the value of point and shoot

ongakublue · Apr 3, 2017

hi everyone,

today i got hold of a little fujifilm dl-270. it seems to be at the lower end of the automatic point and shoot cameras from the 90s(?). i didn't find much on it but a little. i took pictures with it before on a trip to vienna and bratislava in 2006. so it has been lying idle for about ten years. actually i took a very nice, if I may say so, picture of the evening sun through the viennese buildings. it was kind of an accident. i knew almost nothing about photography at the time.
anyway, some questions...
there is film in it still.. novice question but would this likely be expired? i guess i should finish out the roll and hand it in somewhere anyway.
is anyone else here using a basic automatic point and shoot camera like this and getting decent results?
i also have an slr which of course is bulkier and heavier but not hugely so. i still think there might be a place for this little p&s.

jeffreyg · Apr 3, 2017

My wife had the simplest type of point and shoot camera a number of years ago. We took some snapshots at one of my sons high school graduation. Four years later she took the camera to his college graduation as you probably have guessed both his high school and college graduation photographs were on the same roll. The film was processed and printed at a one hour drug store facility and came out just fine.

Go for it.

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/

TheRook · Apr 3, 2017

If you work within the camera's limitations, it should produce quite nice results. I would classify the fujifilm dl-270 more as a mid-range quality point and shoot camera rather than lower end; there are plenty of inferior point and shoot cameras from that era, with fewer features and not as good lens. In my opinion, most of the fujifilm point and shoots have endured the test of time surprisingly well - they certainly were designed to last!

ongakublue · Apr 3, 2017

TheRook said:
If you work within the camera's limitations, it should produce quite nice results. I would classify the fujifilm dl-270 more as a mid-range quality point and shoot camera rather than lower end; there are plenty of inferior point and shoot cameras from that era, with fewer features and not as good lens. In my opinion, most of the fujifilm point and shoots have endured the test of time surprisingly well - they certainly were designed to last!

So a lot better than one of those disposable cameras?

MrBrowning · Apr 3, 2017

Speaking of disposable cameras wasn't there a member here not too long ago reloading them and shooting with some great results?

John Bragg · Apr 3, 2017

Go for it. P&S cameras can turn in great results and they need not cost the earth. I took this shot on a Canon Sureshot Supreme that cost me 99p !

Emily and Elephant by E.J. Bragg, on Flickr

removed account4 · Apr 3, 2017

point and shoot cameras are the best!
finish the film and love your photos !
the film, as long as it did not "endure" HARSH
conditions will be fine. maybe tell the lab to develop it
for 1-stop more ( 1/2 the film's original iso instead of 400 >> 200 )
i've been using an agfa point and shooot for about a year i wish it focused !

Cholentpot · Apr 3, 2017

MrBrowning said:
Speaking of disposable cameras wasn't there a member here not too long ago reloading them and shooting with some great results?

I've been doing that. I even glued a cellphone lens onto the front and got some interesting results. Pardon the mid-70's Tri-x I used as a test roll.

I just picked up a Minolta Auto-Tele for $4 and ran a test roll. It's got a pretty fast lens on it and seems capable of good results. I'll burn a roll through it at some point.

Ko.Fe. · Apr 3, 2017

My wife and I used nothing but P&S in nineties. I see nothing terebly wrong in pictures. Most of them are in focus .
Few years ago I switched to them again, but for BW. I have at least one print from it at the wall. Looks great.
I just don't like everything in auto and plastic body. I switched to Smena-8m, but it is too light for low light. So, on previous Friday I purchased Olympus Trip 35. Small, but heavy and like classic P&S it needs flash under low light .

Sirius Glass · Apr 3, 2017

Point and shoot cameras do what they were designed to do well.

TheRook · Apr 3, 2017

ongakublue said:
So a lot better than one of those disposable cameras?

Oh, absolutely. How many disposable cameras can zoom, include multiple flash modes and a panorama mode, exposure adjustment control, and can be operated by remote control?

I have a DL-270, and I certainly would not place it at the low end spectrum of the point and shoot cameras. Not only does it come with loads of features, but the lens is fairly good too, capable of producing respectably sharp photos. And the detachable remote control is a cool feature you simply don't see often with point and shoot cameras.

Arklatexian · Apr 4, 2017

jeffreyg said:
My wife had the simplest type of point and shoot camera a number of years ago. We took some snapshots at one of my sons high school graduation. Four years later she took the camera to his college graduation as you probably have guessed both his high school and college graduation photographs were on the same roll. The film was processed and printed at a one hour drug store facility and came out just fine.

Go for it.

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/

When I worked in a camera store, every Christmas Eve, many people would come in and have us load film, change batteries (for the flash) and clean the lens. A year later these same people would come in for us to take the old film out and start the process again. They would leave the film for processing and there would pictures of Christmas, followed by Easter, one or two shots during summer and the rest of the roll was of October 31. Oh yes we also sold them flashbulbs to go with the batteries. The pictures usually came out fine. That was in the days of Kodacolor which would probably fade after ten years anyhow...........Regards!

Peter Schrager · Apr 4, 2017

I was recently given a Nimslo..it has 4 lenses on it; originally for 3d pictures but I'm using anyway for a project..has a 400 speed and a 100 speed setting
takes nice pictures!!

revdoc · Apr 4, 2017

Back in the 90s I spent quite a lot of time reloading disposables with b&w film. The main advantage (aside from low weight and near zero cost) was the lack of choice; all you control is where to point it and when to trip the shutter. I found this very liberating. It requires a particular mindset that's worth learning and can help improve your photos with more conventional gear. Well worth trying.

Paul Howell · Apr 4, 2017

A co worker gave me a box of point and shoots, Pentax, Olympus, Minolta, Vivitar, a Canon. Over the years I have added others, wide range of zooms up to 180, a couple of weather resistant cameras, Minolta twin with 35 and 85, Pentax 120 WR, a few with 50 mm primes, most are slow but sharp enough. I carry one of the Pentax WR units with me when traveling. I have glued SV filter adaptors to the lens and used light yellow filters with black and white. Some of the older models with fixed lens are not DX coded so you can cheat the auto exposure by changing the ISO.

Theo Sulphate · Apr 4, 2017

revdoc said:
... The main advantage ... was the lack of choice; all you control is where to point it and when to trip the shutter. I found this very liberating. It requires a particular mindset that's worth learning and can help improve your photos with more conventional gear. Well worth trying.

Yes - it is liberating and worthwhile. My point-and-shoot:

Ko.Fe. · Apr 4, 2017

oldtimermetoo said:
When I worked in a camera store, every Christmas Eve, many people would come in and have us load film, change batteries (for the flash) and clean the lens. A year later these same people would come in for us to take the old film out and start the process again. They would leave the film for processing and there would pictures of Christmas, followed by Easter, one or two shots during summer and the rest of the roll was of October 31. Oh yes we also sold them flashbulbs to go with the batteries. The pictures usually came out fine. That was in the days of Kodacolor which would probably fade after ten years anyhow...........Regards!

It was our experience as well. One roll of film for one year.
About five years ago our friends gave us furniture which I'm using now for cameras storage. After they gave it to us, I discovered roll of c-41 film which was not sold in Canada for sometime. I developed it and it was our friends one year on one roll of film. They have one photo printed and in the frame.

carlostaiwan · Apr 4, 2017

point and shoot are great! Loaded with a high(ish) iso, like a 400 and learning and accepting their limitations (focusing time, focusing distance, low aperture), can give you really great results. I use very often an olympus mjuii and a konica z up 70, This picture is with the konica at 35mm and Fujicolor X-TRA 400. I always carry one when I'm not bringing the Nikon FM.

kingbuzzie · Apr 4, 2017

Being able to grab a loaded point & shoot when rushing out the door last minute is great. I'm partial to a ricoh af-5 that is always sitting on my desk. Good lens, takes 46mm filters and had a nifty little battery cut off feature when you put the lens cap on. Toss it in a cheap little pouch with an upgraded strap and it will not let you down.

Alan Gales · Apr 4, 2017

When my cousin got married she had plenty of disposable cameras sitting on the tables at her reception. She said that her and her husband valued some of those images as much or more than the professional shots.

Point and shoots were/are nice for carrying in your pocket when you were/are unable or don't feel like carrying your main equipment. I guess you could say that they were the cell phones of the past or present if you prefer film.

A disposable camera in your hands is better than an 8x10 camera left at home.

cooltouch · Apr 7, 2017

Fuji has had a pretty long tradition in building very good quality P&S cameras. I had a friend back in the 80s who had a Fuji P&S -- that's all she would use. She was gifted with a great eye, but still -- that little Fuji of hers cranked out some spectacular shots. I've owned several Canons over the years. From an AF35ML (the Super Sure Shot) to a 120 Classic something or another. They all take great photos and I've used them on a regular basis when I could have loaded up an SLR but decided not to mess with it.

the value of point and shoot

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