What's the best camera?

Some friends were asking me lately what camera is nice to have. It may sound as a simple question but things are revving up inside my mind. Why? Because I want them to have that perfect camera they're looking for, while knowing the fact that there isn't exactly one. But let me share some basic features to look for in a camera.

For point and shoot (P&S) cameras, consider the following features:

1. Minimum of 28mm or below optical zoom. Not only it'll allow you to shoot in a tight room, but it'll also allow you to shoot landscapes or buildings and basically a lot of stuff creatively. Most P&S has a minimum of 35mm optical zoom. Here's a comparison between 28mm and 35mm. Here's a creative shot done by a Canon P&S with a 28mm optical zoom. Olympus, Nikon, Panasonic and other brands have cameras with 28mm or less optical zoom so it isn't something new.

2. 12X or about 336mm or simply a long range optical zoom. This will allow you to reach out to your target from a distance. It'll also allow you to create bokeh or background blur when shooting people or objects. It's good also for landscape photography. Some P&S has this but don't have 28mm or below range. But there are some that have both. Another thing, I would recommend is to turn off digital zoom. While it allows you to add more zoom range, image quality suffers.

3. Aperture of at least F2.8 or wider. Wider means anything below F2.8 - F2.0, F1.8, etc. This will allow you extra capabilities to shoot under low light conditions. It also helps in creating bokeh or background blur when shooting portraits or objects. Again, only few P&S has this feature but it isn't something new as well.

4. Camera hot shoe. Here's how it looks like. It basically allows you to use external flash. This can be optional since some of you might not want to have something on top of your camera that's bigger than the camera itself. But this is very useful if you want to achieve ambient lighting while using your flash. Quite tricky though. You might need to do manual settings with your flash and P&S camera. Therefore, this is really optional. Maybe I should have not included this recommendation here. ^_^ Go get a DSLR if you want to use external flash since they can automatically control the flash output.

5. Face-detection feature. While this is not really a must feature, it's a nice bonus. Making sure faces are not blurred. You don't want to miss those beautiful smiles. :)

6. Anti-camera shake feature. P&S are prone to camera shake or blurred images due to its limitations under low light situations. Anti-camera shake feature will somehow help you.

Other recommendations:

1. Extra battery. Never miss moments with a drained battery. You may also consider P&S cameras using AA batteries. AA batteries are available everywhere so in case you are out-of-town and you ran out of batteries, it's easy to find a replacement. When looking for rechargeable batteries, look for Eneloop or GP ReCyko.

2. Wrist strap. LOL. But kidding aside, it's really safer to hold a camera with a wrist strap. You don't want being bumped by someone accidentally, especially in a crowded place, and see your camera go on a date with someone named gravity.

3. Take good care of your P&S. Camera technicians call them disposable cameras. The cost of repair for a damaged P&S is almost the same as the price of a brand new P&S.

4. When purchasing a P&S, consider its warranty. It should have at least 12 months warranty. It somehow gives you a sign that you're not buying a cheap-quality item.

5. Get a tripod. While you may think a tripod will just hold the camera for you, it's actually a very big factor in creating high quality and creative images, especially if you are using a P&S camera. It's very technical though to use a tripod. Hehe, yes, you may be surprised but it really is. I hope I can share these technicalities to you but it'll take me the whole day to write them down. I'm now thinking of hosting a one-day basic photography workshop for P&S users out there. What do you think? You don't need a DSLR to come up with great images. :)

6. Join my workshop. LOL. No, just a thing that came inside my mind. I just want people to get the most out of their P&S. I'll wait for people to force me to have one. :)

7. Read your camera's manual. A lot of people doesn't know it comes with basic photography lessons. The manual will show you how the camera works, and at the same time, teach you the basics of photography. Check it out.

8. Read number 6 again. LOL. Ok, I think I have to stop now. Maybe my mind is already drained. I wish to tackle choosing the right DSLR for you but it seems, I won't have that time for now. My last recommendation for the day, which is number 8, is to pamper whatever digital camera you have now. Take snaps of important events and persons around you. Memories taken by your P&S are more expensive than the most expensive DSLR cameras out there.

Time to prepare for lunch. Till then.