Better photos with a point and click camera

I was talking about cameras and photo taking with my father in law the other day, and he was lamenting the slowness of taking photos with his camera. He bought his first digital camera the day before our wedding day (almost seven years ago) and has been a passionate convert to digital photography ever since. He is the stereotypical grandfather with the camera out snapping incessently at the grandchildren since my son was born 4 years ago.

I have had this conversation with others before. As I mostly use my SLR, I don't think too much about the time delay. But on a recent holiday with my family in Melbourne, I used Teddy's point and click the entire time, and suddenly realised what the problem was. I thought I would write a short post about WHY your point and click is so slow.

Most people who have a compact digital camera had a compact film camera. Now, film cameras have their lenses set at 35mm. This means that the lens was fixed. (The zoom film compacts had the same time delay that digi cameras have). This means that a set area was in focus, and other areas were not. Usually, about a metre and beyond was in focus, and anything closer was not. As a result, when you took a photo, the camera did not have to focus, because the focus area was set. If you main subject was 30cm or 10 metres from the lens, it didn't matter. The same area was in focus regardless.

Digital compact cameras do not work in this way. They are much smarter. They will find a face or the main feature in a photo, and set the focus accordingly. All of this takes time, which is why the camera has a delay. You have probably seen the little rectangles appear on the viewer, the beep, and then the flash and the camera takes the photo. That 'beep' is the compact camera telling you it is focused.

"Big woop" you say. "So my camera is slow. I'm not going back to film."

Well no. BUT I can help you get over that delay, and work with it, not against it.

The digi cameras operate on the same system that SLRs work on. Here is what you do:

Line up your subject. SLOWLY depress the button to about half way. The camera will then focus and 'beep'. Then, press the button THE REST OF THE WAY. See how quick that is? Almost instant. The delay is not slow technology, or operator error- it is the camera finding the focus.

We were walking along St Kilda Pier when I took this photo. I could see Ted walking along the barrier, and as he was moving so fast I knew I would not be able to get him in focus. So I lined up the lamp-post, half pressed the button, and then when he was almost at the post, I pressed it the rest of the way.
The best way to learn about this is to practise. It takes some getting used to. But digi cameras cost nothing but time, so get out and enjoy using your point and click!