Why Point and Shoot (Cameras) in 2022?

Panasonic and Nikon have announced that they have stopped developing further ‘point and shoot’ cameras that would compete with phones. So is the pocket camera, along with the DSLR, rapidly becoming obsolete?

They do still sell, and do still have some advantages. You get a larger sensor than a phone, even if not any extra (and possibly less) resolution. You probably get a much longer zoom capability. And you get nicer ergonomics, a device that is more simple and comfortable to use as a camera than your phone. But you also get a smaller screen, much less computational power and you carry an additional device. So it’s debatable how beneficial they are as an addition to a smartphone. With a few exceptions.

If you don’t mind spending $1000 instead of $300-$500, you can look at the Sony RX100 or Lumix LX100 or Ricoh GR. Then you do get a small camera with a significant quality upgrade, despite what the phone manufacturers might say (and, in some situations, they might still be right).

Phones will continue to match the quality of better and better cameras, but most of that improvement will be achieved in software rather than optics. Meaning that there will continue to be an appeal and ‘authenticity’ of image from a quality camera. Just like digital cameras surpassed analog film cameras over time, the appeal and unique qualities of high quality lenses and larger sensors will remain and even become more sought after.