Digital Cameras Ratings

This is my second digital camera – my first was the Fuji FinePix 2800 which by the way was a fine camera – very good picture quality and unmatched optical zoom. I was unhappy with the overall size and more importantly the shape of the Fuji. I do a lot of traveling and found that there were few pockets or compartments in my bags to accommodate it’s odd shape…

In buying my new camera, I had three “must have” features I was looking for:

1. Must fit easily in my jacket pocket
2. Must run on AA batteries
3. Must have some type of focus assist lamp

The DSC-P72 fit all of my requirements. I also considered the Canon A70 and the Canon S50. Both the Canon’s had a focus assist, but I didn’t like the size and shape of the A70 (grip was kind of big) and I couldn’t get past the proprietary battery on the S50.

Picture quality thus far on the P72 has proven to be outstanding. Low light focusing, with the help of the orange colored focus assist lamp, has really allowed me to take some great indoor pictures that previously I wouldn’t have even bothered to attempt with a digital camera.

The only complaint I have so far is that I don’t like how the LCD goes dark a second or two after taking a picture with a flash – this makes it impossible to do an instant review of the picture. I am guessing that the camera is drawing a lot of juice from the battery at that instant to recharge the flash and probably doesn’t have enough left to power the LCD being that the camera runs on only 2 AA batteries. That said, overall battery life has not been an issue for me yet – I get around 70-100 pictures per battery set, depending on my use of the flash

Finally, I recommend that anyone who buys this camera also purchase a 128MB memory stick – 3MP files are quite large and chew up the space on the included 16MB memory stick after just a handful of pictures.

Product Description
OPTICAL VIEWFINDER 9.5OZ MS MEDIA

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sony DSCP72 Cyber-shot 3.2MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom

Nikon COOLPIX S50 is a compact, very stylish looking digital camera. This particular model has cherry-pearl red finish on the front, the top, and the bottom, accented by shiny chrome sides. The backside is black, dominated by a large LCD screen.

The lens on the S50 is of non-protruding kind, automatically covered when the camera is off.

This camera features a number of automatic scene modes, plus two automatic modes accessible with two tiny buttons on the top of the camera (anti-shake and portrait), plus a special High ISO mode. The range of manual controls is very limited. RAW file output is not possible.

The menu system on this camera is multi-level; the menus change depending on which mode the camera is on. This in turn requires jumping through several windows to change controls; this can sometimes be confusing. For example: The ISO control is in the Shooting menu, where the VR on/off control is in the Setup menu. Furthermore, if the flash is turned on, it will not fire in the BSS (best shot selector) mode, which is understandable. However, turn the self-timer on, and the flash will fire; to turn the flash off, you would need to first turn the BSS off, and only then you could reach the flash modes menu.

Look for on-line reviews with sample pictures to decide if the picture quality this camera produces will satisfy you. In my opinion, the pictures from S50 are noisy, soft, and over-sharpened. However I am willing to put up with so-so performance to have a camera that is as small as this one. If you are prepared to carry a bigger camera, you can definitely find one that takes better pictures.

Product Description
The CoolPix S50 is equipped with a huge, bright 3.0-inch LCD great for viewing images anywhere, anytime. The impressive 170 Degree wide viewing angle makes it easier for everyone to see and enjoy images. The larger high resolution LCD lets you make the most of smooth, sharp movies, great-looking stills and exciting Pictmotion shows. The CoolPix S50 features 15 specially programmed modes to automatically handle focus, exposure, white balance and other adjustments that help you take great pictures easily. Pictmotion allows you to select your favorite images and movies, decide on a style, and pick one of five pre-installed music files or add your own. Pictmotion automatically combines a polished production with transitions and style synced to your music.Digital Zoom -up to 4x (35mm format picture angle -456mm) Focus range from lens -1 foot (30cm) to infinity Macro close-up mode -1.6 inch (4cm) to infinity ISO sensitivity -ISO 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, Auto (auto gain ISO 100-800) Built-in flash -Wide Range 1 to 19 foot 8 inches (0.3 to 6.0m), Tele Range 1 to 13 foot 1 inch (0.3 to 4.0m) High-Speed USB 2.0 port for connectivity to Windows PC or Macintosh System Requirements -Macintosh Mac OS X version 10.3.9, 10.4.x, Windows Vista (32bit), Windows XP Home Edition/Professional and Windows 2000 ProfessionalDimensions -3.6 x 2.3 x 0.8 inch (92.5 x 59 x 21 mm) excluding projections Weight -4.4 ounces (125 grams) without battery and SD memory card

Click Here to see more reviews about: Nikon Coolpix S50 7.2MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Vibration Reduction Zoom (Red)

I purchased the Olympus Stylus 1200 after playing with it side by side with the Canon SD870IS, and some Casio model.The Casio didn’t quite seem up to snuff, so it came down to the Canon or the Olympus.In the interest of full disclosure, I have had two prior digital cameras, the Canon s100 and s500.I loved the s100 and hated the s500.The s500 was incredibly slow to prepare to take shots and the only easy shooting options were flash on (which meant overexposure in almost any indoor setting) or flash off (which led to underexposure).That said, I did take note of all the positive Canon reviews when making my decision.What tipped the scales for me was the user interface.With the Olympus, I was able to figure out how to switch to various shooting modes (portrait, indoors, ambient low light, etc — there are a ton of them) without glancing at a manual or asking the sales assistant for help.With the Canon, I literally couldn’t figure out how to get to the shooting modes so I gave the camera to the salesman and it took him a good 5 minutes of fiddling around to find them.

In addition to the shooting modes, the Olympus has a sort of “action tutorial” mode that allows you to select your lighting situation, and then gives tips for how to get the best photos in your particular conditions.After the tips, you can then immediately take the picture with the recommended settings.Pretty cool stuff for the average amateur that doesn’t really know or want to manually fiddle with ISO settings.

The only reason I am not giving the Olympus 5 stars is because the image quality is only okay.In side by side tests with my s500 (under conditions that my s500 could handle, mind you), the photos were comparable most of the time, with one or two photos being slightly sharper with the Canon.That said, the ease of use and the numerous options that are easily accessible make this a solid camera.Put it this way, its better to have a camera that takes a photo quickly and with the proper exposure (Olympus) than it is to have a camera that misses shots due to delay and overexposes the shot, even if the shot is sharp and clear (Canon).At least it is for me this go ’round.If I could buy a camera with Olympus’ useability and Canon’s lens, I would.But as far as I know, that camera does not yet exist.

Product Description
Shoot in rain or shine, at the beach or on the slopes. Sealed and coated in all the right places, the Stylus 1200 resists water, snow and dust. The 12-megapixel CCD allows you to print dramatic large images, or crop your images to compose them perfectly. Previewing, composing, shooting and sharing are so much easier and more enjoyable with this bright, premium-sized 2.7-inch Hypercrystal LCD. Digital Image Stabilization Mode freezes the action with high ISO sensitivity and faster shutter speed to capture sharp images even if you or your subject is moving. Digital Image Stabilization Edit uses built-in gyro sensors to track camera movement so you can fix blurry images right in the camera.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Olympus Stylus 1200 12MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Black)

The T10 has a great design and feels very well built. It is tiny but feels quite solid in the hand. The on-off mechanism (you flip the built in lens cover down and up) is undeniably cool, and the camera is very speedy both when you turn it on and from pic to pic. On paper it sounds like a great social situation/party ultracompact camera. Small enough to always have with you, ISO to 1000, optical image stabilization for shaky hands. Unfortunately the specs don’t tell the whole story. In situations where there is plenty of light I think the T10 takes nice sharp pictures. However indoors you have 2 options: turn off the flash and increase the ISO – this often results in blurry, grainy pics above ISO 400 (the 800 and 1000 ISO settings are not very useful), OR use the flash and get washed-out faces with glowing demon eyes despite using the red-eye reduction mode. The flash is too bright and doesn’t adjust it’s output according to the situation.The red-eye is a real problem as it is in every pic of a person or pet and very pronounced and hard to get rid of in post-processing. Another negative is the movie mode. It works OK in bright light, although I wasn’t super impressed with the picture quality. However in dim light the camera doesn’t increase increase its ISO and you can’t use the flash during a movie, so many of my movies came out really grainy and dark-looking. You might think it a plus to be able to zoom during movie mode – but when you do this the camera keeps changing its focus, even on objects that are fairly still, so you get a disconcerting intermittent blurriness in your movies. Finally, I thought the battery life was MUCH shorter than Sony claims it to be.

Since so many of my pictures are taken at night/indoors, I returned the camera and got a Fuji F31fd, which I am very happy with. The Fuji has very useful functions for me: face detection, which optimizes focus and exposure for faces even if they are not in the middle of the picture; usable high ISO settings; “Intelligent Flash” (the flash alters its output so you don’t get the washed-out faces); and “Natural plus Flash” setting which takes 2 pictures in a row, one with and one without flash so you can choose which you like better.

Product Description
The powerful and stylish Cyber-shot(R) DSC-T10 digital camera from Sony is perfect for holding on to life’s unexpected moments. Its 7.2 Megapixel Super HAD(TM) CCD imager captures spectacular, true-to-life digital pictures. Plus, with an enhanced ISO 1000 rating, you can be sure to enjoy realistic images with impressive clarity and precise image reproduction. Sony’s Dual Blur Free Technology, including Super SteadyShot(R) image stabilization system, compensates for hand shake and jitter while shooting, helping to recreate a sharper digital image. Anti-reflective 2.5? Hybrid Clear Photo LCD Plus also offers the freedom to shoot from any angle without distortion or light interference. Capture more with optional Memory Stick(R) Duo media. Camera also has 56MB internal memory for out-of-the-box or emergency use. Choose from eleven Photo Modes, including ?Beach?, ?Landscape?, or ?High Sensitivity? for blur-free capturing of fast moving scenes. Experience the style and performance of Sony’s Cyber-shot(R) DSC-T10 digital camera for your life and style. 56MB Internal Memory -If you forget to bring your Memory Stick(R) Duo media along, don’t worry! Capture and store your images directly with the DSC-T10’s internal memory though we strongly urge that a 1GB card is recommended for practical use Image Slideshow with Music 3x Optical Zoom (6x Precision Digital Zoom) Folded Path System; Smart Zoom (14x Shooting in VGA video mode) with Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar Lens F3.5-4.3, 38-114mm (35mm equivalent)Real Imaging ProcessorDirect Slideshow ButtonMPEG Movie VX (Standard/ Fine)Multi-Point AF/Center-Weighted AF/Spot AF/ Single AF/Monitoring AF16 – 9 Display Mode

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sony Cybershot DSC-T10 7.2 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Steady Shot Zoom (White)

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If you need a solid, reliable, and stylish point-and-shoot ultracompact digital camera that produces high-quality images, then the new Canon PowerShot SD1100IS may be right for you.

I am an advanced amateur photographer and own 2 Canon digital cameras (G2 and 20D).Both have served me well over the years but recently I have found myself needing a decent ultracompact camera that I can easily carry with me at all times for unexpected photo-ops.

Other current Canon models that I also researched before my purchase of the “bohemian brown” SD1100IS included the SD950IS and the SD1000.

Here is my take on the SD1100IS:

Strengths:
- 8MP CCD sensor with DigicIII processor (excellent resolution images with good dynamic range)
- Solid construction (most of body made of anodized aluminum)
- Feels sturdy and well-balanced in the hands
- Easy to use (logical user-interface) with minimal need to consult owner’s manual for basic operation
- Multiple shooting modes to fit variety of situations (action/sports mode is a glaring omission but read section below to see possibly why)
- Advanced metering system with accurately exposed pics in even “tricky” situations (great balance of highlights and shadows)
- Tack-sharp images (much more so with sufficient lighting and use of built-in flash)
- Macro mode can result in stunning close-ups with outstanding level of detail
- Optical IS feature helpful when shooting in either low-light conditions with flash off or at telephoto lengths
- Fast start-up with acceptable shutter-lag (when not using flash)
- Bright 2.5″ LCD monitor (100% coverage, 230k pixels) made of polycrystalline silicon; fairly scratch-resistant (can’t vouch if this applies to keys and coins)
- Optical viewfinder (though only a tiny peephole, it is essential when LCD glare and washout become an issue shooting in bright sunlight or when LCD cannot be used as battery power is nearly depleted)
- Camera made in Japan (at least those from the 1st shipment; this easily may be subject to change)

Limitations:
- Lack of manual control over aperture, shutter speed, and focusing (for the obssessive control-freaks)
- Noise is noticeable beginning at ISO 400 (ISO 800 still useable but probably for only 4×6 images; ISO 1600 mostly unuseable)
- Fastest shutter speed is 1/1500 sec (not fast enough to stop action for some sporting activities)
- Auto-focus speed inadequate to follow fast-moving subjects
- Shutter-lag accentuated with flash on (precious Canon moments lost while waiting for flash to recharge)
- Cannot adjust focus or optical zoom while shooting in movie mode (focus is fixed for distance selected at first frame, and digital zoom is permitted instead, resulting in significant image quality deterioration)
- Battery/memory card cover and hinge made of plastic (no safety latch that needs to be de-activated first before sliding cover out, in order to prevent accidental opening)
- Minor vignetting and chromatic aberration (albeit, difficult not to expect from compact p&s)
- Pincushion and barrel distortion at the extremes of the focal lengths
- No RAW shooting mode

Battery power in camera mode with LCD monitor on is mostly as advertised, allowing for approximately 240 images.If your budget permits, I recommend investing in a few spare batteries as backups and replacing the supplied 32MB memory card with a pair of 4GB SDHC memory cards–vital purchases if you plan to use the movie mode frequently.

Overall Impression:
Even with some serious limitations inherent to virtually all digital cameras in this class, I am recommending the Canon PowerShot SD1100IS.It does what it’s supposed to do.This camera allows one to take beautiful photographs in an ultracompact, reliable, and elegant device that is both easy and fun to use.

[UPDATE: Since this review, Canon has recently announced 3 new ELPH models that will be released soon....in time for Grad & Dad's Day: the PowerShot SD770IS, SD790IS, and SD890IS.All are redesigned 10MP digital cameras with Optical Image Stabilizer.The saga of the MP race continues.If the same sensor is found in these units as their predecessors and without improving the noise reduction technology, then adding a few more MP can potentially result in noisier images.We'll have to wait and see.The most intriguing of the bunch appears to be the SD790IS, which replaces the SD750 by adding the very useful Optical IS feature and showcasing flat control buttons.Hopefully, the QC has been remedied on this unit as many consumers experienced the dreaded "lens error" nightmare.The SD890IS replaces the SD850IS and may appeal to vacationers and wildlifers needing more reach at the telephoto end.The SD770IS seems a bit curious as it may be in direct competition with the new SD1100IS (which is the natural successor to the wildly popular SD1000); it has 2 additional MP but the feature set appears at first glance to be nearly identical to the less expensive SD1100IS.I would've preferred to have seen upgrades to the SD870IS and the SD950IS, but those will be rolled out undoubtedly later this year....conveniently before the Holidays.

SD770IS: 10MP, 3X Optical zoom (35-105mm), 2.5" LCD monitor, Optical viewfinder, ISO 1600, MSRP $299.99.
SD790IS: 10MP, 3X Optical zoom (35-105mm), 3" LCD monitor, no Optical viewfinder, ISO 1600, MSRP $349.99.
SD890IS: 10MP, 5X Optical zoom (37-185mm), 2.5" LCD monitor, Optical viewfinder, ISO 1600, MSRP $399.99.]

Product Description
Canon’s pink campaign celebrates their 10-year support of the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. Included within this pink bundle are the PowerShot SD1100 IS Digital ELPH camera and the SELPHY CP760 Compact Photo Printer, both in Pink Melody. The Canon SD1100 IS Digital ELPH includes an 8-Megapixel 1/2.5″ CCD imager and a 3x optical zoom lens with image stabilization, which covers a range of 38-114mm equivalent. Exposure is fully automatic with 2.0EV of manual exposure compensation and four metering modes to handle difficult lighting along with a ties metering to the camera’s Face Detection system. 13 scene modes keep the camera approachable for beginners. A long-exposure mode in the Canon SD1100 IS ELPH lets you set exposure times as long as 15 seconds manually, and a 2.5″ LCD display for framing images. The Canon ELPH SD1100 IS sports a fairly wide ISO sensitivity range, from 80 to 1600.Shutter Speed -15-1/1500 seconds, Long Shutter operates with noise reduction when manually set at 1.3-15 seconds ISO Sensitivity -Auto, High ISO Auto, ISO 80/100/200/400/800/1600 equivalent Exposure Compensation -2 stops in 1/3-stop increments White Balance Control Built-in Flash -Auto, Red-eye Reduction, Auto Red-eye Correction, Flash On, Flash Off; FE lock, and Slow Synchro Flash Range -12-11 feet Shooting Modes -Auto, Camera M, Portrait, Special Scene (Foliage, Snow, Beach, Sunset, Fireworks, Aquarium, Underwater, Indoor, Kids & Pets) Night Snapshot, Color Accent, Color Swap, Digital Macro, Stitch Assist, and Movie Self-Timer -2-seconds, 10-seconds delay, and Custom Dimensions -3.42 x 2.16 x 0.87 (86.8×54.8×22.0mm); Weight -4.41 ounces

Click Here to see more reviews about: Canon PowerShot SD1100IS 8MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Pink) with Selphy CP760 Photo Printer (Pink)