Protecting a Point & Shoot? Why not.

[sunshine51]

Protecting your low end to high end...point and shoot camera.

Many people nowadays have discarded their point-n-shoot cameras
in favour of the camera in their smartphone. This post is not for you.
This post is for those of us who still have our point-n-shoot cameras
and use them often for whatever reasons we use them. Whether our
PnS cameras are "pocketable" or "pouchable", protecting them as
best we can is important...that is...unless we don't mind buying a new
one every time our current one breaks down & we send it for servicing
which adds up in cost depending on how many times it's serviced.

Admittedly these little cameras do have a cozy niche in our minds for
as many reasons as there are people who have them, most likely since
they are easily carried with us wherever we go...regardless if it's only
to the corner store or on holiday, or...for some of us, on assignment.
Face it...some of them record very nice pictures seemingly effortlessly
in almost any conditions...even in RAW and some even do true, full
HD video.

So...how to protect that 3000 Baht Samsung or that 16,000 Baht Canon,
or that 25,000+ Baht Sony PnS camera you just bought? Sadly there is not
a lot you can do but there is one thing you can easily do and it will only
cost you between 300-500 Baht depending on how good your relationship
is with your local camera store and if they have a certain item in stock.

You need to get a protection filter to cover the lens.

There are two ways to do this...if you have a Canon and/or possibly
a Sony or a Fuji X10/20/30 model or any PnS camera with a lens
that extends & has the ability to attach a "filter adaptor" over the
lens assembly, you effectively seal off the lens from the outside
elements which usually cause the malfunctioning of the lens that
leads to your camera becoming inoperable. That "Error" display
on your rear LCD screen and your camera won't work until it is
sent for repair.

The first way, using my Canon G16 as an example, is to buy Canon's
filter adaptor and a 58mm UV filter. Attach the filter adaptor to the
camera, lock it in place & then attach that UV filter and you're good
to go. One can also purchase a 3rd party filter adaptor too...up to you
on that. Google is your friend for searching for these filter adaptors.

Mind you your pocketable PnS camera will no longer be pocketable.
It will be pouchable though. Plus...you can also use other filters as
well such as a polarizer or whatever creative filters you fancy and...
if you find the correct lens hood that will work on both the wide end
and long end of your PnS...you can use one of these as well along with
whatever filter(s) you have atached. Reminder...your camera is no longer
pocketable. And the cost of the branded filter adaptor plus filter(s) is
expensive.

Another way to go about protecting that lens is to get one of these
via the web: http://www.lensmateonline.com/


Or one of these at your local camera store....

We will stick with the latter; the packaging may differ in your favourite camera

store where you live.

Easy to attach, doesn't make your camera not pocketable and covers
the lens so that nasty stuff stays outside instead of geting inside. These
come in many sizes (diameters) so I reckon darn near every PnS camera
is covered...from el-cheapo to mucho primo baqshish. They're made
out of crystal, not plastic, attach in seconds and you're good to go.

One tip for installation....

Turn on your PnS camera, the lens will open up (protection shutter
opens) and protrude from your camera body. Now...open the battery
cover and remove the battery....DO NOT turn off the camera before
removing the battery! This prevents the camera time out circuitry from
activating and the lens retracting. Using an air blower and magnifying
glass check that the objective lens element is spotless. If not gently clean
it.

Also ensure any dust on the inside of the lens tube is removed (blower
or PC keyboard vacuum). This accomplished now clean the front metal
bit of the lens with a lintfree cloth sprinkled with alcohol and when that
is accomplished attach the lens protector but don't press down hard on it.
Reinstall the battery and the camera should turn on & the lens will retract
when the timeout circuit activates. Turn the camera off and then gently
press down on the filter you just installed to ensure it is properly
attached...don't press really hard...gently does it! Clean the filter to remove
any fingerprints...go out & take pictures!

Note...When attaching the filter DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT get
your greasy/grimey fingerprints on the inside (lens side) of the filter!
For obvious reasons.

There are 3rd party manufacturers that make silicone body covers for
many PnS cameras so it's your call if you want to use them.
When I got my G16 it came with a nice leather case of the classic/retro
style (I like) that not only the camera sits in but has a front/back cover
that protects the entire camera...other camera makers have the same for
theirs. Have a look for your make/model if you so desire.

OK...as if a G16 is actually pocketable or not depends on the type of
trousers you wear...hint...baggy cargo jobbers are good and that's about
it. But it is still pouchable...even with the snazzy case on the camera.
Snazzy case couldn't be used in it's complete form with Canon's lens
adaptor because the adaptor is simply too large for the front cover
to fit over..it simply won't work. However the case & the crystal UV
filter I listed attached to the lens are best mates.

This little, reasonably priced (read...cheap!) lens protection filter isn't
the bee's knees as far as complete protection goes...but it's pretty damn
close. They're available almost everywhere it seems and come in
diameters from 6mm up to 42mm.

Hope this helps fellow members and anybody else who reads this.

Have fun out taking pictures y'all....Cheers!

Additional Info...

Canon's Lens adaptor...

My PnS...

Better view of UV filter...

[ETatBKK]

good tips and tricks !! however, I would like to 'step back' and look at it from a bigger perspective - how could we retain and extend the life of these Point-and-Shoot ? they are not the latest per se, they are not a M4, but they are totally capable of taking good pictures !

yeah, the iPad, the smartphone flush them from the front line and now these point-and-shoot are sitting on the shelve or are resting in the cupboard, that is sad :-(

for any occasion, my mrs already not carrying her 'was the latest, was the top of the line' Lumix with her, but the iPad. there are some joy of iPad photo are more attractive than those of the point-and-shoot. what a retired point-and-shoot could offer then ?

cheers

ET

[MJP]

G,

Ebay is a great source of cheap cases for all. I had a "Leica" case for my LX5, same as the D-Lux 5. PU plastic, but just like leather, looked exactly like this . . .

Only thing is, it was £12 not £1XX.

Ebay. I keep saying. For the cheapo bitz 'n piezes . . . Deffo!

[sunshine51]

^^^ M...As I have stated previously I don't do eBay but I will not hold it against

others who do. My case for the G16 was free....real leather and still has that

leather smell after Burma! It was/is a great go out at night snapper and never

frightened anybody away.To me that's one advantage of a PnS. You got a good

deal on that Leica case IMO.

[sunshine51]

good tips and tricks !! however, I would like to 'step back' and look at it from a bigger perspective - how could we retain and extend the life of these Point-and-Shoot ? they are not the latest per se, they are not a M4, but they are totally capable of taking good pictures !

yeah, the iPad, the smartphone flush them from the front line and now these point-and-shoot are sitting on the shelve or are resting in the cupboard, that is sad :-(

for any occasion, my mrs already not carrying her 'was the latest, was the top of the line' Lumix with her, but the iPad. there are some joy of iPad photo are more attractive than those of the point-and-shoot. what a retired point-and-shoot could offer then ?

cheers

ET

ETB... I agree with you 100% concerning what can a retired PnS offer up over an Ipad or smartphone.

Seems they're winning hands down & to me, without doing immense research, it seems that the iPads

& smartphones have won because of the immediacy of uploading a pic or vid to social media or email.

And the quality of the pix these devices are capable of taking are beginning to rival the humble PnS

...even the higher end models if one gets certain software for their iPads/smartphones.

However...consider this at the present time...If you have a 16Mb sensor in a PnS and the same in

an iPad/smarthone; under scrutiny....which is going to produce the better picture? Not bringing

craft (composition etc) into the discussion, just the technical bits such as noise, colour rendition

etc...Not yet the iPad/sphone device. That said what these devices produce is good enough for

most people just like PnS cameras were 5+ years ago.

Maybe PnS cameras will become extinct in the very near future...but I...perhaps for being a voice for

the doomed...hope not! It's a tough call on their futire...I became aware of this when Samsung made

that PnS camera that had a phone built into it & it produced excellent results....this jobber....the S4...

[ETatBKK]

I see your point too ! yet, we certainly understand a good point-and-shoot is much better than an iPad or a smartphone. it has a much much faster shutter response, much better tonal rendering, far better low light sensitivity . . . and more WE could list it down.

BUT, how other people could understand these advantages in taking pictures ? I guess not many, or even they know they turn the trade off to the iPad or smartphone.

well, back to us, how we could creativity extend the life of our point-and-shoot, and turn it into something interesting in our photographic life ?

I am not giving away our point-and-shoot to a kid and it becomes a toy, until he or she get a smartphone. that is not the idea of extending life ;-)

[HooHaa]

there is no phone camera in existance than can take a better photo than my lx3.

7 years or so on, the panasonic leather case has protected it around the world.

[MJP]

A Sony RX1R is a point and shoot. Fuji X100T. Lumix LX100.

[MJP]

there is no phone camera in existance than can take a better photo than my lx3.

7 years or so on, the panasonic leather case has protected it around the world.

A thousand likes!

I miss my LX5.

[sunshine51]

EtB & HH...

Well...I for one will always have a PnS camera with me most of the time. Why...sure beats humping a

D810 or D4s! Plus I'm a stickler for using a VF instead of an LCD screen....more stable for me as well.

Although iPads & smartphone cameras have their place in photography for a plethora of reasons I'll

simply stick to what I like when not using the "big guns" for work. Now I'm not saying that iPad &

smartphone cameras are shit, they're not IMO...but they're just not for me. I can hack out a lengthy

piece about the technology put into tablet & handphone cameras in the past 10 years and about the

technology which enabled these things to be placed where they are today...but now I'm tired and I

also won't do it tomorrow, nor next week & not even next year...even if somebody paid me heaps of

$$$$$$. If anybody has an interest try a Google search for a journal named Photonics Spectra, which

is a Penton publication (huge hint there) and narrow down the results by checking out camera technology

for cellular telephones. When you hit paydirt you'll be gobsmacked I guarantee you.

Now for the bad news....here's some web links concerning the demise of the PnS cameras.We cannot

allow this to happen! Mind you...engineers don't run companies like in the old days...bean counters do

and all they see is revenue...or the loss thereof. That's even more sad eh?

http://petapixel.com/2012/11/21/we-may-be-seeing-the-beginning-of-the-collapse-of-the-compact-camera-market/

http://allthingsd.com/20130227/smartphones-and-the-collapse-of-the-point-and-shoot-camera/

http://phys.org/news/2012-11-smartphones-point-and-shoot-camera.html

http://newcameranews.com/2014/04/30/scientists-determine-cause-of-point-and-shoot-collapse/

http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324251504578580263719432252

http://www.gadgetreview.com/2013/06/decline-of-the-point-and-shoot-rise-of-the-smartphone-camera

E&OE

[MJP]

I think P&S will always be around, but there'll only be stonkingly great and not many different ones.

RX1R, X100T and LX100 is where P&S are going.

In fact, it's more likely that my next one will be an RX2R with fixed Zeiss 35/2 if such a beast arrives.