After looking over some photos I realized that I hadn’t written a review of the point and shoot camera that I use the most. I realize that everyone uses their iPhone or Android phone camera these days, but I still think that a traditional point & shoot has a great place in life. I also think that “speed to shoot” times are in line with a good point & shoot camera and turning on your mobile phone and getting to the camera app.
A great little point & shoot camera for all your adventures.
Here are some factory specs on the PowerShot SX610 HS:
- 18x Optical Zoom (25–450mm)
- 20.2 Megapixel High-Sensitivity CMOS sensor combined with the DIGIC 4+ Image Processor
- Built-in Wi-Fi
- 1080p Full HD video with a dedicated movie button
- Large 3.0-inch LCD with a screen resolution of 922,000 dots allows easy viewing even from a wide angle.
I realize that in this day and age the cell phone is the dominant option for personal photography. I love using my iPhone for taking shots! I’m a huge fan of the Hipstamatic app! Still, I carry a point and shoot camera with me almost everywhere I go. While I don’t place a lot of value in megapixels I do place a ton of value in the optics and in the optical zoom lens.
The optics and the zoom are the reasons I carry my Canon everywhere. I don’t really care that it has more megapixels than my iPhone, but if the megapixel number matters to you then you will easily get more of them with a point & shoot. The reason the “megapixel myth” exists it because it sells units. The truth of megapixels is that for everything you see on the web the megapixel isn’t really a big deal. Just about everything you see online, especially on your mobile device, is a lower quality compressed image. These are designed to be downloaded quickly! However, I still carry a traditional type of camera with me almost everywhere.
Mount Desert Island Coastline shot with a Canon PowerShot SX610 HS
Yes, it’s an extra device to charge, but that’s also less power required of my cell phone. Because there are so many apps that run on our mobile devices it’s easy to drain your battery, especially when you’re out hiking. Personally, I like that I have a dedicated tool for both photos and videos. This allows me to use my point and shoot when I want to get a more detail in a photo. This also allows me to just shoot and shoot and shoot without having to worry about organizing the content.
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic beach shot with a Canon PowerShot SX610
I chose this Canon PowerShot because it has a good optical zoom and a good battery life. The PowerShot does not take long to turn on, so I can capture moments as they happen and when I see them. The video is pretty good quality as well. The microphone is just as subpar as every other point and shoot out there, but that’s just life when shooting video. You can spend a lot more money if you’re trying to get a compact video setup. For the money, the Canon PowerShot is a great little piece of gear.
Creative Mode B&W photo shot on a Canon PowerShot SX610
So if you are looking for a camera and only want to spend a couple hundred bucks (a little over $200 on Amazon as of this post) then you should take a look at the Canon 610-HS. I think it’s a great little camera with a lot of useful features for taking photos. The creative mode is a fun way to capture shots with funky effects that will give you some really good memories. All in all the Canon PowerShot 610 is a great value that you can’t really go wrong with.