5 Top Compact Camera Effects

Compact cameras may not be as big as DSLRs, but they tend to have more creative effects than their bigger cousins. Here are 5 effects that can be achieved with compacts.

1) Vivid Colour

This effect makes all the colours in the scene more bright and, well, vivid! It works well for pictures of brightly coloured subjects. Beware, though, this mode is anything but flattering on portraits as it makes the skin a lurid orange colour. Cameras with this feature include the Canon Powershot G12.
 

2) Miniature Mode

This mode produces shots that tricks the eye into thinking that what it sees in the picture is miniature. It works by adding a blur section to the photo to trick the eye into thinking what it sees is smaller than it actually is. Usually, the colours get a boost too to make the scene appear more model-like. Try using it on buildings, roads full of traffic and crowds. The Canon Powershot a1300 has this feature.

3) Fish Eye

This mode replicates the look of an image taken with a fish eye lens. This quirky mode can make interesting portraits. The Olympus SP-720UZ has this feature.
 

4) Sepia / Ageing / Black & White

This feature tones the digital image in-camera to give it an 'aged' feel. Some give the option to lessen or increase the effects which range from from black & white through to sepia and grainy looks. The Nikon Coolpix L310 has good sepia and black and white functions.

5) Colour Accent

This feature enables you to select one colour from the picture you are looking at, and turn the rest black and white. This effect is great for isolating and highlighting a person or object. For example, selecting the colour of a family member's clothing will make them really stand out against a black and white background. Selecting the colour of foliage or the sky works really well too. The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX10V has a good colour select setting.