Point and Shoot Cameras - Selecting a 35mm Camera that is Right for You
Chris Martin
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Like people, point-and-shoots have more in common than they do differences. This is especially true of the way you operate the cameras, what you push, slide, or twist to make them do specific things. But while they're operated in pretty much the same way, point-and-shoots differ both in the way the 
image is captured and in the mechanical and electronic complexity they bring to the job. Those differences make it possible to divide these cameras into four main types.
35mm Point-And-Shoots
Granddaddy of the point and shoot movement, the 35mm point-and-shoot uses 35mm film, the film that comes in the funny looking little cassette with the perforated tongue sticking out at you. You grab that tongue of film to start the roll through the camera. 35mm point-and-shoots come in every form from cheapo check out counter specials to expensive, full-featured models that rival 35mm single lens reflexes (those professional style system cameras) in their sophistication.
Advanced Photo System point-and-shoot
The next generation of point-and-shoot camera, Advanced Photo System (APS) models usually look just like their 35mm counterparts. They take a special, smaller than 35mm film cassette that not only lets manufacturers create smaller cameras, but that also simplifies film loading, improves the quality of photofinishing, makes storage and reprinting easier, and (most fun) gives you a shot-by-shot choice of three different print sizes, which you actually select with a switch on the camera.
One Time Use Point and Shoots
They're everywhere. From drugstore counters to Disney World, one-time use cameras are by far the most popular type of point-and-shoot, outselling re-loadable models by more than six to one. These inexpensive (usually $7 to $15, depending on the type) models are in some respects the ultimate point-and-shoot.
35mm Point-And-Shoots
Granddaddy of the point and shoot movement, the 35mm point-and-shoot uses 35mm film, the film that comes in the funny looking little cassette with the perforated tongue sticking out at you. You grab that tongue of film to start the roll through the camera. 35mm point-and-shoots come in every form from cheapo check out counter specials to expensive, full-featured models that rival 35mm single lens reflexes (those professional style system cameras) in their sophistication.
Advanced Photo System point-and-shoot
The next generation of point-and-shoot camera, Advanced Photo System (APS) models usually look just like their 35mm counterparts. They take a special, smaller than 35mm film cassette that not only lets manufacturers create smaller cameras, but that also simplifies film loading, improves the quality of photofinishing, makes storage and reprinting easier, and (most fun) gives you a shot-by-shot choice of three different print sizes, which you actually select with a switch on the camera.
One Time Use Point and Shoots
They're everywhere. From drugstore counters to Disney World, one-time use cameras are by far the most popular type of point-and-shoot, outselling re-loadable models by more than six to one. These inexpensive (usually $7 to $15, depending on the type) models are in some respects the ultimate point-and-shoot.