Are point-and-shoot cameras going the way of the Dodo?

[tzhu07]

I figure...if you already have a smartphone with a nice camera, the only worthy upgrade is to go DSLR. Point-and-shoot cameras are still higher quality than smartphone cameras, but the quality gap is closing year by year.

I just don't think there's enough of a value proposition in those cameras anymore if you already have a smartphone camera.

 

[kllrnohj]

Depends heavily on what you mean by "point and shoot". DSLRs aren't the only high quality cameras out there, after all. There are plenty of really, really good mirror-less cameras as well.

I think *cheap* point and shoots are going the way of the dodo as they are replaced by phones, but that's about it.

 

[Trimlock]

Cheap phones are going away, they have their place but are no longer the shelf stocker they once were.

There are cheap shooters that are going to be made, such as the sport cameras, the water proof cameras etc.

 

[MrGuvernment]

cell phone camera's come no where near the quality of a point and shoot camera's from canon or nikon or panasonic even, period, if you think so, you clearly only point and click and never use any of the other modes on the cameras or adjust any manual settings.

cheap camera is no better than a cheap phone, heck my galaxy ace cameras suck balls!

 

[Medion]

Is it wrong that I read "dodo" as "dildo?" Talk about a let down...

But anyway, I don't think anyone can confuse the quality difference. A smartphone camera just isn't going to sniff a dedicated point and shoot. However, smartphones absolutely have eaten into point and shoot sales. They're not "great", but they are "good enough" for most people. Samsung and a few other companies are now releasing "smart" cameras with connectivity options. They seem to think that social networking (the ability to take a pic and immediately share on FB/TW/etc.) is a selling point. Bottom line is that, like many things before it, the cheap point and shoot is being a victim of convergence. Evolve or go away.

 

[-Sn1PeR-]

cell phone camera's come no where near the quality of a point and shoot camera's from canon or nikon or panasonic even, period

Very true. Today's point and shoots have gotten quite good. That said I'm quite happy using my cell phone camera from a convenience perspective. For everything else I can get by with my micro 4/3s (NEX-F3) -- again, a compromise, but it's convenient.

 

[MrGuvernment]

for convienicen for sure, a smart phone can do it all these days, phone, music, radio, camera.. i am the type though who prefer something for each, not a jack of all trades, master of none, if i want to take pics, i have a camera around, but with those moments you may not have a camera a cell phone i guess will suffice...

i am used to my DSLR Canon D series cameras so it is hard for me to want to take a pic with a phone, knowing i wont like the quality and the pic wont make it further than my harddrive.

 

[OCgamer666]

Maybe if we get a phone with optical zoom. Not likely considering how thin new phones are.

 

[Adionik]

I can't stand to take pictures with anything other than my DSLR.

Nonetheless, the majority of people don't over critique their images and usually go for the least complicated, least expensive camera they can find. They'll never go out...

 

[Ruoh]

I wouldn't give up my cell, SX40 (840mm zoom), or my impending DSLR purchase. They each have their place. But yes, a "standard" P&S is becoming a little pointless these days.

 

[blahblahyoutoo]

Very true. Today's point and shoots have gotten quite good. That said I'm quite happy using my cell phone camera from a convenience perspective. For everything else I can get by with my micro 4/3s (NEX-F3) -- again, a compromise, but it's convenient.

it's the same "good enough quality" proposition that's killing off CD's in favor of MP3's, and Blurays soon.
once you reach a certain level of quality, most people can't tell or don't care.

 

[kllrnohj]

it's the same "good enough quality" proposition that's killing off CD's in favor of MP3's, and Blurays soon.
once you reach a certain level of quality, most people can't tell or don't care.

Well the problem is that there are things a cell phone camera will just never be able to do. You'll never get any optical zoom, for example, and you can forget about controlling aperture. The sensor size will always been a pretty significant quality bottleneck as well.

 

[Blown 89]

They already are. Give it time and point and shoots will be a thing of the past, especially one technology catches up

 

[Yakk]

For quick snaps, phones are okish. But shots where you need high iso, or low light situations, or any number of other shots are just out of reach for phones.

 

[dr.stevil]

They already are. Give it time and point and shoots will be a thing of the past, especially one technology catches up

agreed.

the iPhone 5's camera takes pretty amazing photos (for a phone). With each new generation of smart phone, having a P&S camera makes less and less sense... especially when you factor in convenience and capabilities (apps/software that can enhance the stock camera not to mention hardware lens's and other addons that arent generally available for P&S's)

The only thing I do agree with is the lack of optical zoom, but with size a priority, it'll always play second fiddle.

A lot of phones have a camera good enough to replace a P&S for casual photography, but obviously for enthusiests and pros, they'll opt for a DSLR camera.

 

[buttons]

I think point and shoots are going to die except for the water proof or super zooms. I think mirrorless cameras are mostly replacing the "point and shoot".

I have a smartphone and a DSLR, two years ago I tried a premium point and shoot. nikon S8200 $250 new. The photos it took were mostly dreadful when viewed on a computer screen. the video was really good, i remember being impressed with the macro and image stabilization, but overall really unhappy with its overall image quality.

better then a smartphone? sure, but not leaps and bounds that justify carrying it around or even paying for it. My smartphone takes excellent pictures in daylight and makes good use of flash so the pictures i take are still good enough. If i want studio quality pictures, then im going to use my DSLR. Im starting to see mirrorless cameras as the best of both worlds, DSLR quality images, compact enough to carry.

 

[blahblahyoutoo]

Well the problem is that there are things a cell phone camera will just never be able to do. You'll never get any optical zoom, for example, and you can forget about controlling aperture. The sensor size will always been a pretty significant quality bottleneck as well.

i'm betting most people don't know the difference between optical and digital zoom.
i can guarantee that most people don't know about aperture and sensor sizes.

 

[Ritorix]

There is a sweet spot for point-and-shoots between smartphones and DSLR, where you want to have a powerful option in a smaller package. We have a Canon G1X that does the job very well.

 

[Neurofreeze]

Point-and-shoot cameras share the same fate as dedicated MP3 players, whatever that may be.

 

[Trimlock]

Point-and-shoot cameras share the same fate as dedicated MP3 players, whatever that may be.

Not sure dedicated music players are going away completely (or ever), they got smaller, carried less memory and significantly cheaper. I have 3 or 4 in my house loaded with music, some I lost, one I use all the time when I'm doing chores. Think the most I paid for one of these is $20.

 

[OCgamer666]

Not sure dedicated music players are going away completely (or ever), they got smaller, carried less memory and significantly cheaper. I have 3 or 4 in my house loaded with music, some I lost, one I use all the time when I'm doing chores. Think the most I paid for one of these is $20.

I use a small <4" android phone for a dedicated MP3 player.

 

[Neurofreeze]

Not sure dedicated music players are going away completely (or ever), they got smaller, carried less memory and significantly cheaper. I have 3 or 4 in my house loaded with music, some I lost, one I use all the time when I'm doing chores. Think the most I paid for one of these is $20.

I didn't say they were. A lot of people seem to think MP3 players are redundant just like point and shoot cameras. Whether they will suddenly disappear or continue to exist isn't as easy to predict as many assume.

 

[brettjrob]

One thing for sure: if you already own a DSLR, there's very little reason to own a lesser secondary camera if you have a current-gen smartphone.

 

[MrGuvernment]

I can't stand to take pictures with anything other than my DSLR.

Nonetheless, the majority of people don't over critique their images and usually go for the least complicated, least expensive camera they can find. They'll never go out...

Same...

For quick snaps, phones are okish. But shots where you need high iso, or low light situations, or any number of other shots are just out of reach for phones.

Ya almost like "emergencies only"

agreed.

the iPhone 5's camera takes pretty amazing photos (for a phone). With each new generation of smart phone, having a P&S camera makes less and less sense... especially when you factor in convenience and capabilities (apps/software that can enhance the stock camera not to mention hardware lens's and other addons that arent generally available for P&S's)

The only thing I do agree with is the lack of optical zoom, but with size a priority, it'll always play second fiddle.

A lot of phones have a camera good enough to replace a P&S for casual photography, but obviously for enthusiests and pros, they'll opt for a DSLR camera.

as you said "convenience and capabilities" that is about it, even most "basic" P&S's kick the crap out of ANy camera out there, learn to use your camera instead of us "auto" mode all the time.

I have people look over my pics and go in "awwwwwwww" even though i may not like it, and i tell them what it costs to do it.. they drop their jaw with no drewl... t hen when i get their p&S and take pics they drewl again....... bottom line is camera phones suck. their ISO levels suck... their Ap sucks....... their custom settings..suck......

End of story.

There is not a single "phone" camera that can compare to even basic P&S from good brands.

Thing is most people dont care when they see the pics...... now blow it up or print it and see how crappy your phone camera really is..

 

[OCgamer666]

I'm not displeased with the performance of my phone.

 

[MrGuvernment]

what res is that pic? and now provide higher res pics at %100 scale.... then we can talk.... give me 2560 x ?

 

[Blown 89]

Thing is most people dont care when they see the pics......

The thing you don't realize is that those people drive the market. People like you are a drop in the bucket. If you were able to walk a mile in other people's shoes you'd see how wrong you are.

Every generation there are people too shortsighted and ignorant of history to see the future. mp3's will never replace CD's, we'll be fine...Russian winters aren't that bad, music is crap and dying, tablets will never catch on, cell phones will never replace XYZ devices

 

[buttons]

I'm not displeased with the performance of my phone.

just talking about the image quality of the photo alone ive seen better from a cell phone. Looks like it is overly sharpened to me.

Still i get the point for 99% its fine quality. The problem with phones / point in shoots is when you are in doors with low light, getting a photo of that quality is extremely difficult. When I look back at all the photos i took of my kids before i got a DSLR i just want to punch myself in the balls for not having a better camera. 8 out of 10 photos taken with our first point and shoot are blurry, blown highlights, shadows, lack detail, etc etc. some of that was end user error -- not knowing to turn on all the lights in the house before taking a picture or something

 

[kllrnohj]

i'm betting most people don't know the difference between optical and digital zoom.

Highly paid marketing teams for camera companies have been talking about optical zooms for years and continue to do so. I think you don't give people enough credit.

i can guarantee that most people don't know about aperture and sensor sizes.

Oh, absolutely, but they *DO* know about the *IMPACT* those things have even if they don't know what they are called. "normal" people buy DSLRs for the better picture quality a larger sensor provides, even though they didn't know that's why.

 

[Shumph]

I have never been happy with the pictures that my phone(s) have taken. Don't get me wrong they are good for getting a quick point across visually or sending a low res image in texting. For any picture that I want to keep a better camera is a must.

Could be that I have always had crappy cell cameras but I doubt it. I have never seen a cell pic that compares to the P&S that I use (s95) and there is no question that they don't compare to the 5d I had. Of course there is a huge $ difference here also. If I know that I am going to want better pics the s95 is small enough that it is no big deal to carry around. It is worth the effort.

 

[obug]

Still i get the point for 99% its fine quality. The problem with phones / point in shoots is when you are in doors with low light, getting a photo of that quality is extremely difficult. When I look back at all the photos i took of my kids before i got a DSLR i just want to punch myself in the balls for not having a better camera. 8 out of 10 photos taken with our first point and shoot are blurry, blown highlights, shadows, lack detail, etc etc. some of that was end user error -- not knowing to turn on all the lights in the house before taking a picture or something

In good light some phone cameras do quite well. In low/evening light, P&S = barely mediocre and phone camera = really mediocre. For years camera manufacturers have stubbornly stuck to small camera sensors in point and shoots, so it's no surprise that camera phones are eating into their market. Even today's "prosumer" P&S cameras have 1/1.7 sensors (still quite small), a size that was much more common in regular P&S cameras 5+ years ago.

I really hope this trend forces camera makers to pull their heads out of the sand and use bigger sensors. Hopefully cameras like the RX100 and Fuji XF1 become cheaper - those will be the cameras that give phone cameras a fight.

I guess this is like ARM vs INTEL. Sometimes the fight comes from the bottom, not the top.

 

[kuyaglen]

Eventually but I'll probably still want to carry both to parties and events. Its a lot faster to take pic with my point-n-shoot than my cell. And my phone doesn't have a camera stand screw hole.

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