Which point and shoot camera should I buy, if any?

Post date: 2019-03-24 12:07:07
Views: 338
Somewhat inspired by this question, I'm wondering which digital camera I should buy, if any, to supplement my phone camera. I would use this camera for closeup / macro situations, relatively long telephoto shots, and low-light shots.

Obviously I'm a good deal less sophisticated than the posters in that previous question, since I'd almost certainly go with a point and shoot rather than anything with swappable lenses, whether dSLR or mirrorless or whatever. But is it still worth pursuing such a camera?

For most purposes, I'm honestly satisfied with my phone camera - casual portraits, landscapes, museum photography, that kind of thing. But I've kept a point and shoot handy for certain situations, especially nature photography, whether close up or far away. For example, I want to take a macro photo of this flower right here or a zoomed photo of that bird in the tree 100 feet away. Also, phones tend to suck for low light photography like pictures of a volcano or some friends around a campfire.

What's the latest point and shoot camera that's good for these situations? My current point and shoot camera is 12 years old. It's a Lumix with a nice Leica lens and 10x optical zoom, but in a recent shoot I realized it's actually not good at all for low light photos. Per the previous linked question, I just realized that sensors and firmware have probably improved a lot in the last 12 years, but I don't know what to look for. Is it all about sensor size, or are there other qualities of sensor to look for? This is the main reason I'm asking a new question instead of reviewing old ones BTW; I feel like digital camera technology is still changing quickly enough that it's worth asking again.

I wouldn't, like, refuse to consider anything other than point and shoot, but realistically that's probably what I'll end up with. My budget is something like $400; that's not a strict limit but I'm not going to spend $600 for example. What should I buy, if anything? As implied throughout, I'm also open to advice that I just shouldn't bother. But I would be willing to invest a few hundred bucks if it's worthwhile. Thanks!
Number of Comments
Please click Here to read the full story.
 
Other Top and Latest Questions:
Movie: The American Society of Magical Negroes
Dimensions of the iGaging 6" Absolute Origin calipers?
Printer best for photographs?
Visit to Cluj - time-limited edition
Resident Alien: Avian Flu
Movie: Knox Goes Away
Movable stationary bicycle
Tickets for Candidates Tournament
When did my mono symptoms start? When might they end?
A follow up to my automated transcription question