality? Yes. Video - Yes. Tiny size, very tiny. In the end, is it back to simple? Just a point and shoot? Yes, in some cases, it just works. Canon. Nikon, Pentax - They have been in the business for some time now. Yeah, true, the have put out a few lemons but you are not going to know until you try.
In very few steps, I have a 16 mp camera locked, loaded and ready to shoot even some pretty challenging scenes and it does so quite well. And I tell you, if you do not want to take my word for it, but it, try it, if your not happy, just return the darn thing.
I don't feel like I am as "ill-prepared" when I am out now and it's my own darn fault for not being ready to take that million dollar pic.
(For those who have inquired about the iPhone - yes, it takes great pics and video. The case, on the other hand, leaves a lot to be desired, as does the compression codec and lack of image stabilization.)
If you get a chance to try out this camera, you might be impressed. And if you come across one that really strikes your fancy, don't be silent about it. Let us know!!!
