What are the biggest complaints about point and shoot digital cameras? There are plenty to be sure, but you have to wonder if many are valid. After all, just about everyone I know owns a point and shoot of some brand flavor. Maybe it's just certain brands to watch out for. Some of the complaints are valid, as camera manufactures try to out muscle each other in a very competitive niche by cheaping out on design and manufacturing steps. While other complaints are nothing more then new users not understanding how their camera works, or elitist "professionals" snubbing their noses at the unwashed mainstream. But how to you tell the difference?
Certainly the best way to know, is to do your research. After all, point and shoot digital cameras do have their strong points, and they wouldn't be such perennial good sellers if people didn't want them. Simplicity is their strongest suit. Who has the time to learn all the fancy tricks pro photographers use to get great pictures?
There are things to watch of for however. Point and shoots can be slow. Failing to capture the perfect photo, because the camera is too slow to respond is simply not acceptable. The only time a photo is missed, should be due to a slow photographer. The camera can be slow for a number of reasons. The most glaring one with point and shoots, is flash recharge time. Quite often, these little cameras simply don't carry enough battery power. LCD's, electronics, and flashes can drain them quickly. Taking multiple pictures quickly is often just not possible with a point and shoot camera.
Another big concern with point and shoot digital cameras, is image quality. It's one thing to be able to capture a great photo under ideal conditions. Outdoors in good sunlight would be one such environment. But, if you plan on taking lots of pictures inside, be sure your camera is up to the challenge. Factors that go into this would be a good lens, an adequate sized image sensor, and a flash strong enough to provide sufficient light for darker rooms. Noise free images are quite possible with a good quality point and shoot.
