Ditch the Smartphone for these 3 Digital Point and Shoots

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Cameras, Editorial

Sometimes, your smartphone camera just isn't enough for taking great photos and you need a legitimate point and shoot digital camera. It's okay to admit it – that little lens isn't always the best at detecting light, zooming in, or snapping clear pictures, no matter how good it may be at making selfies. If you need to take pictures that your smartphone just can't handle, you need a digital camera – but you probably don't want to pay too much for one.

So, for all you amateur photographers out there, here's a useful little list of some of the best point and shoot digital cameras around. They will give your picture quality a huge boost without killing your wallet, and many include very handy modern features like Wi-Fi that allows you to instantly share photos and transfer them to the right albums. Just make sure that you get the right camera before heading to that trip, wedding, party or favorite nature hike!

Nikon Coolpix L840 - $220

The 38X optical zoom lens on the Nikon Coolpix L840 sets it apart from other point and shoot cameras.[/caption] If you are going to carry both a digital camera and a smartphone in your pockets, you probably don't want to pay too much for either. Our first pick, the Coolpix L840, will give you great photos at an affordable price. It's especially good at zooming in with a 38x optical zoom telephoto lens designed to minimize shakiness and blurry photos. This is the sort of camera made for stadiums and long shots along the coast or mountains. It also comes with a 16-megapixel sensor, and an option to take HD videos. There's also some optimization work that allows the camera to adjust itself to try and get a better shot, which is great when you're caught up in the moment. The camera also comes with Wi-Fi and NFC tech, both of which can be used to quickly transfer images to another device. This is great for sharing and uploading images the moment you take them – just like a smartphone. It removes one of the old problems with digital cameras, and has the added benefit of allowing you to spend less money and worry on in-camera storage. We highly suggested you look for a model with at least some mobile communication features.

Canon PowerShot G7 X - $650

Don't let the Canon PowerShot G7 X's boxy -- almost boring -- look fool you, as its image quality is outstanding.[/caption] On the other hand, if you are going to carry around both a camera and a smartphone, you may want your camera to be far, far better than your smartphone to justify that pocket space. If this is the case, Canon's PowerShot point and shoot model could be more of what you're looking for. The optical zoom is much lower, at 4.2x, so the camera is better at taking shorter-range pics and sweeping looks at broad landscape (parks, forests, fields, group photos, you get the idea). However, the sensor is a powerful 20.2-megapixel version, the lens is very high-quality with a focus on speedy snaps, and there are modes to compensate for low light conditions, photos, and more. Note that this camera also contains Wi-Fi and NFC – it's a very complete package, and edges closer to the professional side.

Olympus TG-4 - $350

The waterproof Olympus TG-4 is easy to use, which is helpful when shooting in deep water. We've covered a camera for those who want to save money, a camera for those who want high-quality pics, and now we come to a camera for those who want a camera that can keep up. There are some things that even the most robust smartphone shouldn't do – but this Olympus model is happy to go along, as long as you get great photos out of the adventure. It's waterproof up to 50 feet, freezeproof down to 14 degrees, shockproof when dropped from up to 7 feet, and crushproof up to 220 pounds. In other words, it's made for the more active adventures. There's a 4x optical zoom, a 16-megapixel sensor, various modes for underwater shooting and video, and RAW compatibility as well. In addition to Wi-Fi, this camera also includes GPS and a compass.