Railfan Technology > My review-of a Point-n-shoot Canon

From time to time people ask about buying a “point-n-shoot” type camera. In July I was on a trip and I was about 200 miles from home and realized that I left the camera bag at home. I know, good thing my head is attached. Anyway, I needed to be somewhere and I wasn’t about to drive home to grab it. I just decided to pick up a decent point-n-shoot. Besides, I had been wanting to get one just for something that I could carry around in my pocket when I didn’t want to carry a big SLR around my neck all day. I stopped in a Sam’s and picked up a Canon ELPH 340EH. I think it was about $180 but the price has dropped since that time and you can get them for about $150 at Amazon. Original MRSP when first released was $249.99.
Let me say that I’m not trying to do an advertisement, just present my experience and some info that others might find interesting or useful. I won’t go through all of the options, just the basic features for taking still pictures in average conditions.
This camera is a nice and small, pocket sized package, thicker than you smart phone but smaller in other dimensions. Weight is about 5 oz. It supports up to 16 megapixel pictures with a 12X optical zoom. It also has up to 4X software zoom in several steps. I found that 12X is about all you really need or can handle while hand holding the camera unless you are supporting your arm against a wall or tabletop, at least if you are shooting some distant object. Image Stabilization (IS) helps somewhat. There is an indicator on the viewfinder that indicates excessive movement.
I hate to use flash and unless I have a relatively flat subject. I’ve taken a few pictures with the flash but mostly just to try it out. The ISO range is 100 to 3200 (automatic) and in most situations, you can get by without a flash. If you’re taking train pictures at night, the on camera flash isn’t going to do much more than light up the foreground and any reflective tape. If you haven’t used a digital camera, the “up to 3200” ISO will handle most situations. Just learn to hold the camera steady.
The camera came with an 8 GB memory card and that should be good enough for about 1600 pictures. The battery life seems to be pretty good. I used it for a week and only recharged it just to make sure it didn’t die on me. The battery indicator didn’t indicate that it was running down to less than a half charge.
Some of the other features, WiFi connectivity (upload to your computer wirelessly or share with other compatible devices or services.) It will record movies and has some “creative” functions, some that I would consider “toy” functions but then, some people like them. There’s a “Handheld Night Scene” function, a “Fisheye effect,” and a function where you can take a picture in the snow and it will remove the flakes.
That’s the basics. So what did I like or dislike? I liked the size and the picture quality. After all, that’s what I was looking for in the first place. Quality is not as good as my SLR but the $1000 difference might be part of the reason. If you’re not printing 16 X 20 and looking at it real close, your pictures are going to be fine. If you’re just looking at them on the computer or posting them on the web, they’re going to be great. The ISO range is good and the low light qualities are nice. The zoom is decent. It’s a point-n-shoot with plenty of options. I didn’t like the manual. OK, they know us guys ain’t going to read it anyway but still, it’s nice when all else fails, “read the book.” As a long time (nearly 50 years) SLR user, I don’t like the LCD viewfinder but that is pretty much standard on point-n-shoots. It was a bit hard to see in bright sunlight but I think I could have adjusted the brightness and made it more viewable.
I chose the Canon product but I’m sure Nikon, Sony, Samsung, Olympic, or others in the same price range have similar features. The cameras have lots of options and covering all of them would be like writing an user’s manual. You can check “DPReview.com" or Amazon to read some other reviews. Hope some of you find this interesting. Even if you don't like it, go out and get something and just start shooting

John

Photo 1 is a picture of mine.
Photo 2 was taken at the U.S.Air Force Museum at Dayton, Oh. Low light situation. That's a 40&8 car, 40 men or 8 mules. Used in Europe in WWII.
Photo 3 is the top of the Rhode Island State House. I was about 800 feet away and zoomed to the max.

---

---

---

A few more pictures.
#4 Just a railroad crossing with a bunch of signs. I didn't have the SLR with me and I had been wanting to document this grade crossing, somewhat known for trucks that get "high centered"
#5 This shows some of the close up capabilities. While I was typing this I just grabbed the TV remote. Could have gotten a bit closer but you get the idea.

---

---

Technology is wonderful these days, and the small point and shoot cameras
are a perfect example!
In my own case have found a lower priced often used
point and shoot satisfies my needs quite well.

To that end spent considerable money since
reasonable digital single lens reflex cameras
appeared on the market back in the late 1900's.
Yes they were expensive. Yes they did as advertised,
I think my first was a Canon G4 point and shoot,
received from then family at Christmas.

Over the years have purchased and then
sold all manner of DSLR's, selling often
at a considerable loss too as it is
technology and it gets old, really quite fast!

Recently tried and changed brands briefly from Nikon
to a new Fuji XT-1, and kit lens
at 18-135 rating. it lasted three weeks,
gave it back to my brick and mortar dealer
and said, just sell it. Have now sold ALL my photographic
gear both film and digital.
It now gives me many empty shelves, since dismantled and
all the camera bags, and shelves went to Goodwill.

So now have a $35.00 used Canon point and shoot, operates on AA batteries,
and for 99 percent of my possible photography, entirely adequate.

Where I used to be able to photograph trains, it is either built
upon or there's a rent-a-cop (or railway constable) hiding
to charge you with trespassing, the variety of locomotives seems limited to
paint schemes, Kodachrome is no more and E-6, the replacement for our beloved
Kodachrome is nowhere near as lovely, and processing labs for E-6
are also expiring unless one wants to deal with decent foreign labs
in the USA and Quebec. Oh what E-6 there is is C$18.00/roll
or from B&H with shipping, duty, monetary exchange and taxes C$15.50!

And too in my own case, health is a big issue! In the last
seven years give or take have been diagnosed and confirmed
as severe bi-polar, have Lupus, cancer with three years of intense
chemo and then a very bad case of Celulitus. It all adds up or
perhaps makes sense in a way.

So yes, a low priced point and shoot is very practical
especially too for those of us who don't own
or even understand one of those so-called
smart mobile telephones, with cameras.

Need to rethink the why of my photography more so
than the how and the hardware.
I like technology (most of us do), problem is, I need to stop
liking things that have no relevance to my current or future
existence.

Bryce Lee
Burlington, Ontario

wa4umr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> A few more pictures.
> #4 Just a railroad crossing with a bunch of
> signs. I didn't have the SLR with me and I had
> been wanting to document this grade crossing,
> somewhat known for trucks that get "high centered"
>
> #5 This shows some of the close up capabilities.
> While I was typing this I just grabbed the TV
> remote. Could have gotten a bit closer but you
> get the idea.

I see a grain of salt on it. Been eating fries?