The Problem : You’d care to grease one’s palms a new digital camera for the holidays , but sorting through the piles of cameras at the local electronics store — all promising to be the next best affair — makes your head spin . With so many options , how do you choose ?
The Solution : Before you step into a store , you should know what your budget is ( be sure to factor out in the cost of a large remembering card — most cameras do n’t come with one ) , what type of photographic camera model you want ( a compact tv camera that fits in your scoop , or a prominent , fuller - featured television camera you’re able to farm with ) , and about how many megapixels you desire . We recommend getting 3 or 4 megapixels ( at least ) if you want standard 4 - by-6 - inch mark , and 4 or 5 megapixels if your tv camera lack zoom features ( so you could cultivate ) or if you want to publish at larger sizes . Just keep in nous that the more pel you have , the more room those photos are rifle to take up on your hard drive .
Once you ’ve found cameras that meet your introductory criteria , take a close feel at their features . ( Check outan account of dissimilar camera characteristic and why they ’re significant . ) Here are three often overlooked feature that deserve extra tending :
LCDMany of us habituate our tv camera ’s LCD not only to retrospect our shots but also to frame them . ( In fact , many digital tv camera forgo a traditional finder altogether . ) So make certain your camera ’s LCD can keep up with the activity . The colors should be saturated , the details should be sharp , and there should n’t be any delay or jerkiness in the image as you pan the camera .
Rechargeable BatteriesSome camera come with single - exercise batteries , which means that you ’ll have to lay out some more cash to get a set of rechargeables . If the camera does fare with rechargeable batteries , ask to take a spirit at the shelling charger . If the camera require a loading dock and a mightiness brick to recharge , keep in mind that you ’ll have to take all of that power train along with you on your next vacation .
Movie ModeAlthough not crucial , a picture modal value let you go beyond still photos and catch little snippets of action . And it sure beats lugging around a television camerain additionto your digital camera . Some cameras limit the duration of movies you could take . If you suppose you ’ll take a lot of movies , look for a photographic camera that captures full - frame pic ( 640 by 480 pixels ) at 30 frames per second .
Read up
And before buy your next digital camera , be indisputable to read reviews of it and recover out how it do . All the feature in the world ca n’t make up for a camera that takes bad photos . you’re able to readMacworld’slatest tv camera review . Here are some of our current favorites :
Budget camera
Photosmart M22 ( , $ 150 , pictured allow ) , fromHewlett - Packard :
This photographic camera offers respectable images and an all-embracing help arrangement at a great Leontyne Price .
For beginners
PowerShot SD400 ( , $ 399 , pictured below right ) , fromCanon :
The 5 - megapixel Canon PowerShot SD400 is 1.5 Panthera uncia lighter than the 7.1 - megapixel SD500 , but otherwise propose very similar features . Like its slimly larger sibling , the SD400 is a pocketable point - and - shooter that take excellent pictures .
Casio Exilim EX - Z750 ( , $ 450 ) , fromCasio :
Here ’s an easy - to - use , feature article - packed , 7.2 - megapixel , point - and - shoot television camera with a 3x optical rapid climb . Its picture timbre was very good , but a couple of inconveniences keep this small camera from being a big succeeder .
Nikon Coolpix S1 ( , $ 380 ) , fromNikon :
The Coolpix S1 lack some feature of speech fancier might expect , but point - and - shooter who want a minute of guidance will like its prosperous functioning and splendid colour .
HP Photosmart M22 ( , $ 150 ) , fromHewlett - Packard :
If you need a little handholding , the HP Photosmart M22 is an attractive camera , peculiarly if you have a preference for panoramas .
For intermediate shooters
C-7070 Wide Zoom ( , $ 600 , show ) , fromOlympus :
The 7 - megapixel Olympus C-7070 Wide Zoom , with its namesake all-embracing - angle lense , teemingness of features , and cracking picture quality , has a lot to offer the enthusiast who ’s a few dollars curt of the price of a digital SLR .
Canon PowerShot G6 ( , $ 600 ) , fromCanon :
A great pick for the medium / advanced photograper , this 7 - megapixel camera takes fantabulous characterisation and an boasts an wide list of features including altogether format capability , a bouncy histogram , hot - shoe and a flip - out LCD .
Konica Minolta Dimage Z5 ( , $ 649 ) , fromKonica Minolta :
The Konica Minolta Dimage Z5 looks like a contraption from a sci - fi picture show , but concealed within its offbeat curves is a surprisingly capable television camera with an Automatic mode for time when you want straightaway snapshot , and Program , Aperture Priority , Shutter Priority , and Manual exposure modality if you want to tweak ascendancy .
Digital SLRs under $1,000
EOS Digital Rebel XT ( , $ 899 , pictured ) , fromCanon :
This tv camera ’s feature article set up , image tone and price , combined with the immense smorgasbord of available Canon mount lenses , make the Rebel XT the best choice so far in the sub-$1,000 digital - SLR marketplace .
Nikon D50 ( , $ 900 ) , fromNikon :
If you ’re trying to select between Nikon and Canon D - SLR cameras , the D50 might not be such an obvious winner . But if you have been wanting to go digital but have n’t liked the high-pitched prices , the D50 ’s sub-$1,000 sticker should make it a slam - dunk .
Olympus Evolt E-300 ( , $ 999 ) , fromOlympus :
The Olympus Evolt E-300 is well - construct and yields first-class images . However , you ’ll get dear in high spirits - ISO image tone from Canon and Nikon photographic camera and a just genus Lens selection from just about any other camera manufacturer .
