Rediscovering the Point and Shoot Camera: The Canon Powershot 300 HS

 

Well now, here's a photography-related story. Just bear with me. I haven't talked about anything photographic in a while...

It's been quite a journey, and it feels like I've come full circle:

2002 - Bought my first digital camera -- the 4 Megapixel Canon Powershot S40

2004 - Realized the limitation of the point and shoot while trying to do the very basic blurring of the background. Bought my first SLR camera, the Nikon D70

2004-2006 - Bought thousands of dollars worth of equipment for the D70

2006 - Coughed up more cash to upgrade to a Nikon D200. Spent even more moolah for more lenses and equipment

2007-2008 - Scorned the fact that everyone now has a DSLR. Interest in photography stagnated.

2009 - Got jaded with people shooting with smart phones. Fell in love with film and twin lens reflex (TLR) cameras. Bought a 30-year old Yashica Mat 124G and a 50-year old Rolleiflex 3.5E2 and started shooting square film and scanning. :)

2010 - Bought a Rolleiflex 2.8F 12/24 -- the pinnacle of Rollei TLRs. Also bought the Leica D-Lux 4. Still snobby about quality and resolution.

2011 - Handled the tiny Canon SD1400 IS point-and-shoot at a party. Ended up buying what seems to be its successor -- the Canon 300 HS.

 

Ok. That's a strange turn. But it makes sense.

When I became jaded with every DSLR-toting tourist walking around Rockefeller Center, I turned to film. But it was really because I got to handle a large-format camera (and indeed, in 2009, I was tempted to buy a large-format camera but ended up just buying TLRs. MY DSLRs took a vacation.

But with the novelty of TLR shooting (think hanging around by the water till sunset, listening to music, and then shooting 3 rolls of film till nightfall), I started becoming weary of weight. Maybe it's the TLR's balanced look and boxiness. My DSLRs seemed clunky by comparison, although obviously they're quite a bit more practical and usable.

So I started craving for some sleekness, which led me to the Leica D-Lux 4. I've gotten some good use from it so far, but it's still too bulky for an everyday camera.

Then one night, at Brendan Perrin's birthday party, Bren's fiancee Joy handed me this tiny Canon to take a few group pics. This piqued my curiosity.

I knew that the tiny thing cannot hold a candle to my D-Lux 4 in the same way the D-Lux 4 can't possibly compete with even my ancient Nikon D70. But that is if we're talking about resolution and image quality. We're talking about sensor sizes here (and while I'm at it -- the medium format film I used with the Rolleiflexes can be scanned to an equivalent 50-megapixel photo...).

But here was the problem: I didn't bring my Leica to Bren's party. In fact, I had no camera at all.

So then I asked about the camera (the actual owner is Bren and Joy's friend, Michelle) which led me to its predecessor.

Now see the pic of it above.

The net effect so far is that I'm simply loving it. After spending so much on camera equipment, I'm exhilarated by buying a relatively cheap device and then finding it actually encourages me to shoot.

It's not only that. Becoming interested in P&S cameras, I rediscovered my D-Lux 4 and I went ahead and bought a custom grip and a few more accessories. One problem I have with the Leica is that it's quite substantial that it really begs for a better grip (akin to that of a DSLR or one of the Ricoh point-and-shoots that directly compete with my Leica). Also, it is a Leica, and quite beautiful and expensive for what it does. I'd hate to even scratch it -- which is counter-productive to actually using it as often as I should.

So now, the Canon 300 HS. How's the image quality though?

Well in fact, my officemate who brings the Panasonic equivalent of my Leica (the LX3 or LX4) starts taking test shots with it, and after a while, I was like "Yo, it's just a camera. Quit obsessing over it." And he kept mumbling about how it was so great with low-light shooting and that he was tempted to get the camera himself.

So there you have it. In some ways, it even competes with the Leica.

But for me, it's the handling. What caught my attention was the texture, actually. My fear of most point-and-shoots is that a lot of them feel too small and at the same time often slippery (think of those Sonys and past Canon Elph cams). The ones with nice grips tend to be bulky (think of those old Nikons and Fujis from years back). And quite often flimsy-feeling (Nikon [sigh...])

Now this Canon feels sturdy and its handling is reminiscent of a Ricoh GR/GRD camera -- my D-Lux's rival, which IMHO, beats most if not all small cameras for sheer feel (those Ricohs are the closest you can get to the feel off an SLR). But it's even tinier and lighter. The controls are logical and the ergonomics are not bad.

Again, it feels small even with its grippiness. But at subway stations, I quickly turn it on, I shoot, and quickly turn it off. Then I'm on the train with the camera in my front pants pocket or my jacket. Very cool.

And those scene modes. Really, I just shoot aperture-priority most of the time with my DSLRs and the D-Lux 4. But I finally found some scene modes fun. There's that fake Fish Eye, and then the Toy Camera mode's nice. I have yet to try most of the features and maybe then I'll post videos from it.

Sure, I'm a newbie to these consumer features as I usually ignore them, but it amused me so much that I actually pulled out my Leica's manual and started reading it. What I used to love about the Leica is its low-light perrformance. But now I saw a pinhole feature. I found out that it has two baby modes. You can enter the age of up to two babies, and as you shoot through the years, it also records the babies age in the file (not that recording babies apply to me right now, but how's that for a feature?). It also has a pet mode (with a dog icon) similar to the baby mode. Really. I never knew. It has a food mode. Although now I'm sure the new Canon will be in charge of shooting food from now on...

I'm beginning to sound like an idiot, I'm sure. Scene modes? Other people may suspect that I've lost it -- that I'll just be displaying the Rolleis in a glass case and then I'll start selling off my Nikon equipment.

Never. That's not the point. In the end, cameras are just tools. The Rolleis will wipe the floor with all my other cameras if it's sheer quality and black and white shooting. The Nikons will win with versatility and prro/semi-pro usage.

But now I have cameras for almost anything I want to do, including those dinners and occasional parties.

 

DISTANT FUTURE: 20?? --

Wildlife shooting, maybe? The only thing I haven't really done with photography is shoot photos of animals in the wild. When will that happen? I don't know, but I'm sure I won't be approaching a lion up to four feet with the Leica or the Canon point-and-shoots and then attempt to shoot it with the fish-eye mode. I'm sure lions in the wild won't find that too amusing. So I have to hold on to my Nikon gear.

 

Comments

[vanishing point]

Welcome to the the compacts! As most things in life goes on a cycle, maybe so does camera preference. I have the LX-3, after the Canon G7. Just the same, I feel like going back to SLRs again but still not sold to its bulk and weight. I have been checking out (and I suggest you try) the mirrorless Olympus Pens, the Fixed lens FujiX100, the Pentax Q or even the Oly XZ-1 - it's all fancy SLRs or compacts w/ large sensors cursed without viewfinders :)

[Marvin]

I haven't really explored the mirrorless cameras, 4/3's, etc. Actually, interest for the P&S actually led me back to my Nikons and Rolleiflexes (well shooting in general, I guess). When I get the time... :)