Even with all the information you’ve collected here so far, there are still some bells and whistles that could be thrown at you that will have you scratching your head and seriously thinking about curling up in the fetal position on the floor of the electronics department. So far what we’ve talked about are fairly standard options. We’re now moving into features that you won’t find on all cameras, particularly the cheaper models. Also unlike the features we’ve already discussed, whether or not you add these gadgets to your wish list is entirely up to you. They are a matter of personal preference and require you to ask yourself if they’ll really fit into your style of photography.

Anti-Shake

Anti-Shake is often called OIS or Optical Image Stabilization. It’s a feature that electronically stabilizes the image in the camera to offset minor hand shaking. OIS is not a miracle worker. If you have palsy or are shooting pictures in an earthquake, this is not going to make your pictures crystal clear. It’s meant to provide assistance through normal activity and is especially helpful in low light situations where long exposures require a very still camera. On a day-to-day basis you likely won’t notice the OIS working on your camera. That’s because its helping you take better pictures by curing a problem you didn’t know was there. Unless you are a statue or use a tripod for all of your shots, you move your camera while taking pictures. We all do. OIS will limit that movement’s effect on the pictures.

Personally, I find this an indispensable feature. When I looked for my last camera, this was on the must have list.

Video

Shooting video no longer requires a camcorder, folks. Many point and shoot cameras (but no D-SLRs) are offering the ability to shoot video. Resolution of the video will vary by camera as will the ability to record sound and the duration of the videos.

For the most part, video in a camera is meant for short bursts of up to a minute or two. You are not going to video your niece’s 90 minute dance recital with a point and shoot camera but you may very well shoot a one minute video of her dancing around the living room.

Video is a wide open feature right now meaning that the range of video capabilities among point and shoots is all over the board. You can find cameras that only shoot low resolution videos in mono sound and only allow a few seconds of video and you can find cameras that allow camcorder quality video and stereo sound with no limit on length (the memory card size dictates video length).

Here are a couple of things to think about regarding video. You’re buying a digital camera to take pictures. Video should be a nice little extra rather than a focus when it comes to evaluating your choices. Also, what are you going to do with the videos? Higher resolution videos can be pretty sizable, too big to email. Are you going to keep them on your own computer or do you want to share? Are you comfortable with the thought of editing videos? Do you have a video editor? If not, make sure the camera comes with some video editing software. Lastly, video can take up a fair amount of space on a memory card. If it’s a feature you really think you’ll use, increase the size of the memory card you planned to buy.

Personally, I like having a video setting on my camera. It offers a very high quality video level but because I have a video camera already, I find myself only shooting with low resolution on the digital camera. This way I keep the files small enough to share online and through emails. My advice would be to take the feature if its there but don’t worry about the details too much.

Macro

What’s a Macro? Did you mean Micro? Nope. Macro is a lens setting. Lenses have a minimum focus range, kind of like your own eyes. Hold a piece of paper up at arms length and focus on the writing. Now move the paper closer. At a certain point your eyes can no longer focus on the words. The same is true of any lens. On most point and shoots that will be somewhere around 2-4 feet depending on the lens used. That means the camera just will not focus on anything closer than that. Usually not a problem until you want to take a detailed picture or a picture of something small. This is where Macro comes in.

A macro setting allows you to get up closer to a subject than the standard lens setting. This is helpful for close up shots of flowers, jewelry, or maybe a detail shot of a larger item. Even Macros have their limits though. Typically its measured in inches instead of feet but its still a limitation that will affect you if you take a lot of close up shots. Super Macro takes it a step further allowing you to focus on objects just an inch or two in front of the lens!

Personally, I think the Macro setting is a great feature to have. If you plan on any nature photography it’s a must. Its also something to consider if you’re planning to use your camera for shooting items for eBay or other online selling agent. A Macro or even better, Super Macro, will enable you to take great detailed shots of smaller items for sale. Super Macro is not as available as Macro though and neither are standard on every camera. Decide for yourself if you think shooting things up close is something you may do. If you regularly shoot small items, Macro is a must and Super Macro would be highly recommended.

Viewfinder

Believe it or not, not all digital cameras include a viewfinder. Because LCD screens are so prevalent, some cameras are going without the standard optical viewfinder or are replacing them with digital viewfinders. A digital viewfinder relies on a tiny LCD screen inside the view finder window to show you the framing of your picture rather than the standard through the body glass viewfinder.

Now, a viewfinder may seem like a lame option to discuss but it does matter. Because LCDs are backlit, they’re very hard to see in bright light. This means that in an outdoor situation, on a sunny day with the sun behind you, it may be very difficult to see the image on the LCD. If you don’t have a viewfinder, you’ll be forced to just hope you’re seeing enough on the screen and take the shot.

With a standard, glass viewfinder, you have an issue of parallax. This is an issue we’ve all experience with 35mm point and shoot cameras. You line up the shot with the viewfinder and everyone is in the frame. When you get the pictures back, uncle Fred has the left half of his body cut off! What happened? Because the viewfinder is separate from the lens, and in fact off the side and above, they’re really aiming at different places. At greater distances this will be less noticeable but up close, it’s a problem. To get around this, you’ll have to allow space around your subject so you can crop later.

Digital viewfinders offer a compromise. You can look through a viewfinder to avoid bright light and glare but because you’re viewing an LCD screen, it has the same, through the lens view as the LCD panel on the back of the camera. As with any compromise, there is sacrifice. The LCD screens in digital viewfinders are usually small and of a pretty low resolution. This makes the images in them appear a bit grainy. Its still better than a parallax viewfinder in terms of accuracy but not a substitute for the back panel, just a good backup.

Personally, I have a digital viewfinder and really like it for outside shots. I certainly would not have paid a lot of extra money just for this feature, however. The reality is there are very few times when an LCD screen will be unreadable in daylight so you should be able to work through it. Like the Macro setting, it’s a nice feature but unless your particular intended style of photography demands it, a digital viewfinder isn’t essential.

Summary

This takes us to the end of the big stuff. We’ve now covered most of the major features in point and shoot digital cameras and even explained how they work a bit. You should have a lot more confidence now walking into that electronics department to find your perfect camera.

Next time we’ll wrap this up by covering some of the odds and ends of cameras that we haven’t covered. I’ll also post a list of links for digital camera review sites and manufacturers.