As a professional photographer, one of the most common questions people ask me is about choosing a point and shoot for their family. This is always tough, because I don't use a point and shoot in my day to day work and there are THOUSANDS of different cameras available. However, I can always offer some basic advice for choosing the best point and shoot for your needs. Here are the basics:

PRICE

You have to decide how much you are willing to spend. A point and shoot can be anywhere from $100 up to $800. Unfortunately, like most things in life- you get what you pay for. In general terms, the more expensive camera is going to outperform the less expensive one. The best you can do is look for bargains and determine which one gives the best bang for the buck.

BRAND

I'm a big believer in choosing the right brand. I prefer a camera that is made by a company famous for making cameras. Personally, I would always buy a Canon or Nikon camera over a Sony or Panasonic. Not that there is anything wrong with those- I just prefer to go with the manufacturers that I consider to be the experts. I've owned several Canon point and shoots over the years and loved all of them!

SIZE

There is always a trade-off between size and performance. A DSLR will give you much better performance, but you can't exactly carry it around in your coat pocket. However, a small, portable point and shoot is always with you - to get the images you might have missed otherwise.

MEGAPIXELS

Megapixels is not a major factor in cameras. A 12MP camera is not necessarily better than a 10MP camera. Not all sensors are created the same. The MP count does factor into the image quality to some extent, but it isn't nearly as important as the next factor.

LENS

The biggest factor to consider in your new camera is the lens. After all, the image has to pass through the lens before it even reaches the sensor. A camera with a large lens is going to do a better job of this than a camera with a tiny lens. That, of course, is the drawback of size vs performance. Look for a camera that has a portable size, but with a reasonably-sized lens. Of course, this is also likely to drive up the price of the camera - but you will be rewarded with better images.

EVEN BETTER

Of course, no matter which camera you choose, the skill of the photographer will greatly impact the final results. Take some time to read books and blogs on photography and improve your skills. By growing as a photographer, you will increase your ability to create beautiful images - regardless of the camera you are using.