I've been reflecting recently on why it is I use a compact digital camera these days.

Years ago I used 35mm SLR (single-lens reflex) cameras like the Olympus OM-10 and OM-G. And before that I used a fully manual 35mm Leica. The quality of these cameras was, and still is, just phenomenal. (I think there was even a black and white box camera back there somewhere, but its name escapes me now.) When I had plenty of outdoor light, such as on backpacking trips, I remember choosing slower films like Kodachrome for the OM-10 to "give us those nice bright colors" like the song says; for everyday use a faster film like ASA 200 or 400 so I could shoot in lower light if I needed. I remember the anticipation of returning from these outings, waiting for my film to be processed and to see those prints or slides. Alas, much has changed since then. Kodachrome has been discontinued, another victim of the digital age. And the cameras? I'm not sure what's happened to the Leica. The OM-G, fully functional as far as I know, sits idle in my garage. The OM-10 got some hard use and eventually developed a light leak. (The box camera? Not sure. Perhaps it's stashed away in the attic of a family member.)

OK, enough reminiscing. Chances are you've already made the switch from film to digital, or perhaps never even used a film camera, and you don't need me to tell you why to go digital. But why a compact digital camera? I can already hear the purists out there nay-saying this wanna-be class of camera, lumping its owners in with the ignorant masses. For the record, I have nothing against the bigger cameras; I may return to them myself some day. But let's take a look at why you might consider 'going compact'. And if you already have its larger sibling, a digital SLR, why you might consider using a compact at least part of the time.

A whimsical image like this says a lot about why I use a compact digital. Dogs are notoriously difficult to photograph, and ours is no exception. They're constantly on the move, walking, running, sniffing, looking this way and that. Sure, you can wait until they sit or lie down. But most photos made that way look posed, or they don't say anything about the nature of that particular dog and, well, they're boring. In this case we were walking on the beach that day, with Festus a short distance away and catching up to us from behind. So I thought I'd try the time-honored technique of anticipating when something interesting might happen. Almost in a single motion I pulled the camera from my pocket, stopped, kneeled down to "dog level" without turning around, and as our dog came from behind and turned toward me to see what I was holding (the camera), I took the shot. There wasn't time to even glance at the composition in the LCD. This is where it helps to know your camera, including its zoom settings -- in this case its widest setting, and to practice taking "blind" shots like this now and then. It's also where, during later review of your photos, you need to stay open to possibilities: at first glance you see a photo "ruined" because half the dog's face is cropped out of the picture (it really was shot that way, no cropping later); with another look, something far more interesting emerges.

Here's another example. This time it was the rare occasion when our dog was sitting still; it was the movement of the other dog, and owner, which presented the challenge -- and opportunity. I had looked toward the water at the moment when the two were perhaps at the right edge of this photo, walking toward the left, so I thought I'd give it a try and quickly took a single shot. I'm not sure whether I checked the image I had captured on the camera's display, but when I got home and dowloaded it I knew right away it was a keeper.

"But," you protest, "you can just as easily take shots like these on larger cameras." And, I might add, quite possibly of better quality too (the photos here are compressed, reduced resolution versions), though certainly today's compact digital cameras can produce excellent images. Those are both valid arguments, but what they miss is whether you would have taken them with that big SLR. Sure, you can devote specific outings to taking pictures and getting some great shots. But my contention is that the vast majority of folks who own an SLR pack it to record a specific event, or only for those "special" people, places and outings in their lives. To me that's opportunity lost for every time you don't have the camera with you. The moment happens, and you have no way to take advantage of it because you didn't want to haul around that big camera. What if, instead, you just brought a camera with you, in your pocket, whenever you go somewhere more interesting that, say, the corner grocery store (although you could do that too!). Or if you do have the big camera with you, consider bringing the compact too for those spontaneous moments. It helps blur the line between "photo outing" and "everyday life". It encourages you to look, really look, at the world around you, and appreciate the photographic opportunities it presents every day.

And to be ready when the moment happens.

What's your camera of choice? Do you bring it with you pretty much wherever you go? Jump in and join the discussion!

Reader Comments

2 comments

Cameras - old and new, small and large.

From: Trip ODell, 08/27/09 11:15 PM

Re: Cameras - old and new, small and large

From: Greg Beddow, 08/27/09 11:34 PM