Is a Camera or Smartphone Best for Vacation Pictures?

Should you buy a point and shoot, or just stick with what can fit in your pocket?

Selfies, food pics, pet pics -- we use the cameras in our phones all the time, but they do have their limitations.

As good as the camera technology has become in our phones, Consumer Reports says there are still some things a good advanced point-and-shoot camera can do better.

While smartphone cameras produce nice looking, easily accessible photos, if you ever want to print them out, crop or edit, that’s when you start seeing their quality degrade.

Advanced point and shoots and DSLR’s can create images that you can have for a long time and you know they’ll stand the test of time in terms of quality. Advanced point and shoots also perform better in low light and zooming.

So, what if you’re looking for something that will capture those great photos of your vacation or your kid’s first plunge into the pool? Make it a point to go to a store, take it in your hands, take a couple of shots and kind of play with the settings. Because that’s when you know if something is truly right for you.

If sharing pics on social media is what you’re looking for, many cameras can now easily connect wirelessly to your phone, so you can transfer your photos for sharing. Buying a good advanced point-and-shoot should be seen as an investment. CR’s top-rated point and shoots range from $645 for the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100 to $1,200 for the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 II. Happy photographing!

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