When you travel you want to take pictures and create everlasting memories. In my opinion, you should really do consider not using the Smartphone for photos when on vacation.
I have researched quite a bit about this subject because our beloved Point and Shoot camera has stopped working, I really don’t remember why I think we dropped it on the pavement in New York actually.
What Is the Best Point and Shoot Waterproof Camera? Some great pocket-sized waterproof camera are the Panasonic Lumix, The Nikon Coolpix, and Fujifilm FinePix. They are priced on the medium-low range, depending on which model you choose. The photos are not the same quality as a D-SLR camera, but it works in the pool and by the beach.
Read on, as I will map out my research and take you along the journey of selecting a new pocket camera.
This post will contain a review of our previous waterproof Point and Shoot camera and contain information about what camera we are buying now.
My Favorite Point And Shoot Waterproof Camera
Nikon Coolpix W100
Keep on reading to see other options that might fit you better.
Why buying a Point and Shoot camera, when you have a DSLR-camera?
This is primarily for the same reason as I told you about not bringing your smartphone when you are on vacation.
When you don’t have your smartphone along, you do not have a camera in your pocket, as you normally would do, and it is just not in all situations you would want a bring a DSLR-camera when traveling around.
Even though we have a pretty small and very lightweight Nikon DSLR-camera, we always end up debating who should wear the camera, who want the constraint of having to walk around with a thief-attention-grabbing, most likely expensive camera.
We are actually not even worried about the expense of the camera, because the Nikon D3200 series is an old and cheap DSLR-camera, and we actually have two because both I and my girlfriend had the same camera from before we started dating.
It is more about the fact that you don’t want the hundreds and maybe thousands of pictures stolen, from the SD-cart the resides in your camera.
Sometimes -actually all the time-, you would just want to go without that heavy jewelry around your neck, and when you go to the beach or the hotel-pool, someone always has to be on camera-duty.
And when you go out to eat, you have this big piece of tech sitting on the table, just making it less intimate. A pocket camera solves all of that, especially a waterproof camera you can bring to the beach, out in the water.
What’s better holiday pictures, than family beach-side pictures of your children playing and having fun?
One other side-benefit to owning a waterproof Point and Shoot camera.
You can involve your kids in photographing and taking pictures, I would argue that a smart 3-year old would be able to use a point-and-shoot digital camera.
The pictures might be really really bad, but they might capture angles that you don’t, and in this digital era, there is no such thing as too many pictures.
A fun memory is not only what is in the picture, but also who took the picture, and what situation revolves around it.
Think about saving those pictures and framing them, the kids would be proud to say, that they took that photograph.
You would maybe be more hesitant to make them handle a DSLR-camera, you would worry too much about the dropping it, and the pictures would most likely be very bad.
A tough and waterproof digital pocket camera is a better choice for children to learn, to take pictures, in my opinion.
The main DSLR-camera, that we use for everything
Right now, we actually own two identical Nikon D3100 cameras. Both my girlfriend and I bought the same camera before we met, so both the cameras are quite old, and they were very cheap when we bought them
But you know what, they do what we want them to do, they create memories. Yes, I would have liked my camera to be a full-frame camera instead, but when you are outside in natural light, any DSLR-camera is great, if you have a great lens, and know how to handle it.
We use a 50mm 1,8F standard lens and have used it for years. But we’ve recently got a 35mm 1,8F because we needed to be able to get a little closer to the subjects ( our kids ) when taking the photos.
They are also cheap and are some of the lightest, in weight. So what we have, is essentially the light-weight option of a DSLR-camera. But when we are outside, which we are, in most of our holidays, this is a great camera.
We have had a red Panasonic Lumix waterproof pocket camera, for bringing to the pool, the beach, and for eating out, but for some reason it broke, I don’t quite remember how, but it did.
So now we are in the market of buying a new waterproof pocket camera, and in this post, you will end up figuring out, which camera we chose.
You can scroll down to the research part, with the pocket cameras, or you can keep reading chronologically through the post, it is up to you. I hope you enjoy my research.
Don’t use a Smartphone when you are on a family holiday
Smartphones are time-sucking and life-stealing beasts, there I said it, I advocate very much, for you to quit using your smartphone at vacation.
PERSONAL TIP: If you are going on a vacation for a longer holiday, try downgrading to a dumbphone.
It is not only good for your health to go completely offline from Social Media, when you are on a vacation, but it also makes for a better vacation, you will experience more, because you don’t get your hourly fix of stimuli from the smartphone, you will start to notice everything, and start to enjoy everything a little more.
If you get a dumbphone instead of like the Samsung e1080, which in supermarkets in Denmark will set you back around $30, pairing this with a waterproof handy digital camera, you are investing in your health, and in better family life.
Nobody was even worse off, by being offline on a vacation. If your job requires you to be online, during your vacation, then please reconsider your situation.
A personal story
I remember the first time I brought my girlfriend on a vacation, it was at a very early stage of our relationship, I was making good money and she was studying, so I paid for it all and invited her to Tenerife on a one-week romantic get-away, with one catch, the smartphone must be turned off the entire time.
Ever since that, I have advocated to turn off the phone, but we fell in, from time to time, but now I am going to make it a demand, if and when we travel again.
Not only does the smartphone take away time from your loved ones, but it actually sucks the energy out of you. I recently deleted all my social media apps, games and other useless stuff from my iPhone, effectively rendering it a dumbphone with Bluetooth and internet access.
I reduced my screentime by a whopping 85% and I have much more energy now, I am happier and I feel like my attention-wanting 3-year old son, is much less of a strain on me, but actually, now I just enjoy when he wants to play.
I see now, that we have used the TV as a distraction for him, and I have a hard time getting him away from the TV to go play, and he is only 3 years old! Gladly we decided early on, that we had no use for tablets in the home, so he is not small-screen-addicted as many other children.
It’s easier to turn off the TV, I don’t know why, but it is.
The 6 Point and Shoot Waterproof Cameras
Limiting the budget to only $200 will make it a bit harder to find a tough underwater pocket camera, and you are not able to buy the Olympus Tough TG-5 Waterproof camera, nor the Canon Powershot D30 Water Proof Camera (Amazon links), which by my research is probably the two most popular tough cameras out there.
The problem is, that these cameras is priced around $400 and not $200, so let us see if we can’t find something suitable, at a better price point.
#1 Good Price, Faulty Stabilization
Panasonic LUMIX Tough Camera DMC-TS30R
Although stabilization is not great, it could be a good option for your kids or for people that want to go on a budget.
| PROS | CONS |
| Price | Stabilization |
| Not good exposed to bright lights |
My Score: 3.5/5
Description:
This is a newer version of the waterproof pocket camera that we already own. I actually have a picture hanging in my office, that this camera did take.
I have to say, that the image quality of our current model did not take great pictures, but that is most likely due to the fact, that we did not put in the time to learn how to operate it properly.
Judging from posts online, the new model has the same problems with shaky images and not being able to handle the bright lights very well.
This is a problem because you would bring this camera to the beach or the hotel pool, and in many cases, there is a big bright light in the sky all the time.
Panasonic LUMIX Tough Camera DMC-FT30 Specifications:
| Dimensions | 103.7 x 58.3 x 19.7 mm/(4.08 x 2.30 x 0.77 inch) |
| Weight | Approx. 125g without Battery and SD Memory Card (5.1 oz) |
| Megapixels | 16.6 |
| Aperture | F3.9 – 5.7 / 2-step (F3.9 / 9.0(W), F5.7 / 13.0(T)) |
| Focal Length | f=4.5 – 18.0mm (25 – 100mm in 35mm equiv.)/(29-108mm in 35mm equiv. in video recording) |
| Shutter Speed | approx. 8 – 1/1300 sec/15sec / 30sec / 60sec in Sarry Sky mode |
| Focus | Normal, AF Macro, Macro Zoom/Quick AF (Always On), Continuous AF(only for motion picture)/AF Tracking |
| Autofocus Metering | Face / AF Tracking / 23-Area / 1-Area / Spot |
| Video | HD 1280 x 720 pixels, 25 fps (HD: 10Mbps / MP4) |
| ISO | I.ISO / 100 / 200 / 400 / 800 / 1600/High Sensitivity mode (ISO 1600-6400) |
| Picture Quality | [4:3] 4608×3456 (16M) / 3648×2736 (10M EZ) / 2560×1920 (5M EZ) / 2048×1536 (3M EZ) / 1280×960 (1M EZ) /640×480 (0.3M EZ)/[3:2] 4608×3072 (14M)/[16:9] 4608×2592 (12M)/[1:1] 3456×3456 (12M) |
| Battery | Supplied Li-ion battery – Approx 250 pictures |
| Storage | 220mb Built-in + SD / SDHC / SDXC |
| Monitor? | 6.75cm (2.7″) TFT Screen LCD Display |
| Waterproof | Down to 8 meters / 26 ft |
|---|---|
| Shockproof | Up to 1.5 meters / 5 ft |
| Other | Freezeproof to -10 Celcious, 14 Fahrenheit & Dustproof |
#2 Great Solid Option
Fujifilm FinePix XP130
I think this camera would be a great choice, it comes in second in many of my comparisons.
| PROS | CONS |
| Quality-price ratio | Design |
| Lightweight |
My Score: 4/5
Description:
With similar customer satisfaction as the $400 Olympus Tough TG-5. And for some more appreciated than the much more expensive Canon Powershot.
I do not like the visual appearance of this camera, I am sorry, but it looks too cheap. That might be a good thing when traveling through.
Looking at the stats versus the price, this is a great contender for the throne.
Fujifilm FinePix XP130 Specifications:
| Dimensions | 109.6mm (W) x 71.0mm (H) x 27.8mm (D) / 4.3 in. (W) x 2.7 in. (H) x 1.0 in. (D) |
| Weight | approx.207.4g / 7.3oz. (including battery and memory card) approx.190.6g / 6.7oz. (excluding battery and memory card) |
| Megapixels | 16.4 MP |
| Aperture | F3.9 / F6.2 (Wide) F4.9 / F8.0 (Telephoto) |
| Focal Length | f=5.0mm – 25.0mm, equivalent to 28 – 140mm on a 35mm format |
| Shutter Speed | (Auto mode) 1/4 sec. to 1/2000 sec., (All other modes) 4 sec. to 1/2000 sec. |
| Focus | Single AF / Continuous AF |
| Autofocus Metering | TTL contrast AF, AF assist illuminator available, Center / Multi / Tracking + Face |
| Video | Full HD 1920 x 1080 60p / 30p (max 29 min) HD 1280 x 720 60p 640 x 480 30p |
| ISO | AUTO / AUTO(400) / AUTO(800) / AUTO(1600) Equivalent to ISO 100 / 200 / 400 / 800 / 1600 / 3200 / 6400*(Standard Output Sensitivity) |
| Picture Quality | L : (4:3) 4608 x 3456 / (3:2) 4608 x 3072 / (16:9) 4608 x 2592 / (1:1) 3456 x 3456 M : (4:3) 3264 x 2448 / (3:2) 3264 x 2176 / (16:9) 3264 x 1840 / (1:1) 2432 x 2432 S : (4:3) 2048 x 1536 / (3:2) 2304 x 1536 / (16:9) 1920 x 1080 / (1:1) 1728 x 1728 360° Vertical : 11520 x 1632 Horizontal : 11520 x 1088 |
| Battery | Supplied Li-ion battery – Approx 240 pictures |
| Storage | 22mb Built-in + SD / SDHC / SDXC Card |
| Monitor? | 3.0-inch, approx. 920K-dot, TFT color LCD monitor, approx. 97% coverage for shooting, 100% for playing back |
| Waterproof | (up to 20.0m, within 120min.) |
|---|---|
| Shockproof | Anti-shock: Method;MIL-STD-810F-516.5 Fuji’s standard;1.75m |
| Other | Dust proof: IP6X -10°C – +40°C (+14°F – +104°F) + WiFi |
#3 Top Durability & Design
Nikon Coolpix W100
| PROS | CONS |
| Reliable brand | Price |
| Durability | |
| Shockproof |
My score: 4,5/5
Description:
I am automatically leaning towards this camera. It is very hard for me to look the other way, because of the Nikon brand and all the great photos we’ve taken with our Nikon D-SLR cameras.
The Nikon Coolpix wins in durability, and comes in second in User ratings and Pocket friendliness, but, it is also the on the higher end of the bucket.
But because it is a Nikon, I treat it like a Canon in my opinion. Nikon and Canon are the two biggest and best camera manufacturers out there.
I put it in the top, in design, and in brand-trust, but this is an opinionated comparison and based on my experience.
Nikon Coolpix W100 Specifications:
| Dimensions | Approx. 109.5 x 67.0 x 38.0 mm (4.4 x 2.7 x 1.5 in.) |
| Weight | Approx. 177 g (6.3 oz ) (including battery and memory card) |
| Megapixels | 13.2 MP |
| Aperture | f/3.3-5.9 |
| Focal Length | 4.1-12.3 mm (angle of view equivalent to that of 30-90 mm lens in 35mm [135] format) |
| Shutter Speed | 1/2000-1 s 25 s (Add light trails in Choose a style is set to Night sky) |
| Focus | Autofocus |
| Autofocus Metering | Center, face detection, target finding AF |
| Video | MP4 (Video: H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, Audio: AAC stereo) |
| ISO | ISO 125-1600 |
| Picture Quality | 13 megapixels [4160 x 3120] 4 megapixels [2272 x 1704] 2 megapixels [1600 x 1200] |
| Battery | Supplied Li-ion battery – Approx 220 pictures |
| Storage | SD / SDHC / SDXC Card |
| Monitor? | 6.7 cm (2.7 in.), Apprpx. 230 k-dot, TFT LCD with anti-reflection coating and 5-level brightness adjustment |
| Waterproof | JIS/IEC protection class 8 (IPX8) equivalent (under our testing conditions). Capacity to shoot pictures underwater up to a depth of 10 m (33 ft) and for 60 minutes. |
|---|---|
| Shockproof | 1compliant with MIL-STD 810F Method 516.5-Shock – 1.8 m (5 ft 10 in.) onto a surface of 5 cm (2 in.) thick plywood |
| Other | (IP6X) Dustproof, –10°C–+40°C (14°F–104°F) (for land use), 0°C–40°C (32°F–104°F) (for underwater use) |
#4 On A Budget
Bell & Howel Splash WP10
| PROS | CONS |
| Price | Brand reliability |
| Good option for kids | Lack of product information |
My score: 3/5
Description:
Never have I ever heard about this brand, and I do not trust the quality of the product, but this product is very attractive on price.
I do not think this is a contender as being the best camera on the list, but it might very well be nice to have a camera either for the kids, that you don’t worry about it breaks or about being stolen.
The manufacturer fails to provide a lot of basic information, which just makes me walk away
Bell & Howel Splash WP10 Specifications:
| Dimensions | – |
| Weight | – |
| Megapixels | 12.0 MP |
| Aperture | – |
| Focal Length | – |
| Shutter Speed | – |
| Focus | – |
| Autofocus Metering | Face, Smile |
| Video | – |
| ISO | – |
| Picture Quality | – |
| Battery | 2 x AAA Batteries |
| Storage | Micro SD – not a regular SD card |
| Monitor? | 2.4 Inch LCD Screen |
| Waterproof | Waterproof up to 10ft / 3 meters |
|---|---|
| Shockproof | – |
| Other | – |
#5 Not Good Enough
Polaroid IS048 Waterproof Instant Sharing 16 MP Digital Portable Handheld Action Camera
Lower end of the budget, but not very reliable brand. High risk purchase in my opinion.
| PROS | CONS |
| Price | Lack of product information |
| Brand reliability |
My score: 2/5
Description:
This camera is on the lower end of the budget on this list, but as with the Bell & Howell splash, I do not recommend this product, there is little or no information from the manufacturer.
Could be a camera for your kid.
Polaroid ISO48 Specifications:
| Dimensions | – |
| Weight | – |
| Megapixels | 16.0 MP |
| Aperture | – |
| Focal Length | – |
| Shutter Speed | – |
| Focus | – |
| Autofocus Metering | – |
| Video | HD 720p Video |
| ISO | – |
| Picture Quality | – |
| Battery | 2 x AAA batteries |
| Storage | Micro SD – not a regular SD card |
| Monitor? | 2.4 Inch LCD Screen |
| Waterproof | Waterproof up to 10ft / 3 meters |
|---|---|
| Shockproof | – |
| Other | Dust & Freeze resistant |
#6 Best On A Budget
Coleman Duo 2V9WP Dual Screen
It is fun looking, and it has a selfie-monitor on the other side of the camera, so you or your kids are able to take selfies with it, easier.
| PROS | CONS |
| Selfie-monitor | Image quality |
| Design (for kids) |
My score: 3/5
Description:
Amongst the last three cameras on the list, this might be the best, why would I say that? Simply because the manufacturer provides a few more details about the product.
If I were to buy a camera for my kid, this would be it I think. It is rugged, waterproof and fairly priced.
Coleman Duo 2V9WP Specifications:
| Dimensions | – |
| Weight | – |
| Megapixels | 20.0 MP |
| Aperture | – |
| Focal Length | – |
| Shutter Speed | – |
| Focus | – |
| Autofocus Metering | – |
| Video | VGA Video Resolution |
| ISO | – |
| Picture Quality | – |
| Battery | 2 x AAA |
| Storage | Micro SD – not a regular SD card |
| Monitor? | 2.7 Inch Back LCD Screen + 8 Inch Front LCD Screen (Selfie Screen) |
| Waterproof | Waterproof to 10 ft (3m) |
|---|---|
| Shockproof | 3.2 ft (1 meter) |
| Other | -10 Degrees C Freeze Proof + Dust-proof + 120 Degree Wide Angle Lens |
Comparing the 6 Point and Shoot Cameras, Which one is best?
I’ve come up with a completely non-scientific method to compare the waterproof Point and Shoot cameras by the metrics that I would care about my self.
As you just can not know, how good the camera is, even by judging articles with images and examples. Why? Because great images are about lighting and how great you handle your camera, and if we mount any camera and use the perfect light, then any camera would take excellent shots.
So, I decided to try, to judge much more about the hardcore stats, what am I able to know about the camera, before buying, information such as battery life, weight, and durability is great factors of judging the camera before buying.
When putting the cameras into a comparison like this, there are only 3 real contenders. Take a look at my lists, and you’ll see just exactly what I mean by that.
Durability
When picking a waterproof pocket camera, this just seems like the number one factor to rate it by. The Nikon Coolpix and the Fujifilm pocket camera, just knock out the competition on this one.
The last three on the list is barely waterproof, they state up to 3 meters ( 10 ft ), remember it is up to, not at least 3 meters. That means if you are in a very deep pool or diving and I go to 2 meters depth, you might be at risk of breaking the camera.
The last three cameras on this list are more what I would say, child-proof or weatherproof, and not for diving.
| Shockproof | Waterproof | |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | Nikon Coolpix W100 (Affiliate link) | Fujifilm FinePix XP130 (Affiliate link) |
| #2 | Fujifilm FinePix XP130 | Nikon Coolpix W100 |
| #3 | Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FT30 | Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FT30 |
| #4 | Coleman Duo 2V9WP | Coleman Duo 2V9WP |
| #5 | Polaroid ISO48 | Polaroid ISO48 |
| #6 | Bell & Howel Splash WP10 | Bell & Howel Splash WP10 |
Best Value for Money
I listed them from the best at the top, to the worst at the bottom.
There is a clear correlation -you get what you pay for-, as the ones on the end of the budget are also the worst rated on the list.
| Price | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | Polaroid ISO48 (Affiliate link) | Fujifilm FinePix XP130 (Affiliate link) |
| #2 | Bell & Howel Splash WP10 | Nikon Coolpix W100 |
| #3 | Coleman Duo 2V9WP | Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FT30 |
| #4 | Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FT30 | Coleman Duo 2V9WP |
| #5 | Fujifilm FinePix XP130 | Bell & Howel Splash WP10 |
| #6 | Nikon Coolpix W100 | Polaroid ISO48 |
Pocket-friendliness
When choosing a pocket camera, the size and weight is a factor, but it might not be the most important factor, I am guessing the three cameras on the low end of the budget are the smallest and lightest, but the manufacturer did not bother providing the size and weight specifications, so I did not rate them.
I pull away, when the manufacturer is so indifferent, that they won’t even provide the most basic of information
| Size | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FT30 (Affiliate link) | Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FT30 (Affiliate link) |
| #2 | Fujifilm FinePix XP130 | Nikon Coolpix W100 |
| #3 | Nikon Coolpix W100 | Fujifilm FinePix XP130 |
| – | Coleman Duo 2V9WP | Coleman Duo 2V9WP |
| – | Bell & Howel Splash WP10 | Bell & Howel Splash WP10 |
| – | Polaroid ISO48 | Polaroid ISO48 |
Using the Camera
Battery-life and the storage (the memory) of the pocket camera are also pretty important to me, might be one of the most important factors in choosing the right camera.
Once again, the most affordable cameras do not provide any information about battery lifetime, but I think it is because they use AAA batteries and not a supplies Li-ion battery, which is a big draw-down to me.
I do not like to use disposable batteries, it is very bad for the environment, and I am not a fan of having to bring batteries. The battery-lifetime of these 3, would probably also be horrible.
Then there is the storage part.
The 3 top contenders use an SD or SDHC-card. This is a MUST have feature for me, because I do not want to buy new MicroSD-cards just for my pocket camera.
I already own about 10 SDHC-cards for my D-SLR Camera, and my iMac and MacBook has an SD-card slot and not a MicroSD card
Just this single information, causes me to never want to buy those three cheap cameras, I only consider the Nikon, Panasonic and Fujifilm pocket cameras as being in the race for as the best waterproof pocket camera under $200
| Storage | Battery | |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FT30 (Affiliate link) | Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FT30 (Affiliate link) |
| #2 | Fujifilm FinePix XP130 | Fujifilm FinePix XP130 |
| #3 | Nikon Coolpix W100 | Nikon Coolpix W100 |
| – | Coleman Duo 2V9WP | Coleman Duo 2V9WP |
| – | Bell & Howel Splash WP10 | Bell & Howel Splash WP10 |
| – | Polaroid ISO48 | Polaroid ISO48 |
In my opinion
As we are honing in on a winner, I have to include my opinion, which is based on how much I trust the brand and how the design looks to me.
I previously stated that I use a Nikon D-SLR, which makes me Nikon-guy, and I trust the brand as a camera brand.
I already had a Panasonic Lumix, but I was not completely happy with the image-quality which put in third of the top 3 contenders, and the Fujifilm camera comes in second, simply because of the great user ratings I find online.
As for design, the Nikon comes in many colors and variations, which makes it great for customization.
| Brand-trust | Design | |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | Nikon Coolpix W100 (Affiliate link) | Nikon Coolpix W100 (Affiliate link) |
| #2 | Fujifilm FinePix XP130 | Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FT30 |
| #3 | Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FT30 | Fujifilm FinePix XP130 |
| #4 | – do not trust brand – | Coleman Duo 2V9WP |
| #5 | – do not trust brand – | Polaroid ISO48 |
| #6 | – do not trust brand – | Bell & Howel Splash WP10 |
The Winner: The Waterproof Point and Shoot Camera I picked
If you have read through my entire blog post, you would probably already have guessed which camera I just ordered.
I just bought the Nikon Coolpix W100.
I do it mainly because I trust the Nikon brand to give me a great quality camera, and great value for my money.
I have owned a Canon Pocket Camera which sadly broke because of too much fun and the photos it captured was really great quality.
And as mentioned we were not happy with the quality of the Panasonic Lumix we already have. The pictures were not great, you get sad when you come home from a family vacation, and the lovely situated pictures is just horrible quality.
I can’t say if the new Panasonic Lumix camera is better or not, it probably is, but it thinks it was mainly due to our inexperience in using the camera.
Which also brings me back to the reason we chose the Nikon camera. We are already using Nikon D-SLR cameras, and we have been for about 8 or 9 years by now, so for us at least, it might be much more intuitive to use the Nikon camera.
PRO TIP: The Nikon also has the lowest aperture number, which is one thing I’ve learned to look for when considering the image quality in low light.
3 Tips for Better Photos with Point and Shoot Cameras
I am not a professional photographer, but I do like nice photos, more so, I do like to keep nice memories of traveling with my family.
And if you are in a situation where you have the pocket camera along, there are some things you can remember to take better photos.
PIECE OF ADVICE: To get to know your pocket camera, before traveling, try all the camera-modes and try it inside, outside, in the morning, in the sunlight and in the evening.
Find out which is best for you, and how to use it, so that when you are in are going to use it while traveling, you already know, what is best for the current situation.
#1 Think about the light
When you go testing out the camera, take a look around, what kind of light is this? How does the picture look if I point the camera towards the sun, and how does it look if I have the sun on the side and so forth.
Some of these pocket cameras need to be set, in a certain camera-mode when photographing in the sun, so that you won’t burn out white in the picture.
And quite a lot of the cameras need to be high ISO and have flash turned on when photographing inside.
#2 Shutter speed and Aperture
You want to take photos with as fast as possible shutter speed, shutter speeds slower than 100th of a second 1/100 will most likely look shaky, when you blow it up on the big computer screen.
TIP: The faster the shutter speed is, the less light the photo will get. In darker situations, I would prefer to get more grainy photos, to raise the ISO-level, rather than to have a shaky photo.
Aperture is also about how much light the camera takes up, the lower the aperture number is, the more light the camera will acquire.
A low aperture also means more depth in the shot. Let’s say you want to take a photo with a person in focus, and the background blurred, that also requires a low aperture.
#3 Minimize the use of flash
This is a personal thing for me. I do not like photos of people flashed in the face and with red eyes. I get really red eyes, just with a little bit of flash, I don’t quite know why, but I do.
Straight-to-the-face flash, makes the pictures look like old photos from mom and dads photo-album.
Use the pocket camera mainly outdoors, which I am guessing you are most of the time, traveling.
…
