10 Crucial Things You Need to Think About for Portrait Photography

Darlene’s Portrait Fundamentals course is on sale for $ 75 (50% off) now until November 3rd only. Find out more or grab the deal over at Snapndeals.com.

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There are many pieces to doing a portrait – it’s not easy. You have to think about the technical stuff like exposure and focus, as well as the non-technical stuff like composition and working with a live subject. It can be daunting if you’re just starting out doing portrait photography so let’s break it down into all the pieces so you can work on one at a time, then put it all together.

Here are the 10 crucial elements you need to think about when doing portrait photography:

1. Lighting Pattern
2. Lighting Ratio
3. Quality of light
4. Lens selection
5. Background
6. Exposure/metering
7. Sharpness – getting it in focus
8. How to position the subject (posing)
9. Facial view and camera position
10. Expression

THE TECHNICAL STUFF

#1 Lighting pattern

This is how the light falls on the subject’s face. How you set up the light will determine the mood of the final portrait and whether or not the subject is flattered. Lighting partner is a critical piece to get right. There are four main type of patterns and two styles, they are:

• Split lighting
• Loop lighting
• Rembrandt lighting
• Butterfly lighting
• Short lighting
• Broad lighting

Left – Split lighting. Right – Loop lighting.

Left: Broad lighting. Right: Short lighting. Notice how different she looks in each image, particularly her nose!

Knowing what each looks like and when to use them is very important. Read more here: 6 Portrait Lighting Patterns Every Photographer Should Know.

#2 Lighting ratio

A ratio is a comparison of one thing to another and in terms of lighting it is comparing the dark and light sides of the face. How much difference is there is from the shadow, to the highlight side? The greater the ratio, the more contrast the image will have, and the more moody the portrait will become. The lower the ratio, the less contrast, and the portrait will have a lighter, fresher feeling.

Look at the following examples:

In the images above the ratio on the left is very strong, about 16:1 or four stops. The missing is about 4:1 or two stops, and the right is almost 1:1 or even. The only difference from one to the next is use of a reflector. Notice how the mood and feel of the portrait changes, as the contrast is adjusted.

For more detail on ratios read: Lighting Ratios to Make or Break your Portrait

#3 Quality of light

Another aspect of lighting you need to decide is whether you will use hard or soft light.

Hard light is produced by a small light source and is characterized by high contrast, enhanced texture of the subject, added drama, and harsh well edge-defined shadows. Examples of hard light sources are:

• The sun (even though it is large, it is far away so its relative size is small)
• A bare light bulb
• The small built-in flash on your camera (including your speedlight without modifiers)

Here are two portraits done using hard light. Which is more appropriate use of this type of lighting for the subject?

Soft light is produced by a very large light source. It is low contrast (or can even be quite flat), less textureenhancing, and is more forgiving and flattering for people photography. Examples of soft light sources are:

• The sky on an overcast day
• Large studio softboxes
• A large reflector like 42” or 52”
• An on-camera flash that has been bounced off a ceiling or wall

Here are two portraits done using soft light. Which is more appropriate use of this type of lighting for the subject?

So along with the ratio, the quality of light will have a great affect on the mood and feeling of your portrait. Choose soft light for portraits that flatter the subject, and choose hard light for an edgier look with more grit and drama.

#4 Lens selection

The lens you select will change the appearance not only of the subject, but the background as well.

Using a wide angle lens will introduce distortion and cause the subject’s face to look abnormal, sort of stretched. It will also allow you to see a large sweeping view of the background behind them.

Notice how the shape of her face and her features are distorted? This is not something most people will desire.

However, there may be instances where you want this look such as a humorous portrait, kids, or an editorial style portrait of a street vendor at a market where you want to see his environment.

The wide angle view adds to the comical nature of this portrait.

Telephoto lenses compress perspective – this does two things. First it is usually more flattering to the subject, their facial features look less distorted. Second, it simplifies the background by seeing less of it, and often it’s less in focus as well (dependant on distance to the background) putting more emphasis on the subject, which is what you want. Read more at: How to Achieve Blurred Backgrounds in Portraits.

Same girl as the portrait above. Compare her face in the two images, and take note of the background as well. See how much less of the room, and how it is more out of focus than the wide image above?

The long lens used for this image has compressed the background and because it is so far away (across the river on the other side) it is really out of focus and provides a soft background to enhance the portrait, not take away from the girl.

#5 Background

One thing many of my students forget to control and think about is the background. It’s so easy to be focused on all the other stuff and working with your subject that you forget to even look at the background.

Two things you want to make sure about for the background are: it makes sense with the portrait, and doesn’t distract the viewer from the subject. There are four things that can do that, watch for them in your background and adjust your camera position or composition accordingly if they show up:

• Contrast
• Bright colours (warm tones are the worse for distraction like red and yellow)
• Sharpness
• Bright areas

See how the bright areas, which are also high contrast, in the background draw your attention away from the wedding couple?

Any or all of those can draw the eye away from the subject if they are in your background. The eye is attracted to the brightest area of an image, as well as the sharpest. So get your portrait subject away from the background far enough to get it out of focus, and watch for hot spots that grab the eye. Sometimes simply moving your camera a foot or two to the left or right can eliminate trouble areas and give you a cleaner background – allowing the subject to be the star.

Use of multiple techniques here have drastically improved this portrait over the one above. The background is now solid, out of focus, and it does not take your eye away from the couple but rather compliments the overall portrait.

#6 Exposure and metering

For a portrait where the subject is not moving, I almost always use the following camera settings:

• Manual shooting mode
• Single shot drive mode (when I press the button it takes one image only)
• Single point focus (not multi or zone)
• One-shot or AF-S focus mode to focus and lock (not continuous)
• Shade White Balance preset (as I am usually working in the shade, if you’re in the bright sun choose that – but pick one that matches your lighting condition and leave it, anything but AWB!)
• Shoot in RAW

That gives me the most control over doing one very important thing – having a consistent exposure from one frame to the next. That may not seem like a bit deal but if you ever decide to do portraits for a friend or have real paying clients – you want to be able to show them the images on the back of the camera and not worry about the one in the middle that was black cause you forgot to adjust the exposure.

The other thing it does is makes editing in the post-production stage much faster.

So basically set your exposure, do a test shot (review it for exposure using the histogram), then don’t touch it unless you either move to a new location, or the light changes.

#7 Sharpness – getting it in focus

I already mentioned the settings I use for focus above. Back button focus is something I highly recommend as well. It allows me to lock focus on the subject, precisely on their eye if I’m in close enough, and then recompose my portrait and shoot away. Unless the subject or I move, changing the distance between us, there is no need to refocus.

Here are a few more focus tips from a past article I did: 5 Tips for Getting Sharper Images. Obviously if you’re shooting a moving target, like kids in action, you’ll want to choose different focus settings. Try Continuous focus (Servo or AF-C) and burst mode (continuous shooting mode or drive).

THE AESTHETIC STUFF

#8 Posing the subject

Getting your subject or model into a comfortable, yet flattering pose can be tricky. People are generally nervous when being photographed and will look to you for guidance on how to stand, hold their body, turn their head, and adjust their hands. So you need to have a few ideas ready for them, making sure they can hold it comfortably and they look good at the same time.

Here are a few tips:

• You’ve likely heard this before, but if it bends – bend it. Meaning get them out of a stiff body position bending one leg slightly, and bending elbows and wrists.
• Get them to shift their weight away from the camera (hip away) it will be more flattering that way.
• Add a slight head tilt for ladies to add a touch of femininity.
• To get people to turn their body when standing – tell them to turn and point their feet, the body will follow naturally.
• Turn shoulders slightly to narrow the body width, which is more flattering for most people.
• Let them pose naturally and just make slight tweaks or adjustments. Watch how they move on their own so it still looks like them.

Left – stiff and boring. Right – bend the parts that bend and make a more dynamic pose, it’s also more flattering, and in this case feminine.

For more tips on posing read these dPS articles:

• Portrait Posing Tips- How to Help People to Relax and Take Better Photos
• Tips for Posing Men
• Posing Guide for Photographing Women: 7 Poses to Get You 21 Different Photos
• Or grab the dPS ebook Portraits: Strike the Pose

#9 Facial view and camera position

How you position the subject’s face is another factor that determines how flattering the portrait will be, and the mood. Some people look really great in full face view (facing the camera directly) while most benefit from turning slightly to one side, thus narrowing the face a little.

Profile view is something people cannot see in the mirror, so many have never seen theirs, and have no idea what they look like from the side. Only by trying it out will you see and know if it’s flattering for them.

The key to choosing the right angle for their face is to observe them. Do they tend to turn slightly when talking to you? Take note – that is probably the side the subconsciously prefer.

Three different views of the same girl’s face (above). She has a really gorgeous profile and a square jaw. I think the profile and last image (¾ face view) are the most flattering for her but she looks great in any image. Not all your portrait subjects will have that, so you have to help them look their best by making choices like this. If in doubt, shoot all three and choose later, or let them pick. You’ll learn from the subject what they like and what they think looks flattering.

Tip: for people who have a bump on their nose that do not want it to show – try photographing them facing both ways. One way will show the bump, the other it will be hidden. How you do that is shoot one way with the light say off to camera right. Then trade places with them so the light is coming from the other way and do a second shot. See which shows, and which hides the bump – then you’re ready to go.

What camera position you choose will decide what you’re emphasizing on the subject. A low camera angle can show height (especially if shooting full body) and make someone look taller, but it also emphasizes the body more. Not a good choice if someone wants to appear slimmer. Getting low down near kids level puts you closer to the action and makes them appear less small.

A slightly above eye level camera angle will emphasize the face and minimize the body, a good choice for most people. It also makes kids look smaller and can be effective if that’s the look you want. A really high angle will make the forehead prominentant (perhaps not the best choice for a receding hairline).

Just be conscious that where you place your camera will affect the final look of the portrait.

#10 Expression

Even though my Spanish is limited I was able to talk to this little girl and got this reaction and expression. She is holding a photo of her auntie’s ultrasound and her new baby cousin to be that she was really excited about. I just asked her to show me her baby primo (cousin) and she did this.

Okay, this is the ultimate thing you need to get right for great portraits. You can nail all nine points above, but if the subject has a bad expression, they will not like the image. There is one big tip I have for getting the best expressions in your portraits – talk to the subject and interact with them. There is one huge barrier to doing that which I see happen all the time.

There is a big black thing in between you and the real person sitting in front of you!

Yes, I mean the camera. Try this exercise if you dare:

Get a friend, or one of your kids or grandkids, to pose for you. Now put the camera up to your eye and take a few shots. How did it feel to you? Did you feel connected to your subject? Ask them how they felt?

Now put the camera on a tripod – yes the dreaded beast we all hate but it a necessary evil – and take a few shots using a remote trigger to fire the camera. How did you feel then? What about your subject? Were you able to make them laugh or smile? I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that you both had a better experience the second time and you got better expressions in the photos.

The key to expression is eye contact and you cannot do that with a camera between you.

I’ve photographed Bob many times. He is a volunteer at an old coal mine where I do a workshop twice a year. He was a miner way back in the day and is as spry in his 70s as many people who are 40! He loves telling stories about the mine and ghosts so I just get him talking and let him go. We have fun, he loves being a “model” for a day, and it shows in the images.

Try it and see if it doesn’t make a difference. The tripod will also make you slow down and think about your camera, settings, and everything. Your tripod is not evil, it is your friend. Make friends with your tripod and use it.

Putting it all together

Whew! See I told you doing portraits is a lot to think about. But you can do this, you got this. Just take it one step at a time. If you aren’t at the stage of getting all 10 of these things yet, just pick one at a time and work on that. Choose patient models that will help you and practice. The only way to get better is by doing.

My students often ask me, “How do you make it look so easy?” – then answer – I’ve been doing this a really long time and it becomes instinct and subconscious after so many hours. Put in your 10,000 hours and we’ll talk!

If you have any questions or want to share your images – please do so in the comments below.

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Darlene’s Portrait Fundamentals course is on sale for $ 75 (50% off) now until November 3rd only. Find out more or grab the deal over at Snapndeals.com. Take more professional looking portraits in 30 days! The Portrait Fundamentals course covers everything you need to know, from camera basics to using a multi-flash set-ups. Over 6.5 hours of video lessons with two experiences instructors.

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What Defines a Documentary Wedding Photograph?

Wedding photography—and particularly the documentary image—takes up a great deal of my thinking time when I’m sitting at my desk editing or reading on the Internet. It’s a passion as well as a job, so I’m quite often distracted by other photographers’ websites or getting involved in discussions on the various forums that cover the subject. One particular discussion I was involved with earlier this week asked the question:

“What defines a ‘documentary / reportage / observational’ photograph?”

and it’s one of those deceptively simple questions that gets you thinking about everything that you do.

photos captured by Andrew Florides

Weddings are littered with cameras these days—every guest must have one—so what is it that I’m doing on the day that differs from everyone else who’s taking photographs?

The Majority of My Work is Unposed

I’m looking for truthful, natural, and unself-conscious photographs of how the wedding day was for everyone who experienced it on the day. (Guests’ photographs tend to be about making other guests stand and smile for the camera.)

My Photography is About Telling a Story

Whether it’s within a single image or a sequence of images, I’m always looking to tell the story of the wedding day in each photograph. I’m always looking to show the emotional interaction that’s happening. Not every photograph is about smiling and looking at the camera; more often it’s about the heightened emotions of the day: crying, laughing, kissing, being proud, being overwhelmed, being nervous, being really REALLY happy, being human.

It’s most importantly about what is happening ‘between’ people—photographing the connections and reactions of the wedding day. I really love that there are so many emotions that couples, parents, and friends go through that it makes telling the story so compelling for me.

It’s More Than Snapshots

I’ve been asked before, “With so many guests clicking away throughout the day, why not just collect all their shots together and make an album?”

Some of the explanations above will go part of the way toward answering the question, but I would also say that it’s not their ‘job’ to document the day. They are part of the day. I’m watching, waiting, anticipating, and creating photographs that are not just little slices of the day but form part of a narrative that tells the story of the event in an aesthetic, artistic, and pleasing way (I hope).

photo captured by Gagan Dhiman

Before I click the shutter I’m not just thinking about who’s in the frame but where we are, what the light is like, what I want to say, how best to communicate what the photograph will tell us, what to include in the frame and what to leave out and what split second in time will register the emotions of the scene (or when the punchline is coming in the speech so I can get everyone laughing at the same time!).

Every guest takes a ‘snapshot’ so they can remember being there, but a good documentary photographer communicates the emotion of the day to people who weren’t there or who haven’t yet been born.

About the Author:
I am a professional wedding photographer based in Staffordshire, England (weddingedge dot co dot uk). My approach to wedding photography is to create a natural, relaxed set of images telling the story of the day. I am passionate about ‘good’ wedding photography and believe it’s the photographer’s job to create a very individual set of images of each wedding day. I live with my wife, Rachel, and shoot all over the UK.

For Further Training on Wedding Photography:

This course is designed to teach photographers the techniques used by professionals to get great photos – every time – even in the most difficult conditions at parties, weddings, concerts, corporate functions, nightclubs, fashion shows, fast-moving sports games, festivals, and more. To have the equipment and knowledge ready so you’ll never again feel nervous or out of your league when photographing an event again.

Found here: Secrets of Successful Event Photography

 

Go to full article: What Defines a Documentary Wedding Photograph?

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Planning Your Photoshoot – Review of the App: LightTrac

Getting to know when is the best time of the day, or the best lighting conditions in specific locations, is key for the outdoor photographer. Whether you are shooting landscapes or portraits outside, it is always good to know in advance what to expect in terms of lighting at your desired location. Of course, as the old saying goes, there’s an app for that.

While there is no shortage of similar applications, I find LightTrac easy to use and understand. It basically helps to plan outdoor photo sessions in advance, by finding the right lighting conditions and time, depending on the specific location you want to photograph.

The application calculates the angle of the sun, the moon, and plots the results on top of a map for any location in the world. While using LightTrac you can pick any date and time, at any place, then visualize the position and elevation of the sun and moon. It’s quite handy to be able to know not only what time sunset or sunrise will be, but more importantly, the relative position of the sun.

Here is the list of features for the iPad and iPhone version:

• Find angle and elevation of sun for any location and time
• Find angle and elevation of moon for any location and time
• Find sunrise, sunset and twilight times for any day
• Find moonrise, moonset and moon phase for any day
• View when full moon, new moon, first and last quarters occur
• View elevation chart and azimuth chart for sun and moon
• Integrated compass view on the iPad
• Search locations by address, city or zip code
• Save multiple locations and switch between them easily
• Use address book to pick locations from your contacts’ addresses
• Share your saved locations easily with fellow photographers via email
• Easily export your locations to KML file to view on other apps
• Does automatic timezone detection
• Available in English, German and French languages

There is also an Android version with a more limited list of features.

The application is very easy to read and understand. The screen is mainly divided into three sections: top, middle and bottom.

The upper section of the application’s screen shows the date and all information pertaining to moonrise and sunrise with times, including twilight for dawn and dusk. It also display the lunar phases for the month, and GPS coordinates. If you are looking to search information for a specific place, you can tap in “Location” and either enter your own GPS coordinates, or make a search by city name. The same can be done with “Date”; just tap to enter a date in the future.

But the upper section provides much more information. Just by sweeping to the left, there are two more screens. The first one will show you an elevation chart and an azimuth chart; these sets of tools basically help you to determine the position of the sun in the sky related to your location at a certain time of the day.

That’s practical information for sure, but it seems a bit geeky to me. I’d rather use the second screen. If you sweep one more time, the following illustration will show you the shadows projections from an object; it’s more practical and easier to understand than the previous screen.

As you can see in the screen captures above, the middle section shows a map with super-imposed information of the sun’s angle. The sun’s angle at sunrise is marked in yellow, at sunset in blue, and the red line will show the sun’s angle at any time you select. The selection can be easily done by moving the slider of the bottom section, and as you do, the time changes and the red line that represents the sun angle moves accordingly, emulating the position and movement.

There is also a very useful tool in the bottom section. If you tap in the clock besides the time, a window will pop up offering you to set a reminder, an alarm, or even add to your calendar that specific event.

In conclusion, LightTrac is a simple but practical tool that is very useful for the outdoor photographer, because one the best ways to create beautiful photos is to properly plan the best time of the day to shoot. This application allows you to do that very precisely and in advance.

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Canon EOS M10 hands-on review

Canon’s new mirrorless camera may not offer a radical specification but it’s 18Mp sensor and user friendly controls are great for beginners wanting to gain some confidence. Find out our head of testing’s first impressions in her Canon EOS M10 hands-on-review.

For competent photographers in need of a smaller camera that offers a certain amount of control similar to an SLR, Canon’s EOS M3 is a great option, however, for newcomers to photography the EOS M10 is ideal.

Not only does it offer an assortment of scene modes for a variety of shooting situations, Canon’s Creative Assist mode is on hand to help.

This is designed to help photographers take control and make adjustments without needing in-depth technical knowledge. It’s even possible to save setting combinations to reuse another time.

There are of course more advanced modes such as aperture and shutter priority and manual exposure for more confident users and for beginners when they feel ready to progress beyond the basics.

The M10 features the same 18Mp APS-C format sensor that is found in Canon’s most compact DSLR, the 100D but comes with the newer Digic 6 processing engine.

This combination allows a native sensitivity range of ISO 100-12,800 that can expand to ISO 25,600. Faster than the autofocus system found in the original EOS after firmware upgrades, the M10 features Canon’s Hybrid CMOS AF II system, but unfortunately doesn’t quite match the speed of the EOS M3’s autofocus system, which boasts an impressive Hybrid CMOS AF III system.

SEE MORE: Canon cameras – the full and complete range explained

With Wi-fi and NFC connectivity built in, the M10 allows connection to cloud storage services and compatible devices such as smartphones to transfer images quickly and can also allow users to remotely control the camera with their phones.

With no viewfinder or facilities to connect an optional electronic viewfinder, images must be composed on the same 3-inch 1,040,000-dot touchscreen found in other EOS M lineup.

The M10 comes with a new collapsible kit lens, the EF-M 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM that takes up little space making it very transportable.

With Canon’s Stepping Motor Lens (STM) technology, focusing is smooth and quiet, making it very appealing to those wanting to take advantage of the M10’s Full HD recording capability.

SEE MORE: DSLR vs Mirrorless – understanding the key differences

Build and handling
Considering the APS-C format sensor that the M10 houses, it feels compact and light, even more so with the new EF-M 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM optic mounted. It feels well made with a good quality textured coating, like the other EOS M cameras, however, handling may be a problem.

Although a small thumbpad can be found on the back of the camera, there’s no front grip so a wrist strap would be a viable option here. We’ll look at this in more depth when testing a full production sample.

While the M3 has a mode dial, surprisingly the M10 doesn’t, so you have set the exposure mode via the screen, like the original EOS M. Despite not being as quick to do, it is easy.

There’s also the option of switching to Smart Auto mode on the shooting mode switch found at the top of the camera, which enables beginners to choose from 58 scene modes.

This camera offers a simplified number of controls. On the front of the camera you’ll find the power and video record buttons, the shutter release, a shooting mode switch and a dial for making setting adjustments, which makes the M10 look very user-friendly.

SEE MORE: Best compact system camera – 6 top CSCs go head to head

Over on the back you’ll find a navigation pad that offers a shortcut to four essential features (exposure comp, exposure lock, information and flash) along with usual playback, menu and Q Set buttons.

With a quick press of the Menu or Q Set buttons you can access a whole host of settings, which can be selected and adjusted via the main LCD screen. Navigating through the available options is quick and easy thanks to the touch sensitivity as you can tap on the screen and swipe between menu tabs.

This also extends to swiping between images in playback mode and tapping the screen to set the AF point. With the absence of a viewfinder composing images can only be done using the LCD screen, which produces a clear, detailed view in low light.

When we are able to test a full production sample it will be interesting to see how it performs in direct sunlight.

SEE MORE: 6 reasons why a compact system camera (CSC) is better than a DSLR

Performance
As we know, the M10 has the same sensor as the Canon 100D so it’s a safe expectation to think that the images it will produce will be on a par at the very least with this compact DSLR.

In addition to this we hope to see the control of noise throughout the standard sensitivity range at a good acceptable level.

From what we’ve seen using the pre-production sample, the metering system and white balance have matched the quality of Canon’s current cameras, however, this will be investigated further when we put a full production sample through its paces.

From what I’ve seen of the AF system in the early sample of the EOS M10, it appears to perform well even in low light conditions.

However, when it comes to testing the full production sample we will be paying particular attention to the AF system, as it has hindered previous EOS M series cameras.

The original EOS M had a slow and indecisive focusing system, although through software updates did see a marked improvement.

While the more recent EOS M3 boasts a much faster AF system, when putting it to the test there were a number of occasions that inaccurately suggested the subject filling the AF area was sharp. It will be interesting to see how the M10 performs.

SEE MORE: DSLR vs CSC: 3 key differences you need to understand

Early verdict
For beginners wanting a dedicated camera that’s user-friendly and gives them extra control with the option of more advanced functionality as they progress, the EOS M10 is a great option.

It also offers touch screen functionality and a well thought out menu that’s easy to navigate.

The 18Mp APS-C format sensor produces far better quality images than a smartphone or compact camera, allowing you to creatively blur backgrounds and control noise levels.

I hope that upon testing a full production sample, my concerns over the AF system performance can be proved wrong.

Overall
Despite not offering any revolutionary changes, the latest camera in Canon’s EOS M lineup offers plenty of features and high image quality to attract beginners. On receipt of a full production sample, we’ll be putting the M10’s autofocus system performance through its paces.

READ MORE

5 things photographers learn switching from a DSLR to mirrorless
The 12 most popular cameras of Digital Camera World readers
Canon EOS 5DS / 5DS R review
Sony A7R II review

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Samsung cameras: the full and complete range explained

This year, we have been creating a series of posts detailing the complete range of several key manufacturers, and this time we’ll be looking at the full range of Samsung cameras.

Although relatively new to the camera market, the Korean giant has some fantastic products in its line-up, and was one of the first companies to introduce a compact system camera (the original NX10 back in 2010).

Whether you’re after a simple point and shoot, or something a little more complicated, there’s a good range of options available from Samsung. Take a look at the full line-up below.

DON’T MISS
Fuji cameras: the full and complete range explained
Olympus cameras: the full and complete range explained
Sony cameras: the full and complete range explained
Panasonic cameras: the full and complete range explained
Canon cameras: the full and complete range explained from IXUS to EOS
Nikon cameras: the complete range explained

Samsung cameras explained: Point and shoot cameras

Perfect for slipping into a pocket or bag, these uncomplicated point and shoot cameras are suitable for a wide range of users.

Samsung DV150F
Street Price: £139.99 / $ 199.99

Amazon UK

Amazon US

One of Samsung’s first “smart” cameras, the DV150F features inbuilt Wi-Fi connectivity for instantly sharing your shots on social media sites. It’s also got a 5x optical zoom lens, which offers 24mm f/2.5 at the wide end, a 16.2 million pixel sensor and 720p video recording.

SEE MORE: Shutter speed in photography: How to capture anything that moves

Samsung WB350F
Street Price: £129.99 / $ 234

Review

Amazon UK

Amazon US

A good take everywhere compact camera, images don’t stand up too well to very close scrutiny, but for simple shots that you’re likely to share on Facebook it’s more than fine. What’s more, it’s also got a 21x optical zoom, inbuilt Wi-Fi, a touch sensitive screen, 16.2 million pixel sensor and the ability to shoot movies in full HD.

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Samsung WB35F
Street Price: £154 / $ 107.99

Amazon UK

Amazon US

This 16.2 million pixel compact has a 12x optical zoom and if you can pick it up for a reasonable price, makes for a decent holiday or every day compact camera. As with most Samsung cameras, there’s built-in Wi-Fi and NFC, plus there’s also a 2.7 inch screen, and a range of shooting modes.

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Samsung WB50F
Street Price: £99.99 / $ 116

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Another camera with a 16.2 million pixel sensor, the WB50F is available at a bargain price in both the UK and the US. There’s also a 12x optical zoom which should cover most bases, while it features a 3 inch screen and inbuilt Wi-Fi.

Samsung WB250F
Street Price: £125 / $ 165

Amazon UK

Amazon US

This 18x zoom compact camera features a 14 million pixel sensor. At the widest point of the lens, it’s 24mm making it ideal for landscapes and so on. As usual, there’s inbuilt Wi-Fi and NFC, while the three inch screen is touch sensitive. Full HD video recording is available, and for those who like a little more control over their shots, manual and semi-automatic (aperture priority, shutter priority) shooting modes are available.

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Samsung DV180F
Street Price: £99.99 / $ 119.99

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Probably the big selling point of the DV180F is its dual screen set up, which makes it easy to pose for selfies as you can see yourself and your posing companions in the front screen. It’s got a 16.2 million pixel sensor, as well as 5x optical zoom lens. There’s built in Wi-Fi and NFC (of course, this is Samsung), and it’s available for a good price right now.

Samsung WB200F
Street Price: £124.99 / $ 169.95

Amazon UK

Amazon US

This compact camera features a 14 million pixel CCD sensor and an 18x optical zoom. HD video recording is available at 720p, and there’s also inbuilt Wi-Fi.

Samsung WB30F
Street Price: £149.99 / $ 141

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Introduced as a “mini” model, the WB30F has the same capabilities of several other WB models, such as a 10x optical zoom and a 24mm wide angle lens, but it is only 17mm thick. This is ideal for slipping into a jeans pocket or a bag for a night out, while it also has a 16 million pixel sensor.

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Samsung Galaxy Camera
Street Price: £214 / $ 144

Review

Amazon UK

Amazon US

The Galaxy camera takes out the need to transfer your images across to a smartphone for sharing, because, as it has an Android operating system, you can add apps, such as Facebook etc, to the Galaxy Camera. However, you’ve also got a “proper” camera to go with it, rather than one usually found on a smartphone. Here we’ve got a 1/2.3 inch 16 million pixel sensor along with a 21x optical zoom lens, making it good for a travel or holiday camera. The Galaxy camera has since been superseded, but that means you can pick up the original for a much cheaper price at the moment. It’s quite large for a compact camera though, which is something to consider.

Samsung Galaxy Camera 2
Street Price: £349 / $ 349

Review

Amazon UK

Amazon US

The upgraded version of the Galaxy Camera has many of the same specifications as the original, but with a few tweaks. The original has 3G, but the latter is Wi-Fi only, but it has an upgraded processor, improved battery life and is ever so slightly bigger (but somehow lighter). There remains a 16 million pixel sensor, a 21x optical zoom lens and a range of shooting modes. It’s probably worth choosing the original over the newer version if you’re on a budget.

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Samsung cameras explained: Bridge cameras

Samsung has a couple of interesting bridge camera models, for those looking for something a little more serious, without the hassle of an interchangeable lens camera.

Samsung WB1100F
Street Price: £129.99 / $ 149.99

Review

Amazon UK

Amazon US

This bridge camera is available for a great price right now, but it’s not a camera designed too much with enthusiasts in mind – there’s no manual or semi-automatic modes here. What it does have is a 1/2.3 inch CCD 16 million pixel sensor and a 35x optical zoom lens. If you just want something basic to use on your holidays, and your main concern is zoom length, then this could be a good option worth considering.

Samsung WB2200F
Street Price: £204.99 / $ 245

Review

Amazon UK

Amazon US

This bridge camera has a battery-grip like appendage on the bottom of it which makes it large and square – certainly a design that stands out from other bridge cameras currently on the market. It’s got a 60x optical zoom lens, with an f/2.8 maximum aperture at the widest point. The 16.4 million pixel back-illuminated sensor is joined by a three-inch 460k-dot touchscreen, which unfortunately is not touch sensitive. As you’re probably coming to expect from Samsung by now, the camera has inbuilt Wi-Fi and NFC, and it has the ability to shoot in full HD.

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