We picked up the 5 most popular point and shoot cameras under 300 dollars from different brands to find the best point and shoot Camera under 300 dollars for you. Although we have a clear winner at the end of the reviews, we are also presenting it upfront just in case you don’t have time to read through all the reviews.

Best Point and Shoot Camera Under 300

The high advancement in technology has made it possible to acquire high-quality gadgets, such as cameras, at very affordable prices. What you really need is guidance when buying the camera so that you can get the best point and shoot camera under 300 dollars.

Why You Need A Camera When You Have A Smartphone

Smartphones nowadays come with superior camera technology. That, however, does not mean that the smartphone can accomplish all the tasks of a camera especially when you are outdoors. While it may have some features that could even be superior to those in most budget cameras, you still need an actual camera because it offers the following.

Dedicated Battery Life

Your smartphone serves more than one function, meaning that its battery life is limited as compared to that of the camera, which is only dedicated to photography. To avoid finding yourself in situations where you run out of charge at the critical moment, it is much better to have a camera at hand.

Better Zoom

A camera has dedicated Zoom lenses, which provide a better zoom feature than that of a smartphone. You are therefore guaranteed to get a better picture quality while using a camera in zoom than when using a smartphone.

Better Low Light Photography

Keep in mind that you may not always be in optimum lighting conditions when taking photos. While some smartphones have the flash technology, it is still not as good as that of a camera. Overall, you get a better picture in low lighting conditions (like night photography) while using a camera, as compared to a smartphone.

Better Wide-Angle Images

A smartphone’s lens is not a match to that of a camera when taking a wide-angle shot. For those moments where you need to take an entire landscape or any other wide-angle image, therefore, a camera could really come in handy.

Factors We Considered to Find the Best Point and Shoot Camera Under 300

Just picking out a camera based on a single feature such as the megapixel count, is an ill-informed technique that does not guarantee that you will end up with a quality camera. Instead, you should consider the following features:

Shutter speed

The shutter speed is measured in the fraction of a second and indicates the amount of time that the camera’s lens takes before it can collect the light and create an image. A low shutter speed is great for still images but terrible for motion images and it could result in blurred images. A high shutter speed, on the other hand, is great for motion images, since the exposure time is limited, meaning that there is no blur in the images. An example of a shutter speed rating is 1/125.

Aperture

This is the diameter of the lens. A high aperture means that the lens opens wider, which is bad for image quality since more light goes through the lens and could create a blurry image. A smaller aperture means that you can create a greater focus on an image. However, this is all an oversimplification and things such as image distance should also be taken into account. An example of an aperture rating is f/22

ISO

This is representative of the amount of light that is collected to create an image. The higher it is, the better the camera quality although, in practice, there are other variables to consider. A high ISO rating means that more light is collected by the lens and therefore, more image detail is recorded. An example is ISO rating is ISO 100.

Megapixels

This is a measure of the clarity of an image without enhancement. The greater the megapixel count, the better the image quality.

Autofocus

A good camera should be equipped with an autofocus feature, which allows the camera’s sensors to easily calibrate and adjust to the image. A faster speed of autofocus means that the image quality will be better.

USB Compatibility

There are manufacturers who design their cameras with a different USB design from the universal design. This means that you always have to carry around a cord or other equipment to enable connectivity between the camera and other devices, which is disadvantageous. Look for a camera with a normal USB design.

Video Feature

A good camera must be able to record videos as well as take still images. Of course, the video quality also comes into account but that depends on a number of factors such as the pixel quality of the camera, the reliability of autofocus and such.

Zoom

Zoom allows you to magnify your lens by a certain factor, for instance by 10, so that you can take images of objects that are farther away. The clarity of the image depends on the quality of the aperture and the value of magnification so as an example, a camera with a 10x feature and a 30mm lens in better than one with a 10x feature and a 20mm lens.

Battery Capacity

It goes without saying that the longer the battery life, the better the camera. However, you also have to consider how the battery will be recharged. Some cameras allow the battery to be taken out and recharged, which is better since it means you can charge a replacement battery for standby purposes.

Reviews of Best Point and Shoot Camera Under 300

Sony DSC-W800

Features

• 2.7″ LCD display
• 20.1 megapixels
• ISO 100 – ISO 3200
• Focal length range of between 28mm – 130mm
• 5x optical zoom with 20x digital zoom
• 28 MB storage capacity
• 1 fps continuous shooting speed
• Aperture range of between f/3.2 -f/6.4
• Shutter speed range of between 1/2000s – 2s
• 2v rechargeable lithium-ion battery with 2 watt-hours
• 0.28 pounds in weight
• Touchscreen enabled
• 1280×720 and 640×480 HD video resolution at 30 fps
• USB enabled

Pros

• Superior image and video quality and features especially considering the focal length, zoom ability, aperture range and shutter speed. It has by far the least shutter speed of cameras in this range with 2s as its maximum.
• USB feature allows connectivity with other devices for easier file transfer
• Battery does not take long to charge and has sufficient capacity for prolonged usage
• Memory card slot to enable the expansion of its memory capacity.
• Superior autofocus features

Cons

• Poor internal memory capacity

Nikon COOLPIX S01

Features

• 2.5″ LCD display
• 10.1 megapixels
• 7.3 GB internal memory
• ISO 80 – ISO 1600
• Aperture range of between f/3.3 – f/5.9
• Focal length range of between 29mm – 87mm
• Touchscreen enabled
• USB enabled
• 3x optical zoom with 4x digital zoom
• 0.21 pounds in weight
• 1280×720 and 640×480 HD video resolution at 30 fps
• Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery with 2.6 watt-hours capacity

Pros

• Very light in weight for easier portability
• Long battery life
• Superior image and video capture features for better image and video quality
• High internal memory and a memory card slot for expansion
• Touchscreen enabled for easier maneuverability around the menu and features.

Cons

• Poor zoom features
• Poor display size

Samsung EC-ST76ZZBPBUS ST76

Features

• 2.7″ LCD display
• 16.1 megapixels
• ISO range of between ISO 80 – ISO 3200
• Focal length range of between 25mm – 125mm
• Aperture range of between f/2.5 – f/6.3
• 5v rechargeable lithium-ion battery with 2 watt-hours
• Shutter speed range of between 1s – 8s
• 1280 x 720 HD video resolution and capture
• 5x optical zoom with 5x digital zoom
• 0.55 pounds in weight
• USB enabled

Pros

• Good quality image and video capture features
• Sustainable battery life for prolonged usage

Cons

• Battery has longer recharge time
• Low shutter speed range

Kodak PIXPRO Friendly Zoom FZ43

Features

• 2.7″ LCD display
• Maximum shutter speed of 4s
• Focal length of between 27 mm – 108 mm
• 16 megapixels
• ISO range of between ISO 80 – ISO 1600
• 4x optical zoom with 6x digital zoom
• 0.26 pounds in weight
• Rechargeable Nickel-metal Hydride battery
• 8 MB internal memory
• 1280 x 720 HD video resolution and capture

Pros

• Light weight for easier portability
• Good image and video quality
• Offers both auto and manual focus

Cons

• Non-standard battery might be problematic to replace

Olympus VG-180

Features

• 2.7″ LCD display
• 16 megapixels
• ISO range of between ISO 80 – ISO 1600
• Focal length range of between 26mm – 130mm
• 5x optical zoom with 4x digital zoom
• Maximum shutter speed of 4s
• 0.27 pounds in weight
• 16.4 MB internal memory
• 1280 x 720 HD video capture and resolution
• 6v rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery with 2.3 watt-hours capacity
• USB enabled

Pros

• Considerably good image and video quality
• Light in weight for easier portability
• USB enabled for easier data transfer
• Long battery life

Cons

• Build quality not up to mark

Winner Best Point and Shoot Camera Under 300

The best point and shoot camera under 300 dollars is no doubt Sony DSC -W800. Taking into account the features listed, there is superiority in the ISO, zoom, focal length, aperture, shutter speed, battery life, video features and megapixel count. It also has very superior autofocus features including facial recognition, tracking and touch functionality. The Sony DSC – W800 accounts for all the listed features that you should look out for when buying a camera and provides them in superior quality.

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