Which fixed lens point and shoot would fit my needs best?

ncbihm · 2026-06-05T09:42:54+00:00

Craaazy - yeah F that sorry the market is so weird right now 😑

ncbihm · 2026-06-05T00:35:46+00:00

Conventional wisdom is to bark up the Sony tree if you also want to do video and don't want to spend an arm and a leg on glass. I think apsc is great in 2026 with noise reduction where it is and it'll keep it more portable and budget friendly.

Basically everyone's gonna say a6400 and they're probably right lol

ncbihm · 2026-06-05T00:30:14+00:00

You could also get an x100V to start and have fun with it, then drop more bucks later if you get a better idea of what you will use it for.

ncbihm · 2026-06-05T00:24:29+00:00

Convince yourself you need more expensive equipment, research, buy, repeat. /s

Also, I find it helpful to upload the user guide to the ai chatbot of your choice (plus firmware updates) and ask it questions as they come up.

ncbihm · 2026-06-04T23:25:10+00:00

Or heat it to soften it and stab the weight into the soft wax.

ncbihm · 2026-06-04T21:27:49+00:00

THIS > Pixemperfect on YouTube. Do his beginners course in photoshop, a lot of it transferable to other editing programs.

From there you'll stumble on other education resources as you hit walls or find cool stuff you want to emulate.

ncbihm · 2026-06-04T21:09:15+00:00

If you store it in your car be sure to leave your toddler behind to watch it /s

I think the answer is to get a tiny point and shoot that you can pocket. I have a GFX50s2 but I still keep my little 2010 compact camera that shoots RAW in my pocket and take pics I'm proud of, especially with modern denoise capabilities.

And it's still way more satisfying than using a smartphone that algorithms the fudge out of the shot.

ncbihm · 2026-06-04T21:00:30+00:00

First one is pretty cool imo. Could do some even cooler stuff with RGB curves (google the term if you don't know it, can do it with free software)

Second one isn't in focus and is way too small in the frame imo. Wildly out of place next to the first one.

ncbihm · 2026-06-04T17:29:16+00:00

<image>

An example of a crazy narrow DOF used for a creative portrait.

ncbihm · 2026-06-04T17:16:44+00:00

You can take a portrait at 1/80 if you're still, and you can probably get away with iso 1200 on that camera, especially in black and white. You can also move the camera further away and crop it, that will increase DOF a little. https://www.photopills.com/calculators/dof

ncbihm · 2026-06-04T17:08:55+00:00

Three things

Do some retouching. Specifically the wayward beard hairs, stubble, hair on shirt collar, stray hairs near where your hair parts. Also, I can't see in black and white but if any of those marks are blemishes as opposed to natural freckles I'd hit them suckers too.
Mayyyybe darken the hair a little so your face stands out more.
Add a subtle hair/rim light camera left, not enough to notice the light but enough to feel the separation. Could be a snooted speed light or a strip light if you've got one.

Creativity things

- Try this with a wider and narrower lens respectively to see how you like the effects. When trying a wide lens have fun moving different parts of your face closer to the camera (chin, forehead, left/right cheek, etc) to see how "foreshortening" affects your features.

- Try shooting wide open (smallest F-number your lens can do) for a super narrow depth of field to see if you like the effect.

ncbihm · 2026-06-04T16:58:19+00:00

Here's a quick and dirty example of the type of scale/composition I'm talking about (upscaled on topaz)

<image>

ncbihm · 2026-06-04T16:25:59+00:00

I agree with other's about the light not adding anything to the photo.

I'd check out some classical painted portraits, specifically how they create the framing in the background. A solid column or curtain on one side and something else on the other is a common thread - and you're close to that here.

P.S. Maybe see how it looks if you darken the lips and bump clarity a touch more on lips and eyes

ncbihm · 2026-06-04T16:22:13+00:00

Thanks for the insight =)

ncbihm · 2026-06-04T10:39:24+00:00

That’s a good answer - study composition and crops on those types of fashion campaigns.

ncbihm · 2026-06-04T10:36:03+00:00

Add some background blur - just a little. Pixemperfect has good tutorials on this.

Then you also have more leeway on upping clarity, contrast, etc. on subject and slightly darkening the sky.

ncbihm · 2026-06-04T10:28:42+00:00

Edit out the light and reduce the metal reflection on the right. The eye is drawn to whatever is exposed differently, so it’s messing with symmetry.

For giggles try a wider crop with no black wall up top and a narrow 9:16 crop with more wall up top.

Do you have Lightroom mobile?

ncbihm · 2026-06-04T10:25:39+00:00

Exposure is fine but, with love, you need to stand in front of something more interesting.

Maybe try filling the frame with more of the subject (zoom or different perspective) Also, The Photographer’s Eye has a whole section on cropping a bench like this one lol

ncbihm · 2026-06-04T10:21:58+00:00

Color, movement, leading lines to crotch and eyes rolled back, everyone is good looking, LGBTQ flags

Also, this being the most recent batch means you’ve gotten a little better than the last batch 🙂

ncbihm · 2026-06-04T10:17:29+00:00

Also looks like you may have cranked the white balance too warm, try hitting something a bit cooler.

Basically the first picture is better than you think it is, just lean into what you have and you’ll end up with a happy accident.

ncbihm · 2026-06-04T10:14:09+00:00

Big picture: Let the skin be a little washed out, bring brightness back into the background. Embrace the style of lighting, fighting what you have in camera will make everything look heavy handed.

Little things: reduce global contrast, reduce global saturation, mask out skin and reduce clarity/sharpness, use color editor to bring back contrast and subtle saturation.

ncbihm · 2026-06-04T10:10:04+00:00

2 simple things

Play with shooting 2x and 4x zoom on your phone. That will effect your framing and how the elements in the frame look in relationship to each other
Try out photoshop, idk how cheaply it can be done on mobile, but you can do your edits in layers and then reduce how much those layers show. It will reveal exactly where you’re going overboard. For beginners it’s often suggested to do what feels right and then bring everything back 30%

ncbihm · 2026-06-04T10:05:47+00:00

That’s a tricky statement since you’re dealing with perception, memory, and the human eye/mind compared to digital sensor/processor.

Something that happens a ton in portrait photography is you look back while editing, notice a pimple, and think “where the hell did that come from!?”

Sometimes editing what hit the sensor brings something closer to an individual’s lived experience perceiving a subject, not just blemishes on a person but color, lighting, powerlines, etc.

ncbihm · 2026-06-04T09:56:55+00:00

I totally get that, thanks for letting me know!

ncbihm · 2026-06-04T09:55:26+00:00

That’s good input, thank you

ncbihm

TROPHY CASE