Digital Cameras

Best Cameras

Last Updated: Aug 27, 2008

There isn't a perfect camera, so do your homework to find out which imperfections you can accept.

I love SLR cameras with detachable lenses. I can get better looking photos in more extreme conditions than I can with a point and shoot camera. The downside to an SLR camera is the size, weight and cost.

There are over 70 new cameras released each year and here are some of my favorites that rated above average.

Digital SLRs under $3,000, 12 megapixels, body only, no lens:

	Nikon D700, $2,900, 12MP, body only, full frame, compact flash
	Canon 5D Mark II, ?$3,000?, ? MP, full frame, rumors suggesting an announcement at Photokina starting on September 23.
	Canon 5D, $2,200, 12MP, body only, full frame, CMOS, Compact Flash

Digital SLRs under $2,000, 10-15 megapixels, body only, no lens:

	Nikon D300, $1,625, 12MP, body only, CMOS, Compact Flash
	Canon 50D, $1,300, 15MP, body only, CMOS, Compact Flash, ?available in October?
	Nikon D90, $TBD, rumors suggesting September 23 announcement, CMOS sensor?
	Canon 40D, $940, 10MP, body only, CMOS, Compact Flash

Digital SLRs under $1,000, 10-12 megapixels, camera + lens:

	Nikon D80, $730, 10MP, body only, CCD sensor, Secure Digital
	Canon Digital Rebel XSi (EOS 450D), $690, 12MP, 18-55mm Image Stabilization (IS) lens, CMOS, Secure Digital.
	Nikon D60, $610, 10MP, 18-55mm Vibration Reduction (VR) lens, CCD sensor, Secure Digital

Point and Shoot Under $300, 7-8 megapixels:

	Canon PowerShot S5 IS, $310, 8MP, 12X optical (36mm-432mm), SD
	Pentax Optio W30, $250, 7MP, 3X optical (38mm-114mm), SD - Waterproof!!
	Canon PowerShot SD870 IS, $255, 8MP, 4X optical (28mm-105mm), SD - love the wide angle, but missing viewfinder
	Canon PowerShot SD850 IS, $235, 8MP, 4X optical (35mm-140mm), SD
	Canon PowerShot A720 IS, $185, 8MP, 6X optical (35mm-210mm), SD
	Canon PowerShot A590 IS, $150, 8MP, 4X optical (35mm-140mm), SD.

Photos courtesy of PriceGrabber.com

Popular Point and Shoot Cameras

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Features for a Good Point and Shoot Camera

Flash doesn't cause red eye - nobody wants to use Photoshop on every photo.
Autofocus assist light - without this, the camera can't focus and refuses to take a picture in a dim, indoor setting.
Optical image stabilization - helps reduce the number of blurry photos.
Manual white balance - remove color cast BEFORE the photo is even taken.
Manual controls - use P/A/S/M or P/Av/Tv/M when you feel creative.
Viewfinder - in bright sunlight, you may not be able to see the screen to compose your shot. Look through the viewfinder instead.

Best Brand Names for Point and Shoot Cameras

Choose a name brand that rated well by consumers in PC Magazine's (Oct 2007) or PC World's (Dec 2005) reader satisfaction survey. Both surveys showed people liked Canon the best and HP the least. Nikon, Sony and Panasonic were better than average depending on which survey you read. Kodak and Vivatar rated near the worst with HP depending on the survey. Both surveys differed slightly on everyone else.

What I Own

I own a Canon 5D (SLR, released Sep 2005), and Canon Digital Elph PowerShot SD800 IS (point and shoot, released Aug 2006).

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