Since you found this page you're probably trying to find the right digital camera. To help you with your shopping, I've put a list of my favorite cameras on this page. By no means is this a complete list of recommended cameras -- there are many others which are worth considering -- but I don't think a list of 10 cameras per price range is terribly helpful. This is as close as you're going to get to a specific recommendation from me, so enjoy!
Those of you who follow this page may notice that cameras "fall off the list". This isn't because they're suddenly bad. Rather, it's usually because the camera is no longer available in stores. To see a list of those cameras, check out our Hall of Fame.
For more help in choosing a camera, please visit our forums.
Please do not e-mail me asking for a recommendation!
The PowerShot A590 is an entry-level camera
that doesn't skimp on features. It has
an 8 Megapixel CCD, 4X optical zoom lens,
full manual controls (don't worry, there
are lots of scene modes too), a VGA movie
mode, and support for numerous accessories.
Downsides include a slow charging flash,
somewhat choppy frame rate in movie mode,
and low LCD resolution.
If you want a little more zoom power then
check out the PowerShot
A720 IS, which offers
a 6X zoom lens.
While its image quality isn't as good
as its predecessor, the PowerShot S5
remains one of my favorite ultra zoom
cameras. It offers almost every conceivable
feature, including a 12X zoom lens with
image stabilization, full manual controls,
a hot shoe, and a rotating LCD display.
Like taking movies? The S5 can record
VGA quality video with stereo sound --
and you can use the zoom while recording.
The SD850 is one of the best ultra-compact cameras on the market. It features an 8 Megapixel CCD, a 4X zoom lens, optical image stabilization, and a very nice 2.5" LCD display. Like all Digital ELPHs, the SD850 is point-and-shoot, with very limited manual controls. The camera has a high quality VGA movie mode, plus a redeye removal tool that actually works.
If you'll be taking a lot of interior shots,
then you may want the wide-angle PowerShot
SD870 IS instead. It has a larger 3-inch
LCD as well, though the image quality isn't
as good as on the SD850.
The long-awaited follow-up to the SD1100
remains a solid choice for an entry-level,
ultra-compact camera. The biggest new
feature on the SD1100 is optical image
stabilization, which helps to reduce
blurry photos. The camera has lost some
of its retro styling, but it now comes
in several popular colors. In terms of
features, it has a 3X zoom lens, 2.5"
LCD display, point-and-shoot operation,
and a VGA movie mode. As with many ultra-compacts,
the SD1100 has some corner blurriness
and purple fringing issues. Low light
photos are on the noisy side, as well.
While it's not perfect, the FZ18 is
still the best mega zoom camera that
I've tested. Featuring an 18X, 28 - 504
mm lens, the FZ18 is ready for any shooting
situation. As you'd expect from Panasonic,
the lens has optical image stabilization
built in. The FZ18 is a snappy performer,
and has tons of manual controls. Photo
quality is good in most situations, though
too much noise reduction is applied to
photos. The camera's electronic viewfinder
could be sharper, you can't swap memory
cards while its on a tripod, and there's
no support for the USB 2.0 High Speed
standard.
The Lumix DMC-TZ5 is the replacement for
the popular DMC-TZ3. It takes the things
that made that camera great, and improves
on them. What hasn't changed: the 10X,
28 - 280 mm lens, optical image stabilizer,
and plenty of point-and-shoot features.
New to the TZ5 is a super-high resolution
3-inch LCD, a 720p movie mode, and numerous
"intelligent" features. Panasonic even
cut back on the noise reduction, though
images are now on the noisy side.
On the negative side, the camera's lens
is "slow" at the wide end of things, low
light focusing isn't great, and there are
minimal manual controls.
The Cyber-shot DSC-W150 offers a 5X
zoom lens in a relatively compact body.
Other features include optical image
stabilization, a 2.7" LCD display,
smile detection that really works, an
optical viewfinder, and best-in-class
battery life. It does have its share
of flaws, though, including a clunky
interface, smudging of fine details due
to noise reduction, redeye (which can
be corrected on the camera), and a 10
minute movie clip limit. Still, the W150
offers great bang for the buck, so it's
worth checking out.
The D40 is Nikon's latest entry-level
digital SLR. It's compact, without being
too small like the Canon Digital Rebel
XTi. The build quality is also better
than that camera. The D40 features a
6 Megapixel CCD, full manual controls,
robust performance, and an elaborate
in-camera help system that makes it the
easiest to use SLR on the market. The
main downside is that only AF-S lenses
will support autofocus, so that 50 mm
prime you have sitting around will be
manual focus only.
If you want a higher resolution version of the D40, check out the D40X for a few hundred dollars more.
The E-420 is the world's smallest digital
SLR, especially when paired with Olympus'
25mm pancake lens. Its small size means
that it's not for everyone, so try before
you buy. The camera has a 10 Megapixel
sensor, dust reduction system, live view
on a 2.7" LCD, full manual controls,
and great build quality. Negatives include
mediocre contrast detect AF and low light
focusing, heavy noise reduction at high
ISOs, and the lack of an AC adapter and
battery grip.
The E-510 is a solid digital SLR capable
of producing excellent quality photos
-- after you adjust some settings. It's
well built, with a solid grip. With built-in
image stabilization, every lens you attach
to the camera will be stabilized. The
E-510 is also somewhat unique in that
it has "live view" on its LCD
display -- just like your compact camera,
though not as good. There's also a dust
reduction system, which eliminates this
common (and frustrating) issue. Other
features are fairly standard on a D-SLR:
manual controls, expandability, and super-fast
performance.
The Rebel XTi is a top-notch entry-level
D-SLR. You get a 10 Megapixel CMOS sensor,
great performance, a 2.5" LCD display,
support for Canon EF and EF-S lenses,
and all the expandability you'd expect
from a digital SLR. You definitely want
to try this camera before you buy it,
though, as its small size can be off-putting.
The EOS Rebel XSi is a very capable
digital SLR that bridges the gap between
entry-level and midrange. It features
a 12.2 Megapixel CMOS sensor, live view
on a 3-inch LCD display, full manual
controls, and great performance. Straight
out of the box, images are quite soft,
though with a few tweaks, you'll get
excellent results. The XSi's high ISO
performance is top-notch. Downsides include
a relatively high price, redeye, slow
contrast detect autofocus, and a body
that may be too small for some folks.
The EOS-40D is a significant upgrade
to the 30D before it. It features a 10
Megapixel CMOS sensor, live view on a
3-inch LCD display, full manual controls,
dust reduction, and the kind of performance
and photo quality that you'd expect from
a D-SLR. Build quality is top-notch,
and the doors and covers on the camera
are now weather-sealed. The 40D supports
both EF and EF-S mount lenses, with a
1.6X focal length conversion ratio.
The D300 is a phenomenal digital SLR,
and perhaps the best one in its class.
It features a 12 Megapixel CMOS sensor,
live view on a stunning 3-inch LCD display,
a dust reduction system, impressive performance
and build quality, and much more. Being
a D-SLR, the D300 can be expanded to
your heart's content, with a wireless
transmitter and battery grip being the
notable accessories. The only real weak
spots are soft, occasionally overexposed
images, a few missing live view features,
and its hefty price.
