The problem with buying a digital camera is not only that there are hundreds of models for sale at any given point in time, but you also need to figure out which type of camera is right for you. The good news is that we review lots of cameras and these 10 are among the best we've tested.
Do you want a small camera that requires minimal effort, but takes great pictures? A pocket point and shoot is probably your best bet. Need to get close to the action without carrying a huge camera with a big lens? A compact superzoom model is likely for you. Or do you want a lightning-fast shooter that lets you swap out lenses and play with settings? Then you want a D-SLR or a compact interchangeable-lens camera. Plan on shooting on the beach or the slopes? You need a ruggedized waterproof model.
We picked winners from the cameras we've reviewed in each of the five aforementioned categories to make up our top 10. Remember, though, the digital camera market is a robust one; manufacturers release new products throughout the year, and we're continually testing and reviewing cameras and updating this list. Before you buy, be sure to hit our Digital Cameras Product Guide for the latest reviews. But for now, here are 10 of our favorite digital cameras.
Point-and-Shoot Cameras
Canon PowerShot S100
$429.99 direct
$389.99 at Dell Small Business The Canon PowerShot S100 is a worthy successor to our previous Editors' Choice high-end point-and-shoot camera, the PowerShot S95. It adds a longer zoom lens and GPS, and improves on the S95's image quality and performance.
$429.99 direct
$389.99 at Dell Small Business The Canon PowerShot S100 is a worthy successor to our previous Editors' Choice high-end point-and-shoot camera, the PowerShot S95. It adds a longer zoom lens and GPS, and improves on the S95's image quality and performance.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX150
$249.99 direct
$248.00 at Beach Camera The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX150 is a svelte point-and-shoot with a long 10x zoom lens. It can slip into your pocket and capture sharp images in all kinds of light a rare feat for a compact model, making it our top choice for midrange point-and-shoot cameras.
$249.99 direct
$248.00 at Beach Camera The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX150 is a svelte point-and-shoot with a long 10x zoom lens. It can slip into your pocket and capture sharp images in all kinds of light a rare feat for a compact model, making it our top choice for midrange point-and-shoot cameras.
Digital SLRs
Nikon D4
$5,999.95 list, body only
$5,849.00 at BestPricePhoto.com The Nikon D4 is a pro shooter's dream, with controls galore, and a big, bright optical viewfinder. This fully loaded full-frame D-SLR rattles off shots at a quick 10 frames per second, but all of this comes with a rather high sticker price and a steep learning curve. ››
$5,999.95 list, body only
$5,849.00 at BestPricePhoto.com The Nikon D4 is a pro shooter's dream, with controls galore, and a big, bright optical viewfinder. This fully loaded full-frame D-SLR rattles off shots at a quick 10 frames per second, but all of this comes with a rather high sticker price and a steep learning curve. ››
Nikon D5100
$899.99 list with 18-55mm lens
$619.00 at 42nd Street Photo The Nikon D5100 offers a fantastic mix of still-image and video-recording quality, along with plenty of features including top-notch in-camera effects. This well-rounded shooter is an easy Editors' Choice for under-$1,000 D-SLRs.
$899.99 list with 18-55mm lens
$619.00 at 42nd Street Photo The Nikon D5100 offers a fantastic mix of still-image and video-recording quality, along with plenty of features including top-notch in-camera effects. This well-rounded shooter is an easy Editors' Choice for under-$1,000 D-SLRs.
Sony Alpha 77 (SLT-A77VQ)
$1,999.99 direct with 16-50mm lens
$1,998.00 at Dell Small Business The Sony Alpha 77 pumps out 24-megapixel stills at 10.3 frames per second and records 1080p60 video with continuous autofocus. A sharp f/2.8 kit lens, Solid low-light performance, a high-quality OLED EVF, and GPS capability are the icing on the cake. ››
$1,999.99 direct with 16-50mm lens
$1,998.00 at Dell Small Business The Sony Alpha 77 pumps out 24-megapixel stills at 10.3 frames per second and records 1080p60 video with continuous autofocus. A sharp f/2.8 kit lens, Solid low-light performance, a high-quality OLED EVF, and GPS capability are the icing on the cake. ››
Compact Interchangeable-Lens Cameras
Olympus OM-D E-M5
$1,299.99 direct with 12-50mm lens
$1,299.00 at Amazon The Olympus OM-D E-M5 is the best Micro Four Thirds camera we've tested. It's got a top-notch stabilization system, is fully weather sealed, can shoot in all types of light, and ships with a sharp and versatile kit lens. Add it all up, and you have our new Editors' Choice for high-end compact interchangeable lens cameras.
$1,299.99 direct with 12-50mm lens
$1,299.00 at Amazon The Olympus OM-D E-M5 is the best Micro Four Thirds camera we've tested. It's got a top-notch stabilization system, is fully weather sealed, can shoot in all types of light, and ships with a sharp and versatile kit lens. Add it all up, and you have our new Editors' Choice for high-end compact interchangeable lens cameras.
Sony Alpha NEX-F3
$599.99 direct with 18-55mm lens
$598.00 at Dell The Sony Alpha NEX-F3 is a worthy successor to the Editors' Choice NEX-C3. The latest iteration impresses with superb image quality, even at very high ISO settings, and you get a deeper handgrip, built-in flash, and support for an optional EVF.
$599.99 direct with 18-55mm lens
$598.00 at Dell The Sony Alpha NEX-F3 is a worthy successor to the Editors' Choice NEX-C3. The latest iteration impresses with superb image quality, even at very high ISO settings, and you get a deeper handgrip, built-in flash, and support for an optional EVF.
Superzoom Cameras
Nikon Coolpix P510
$429.95 direct
$399.99 at Best Buy The Nikon Coolpix P510 manages to squeeze a 42x zoom lens into a body that's larger than a point-and-shoot, but much smaller than any SLR. A sharp lens, built-in GPS, and HD video capture round out the package, and are enough to make it our Editors' Choice full-size superzoom.
$429.95 direct
$399.99 at Best Buy The Nikon Coolpix P510 manages to squeeze a 42x zoom lens into a body that's larger than a point-and-shoot, but much smaller than any SLR. A sharp lens, built-in GPS, and HD video capture round out the package, and are enough to make it our Editors' Choice full-size superzoom.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX30V
$419.99 direct
$369.00 at 42nd Street Photo With its Cyber-shot DSC-HX30V, Sony packs a long 20x zoom lens, Wi-Fi, and GPS into one decidedly svelte camera. It's one of the more expensive compact superzoom models you'll find, but all those features along with high performance warrant the price.
$419.99 direct
$369.00 at 42nd Street Photo With its Cyber-shot DSC-HX30V, Sony packs a long 20x zoom lens, Wi-Fi, and GPS into one decidedly svelte camera. It's one of the more expensive compact superzoom models you'll find, but all those features along with high performance warrant the price.
Rugged/Waterproof Cameras
Olympus Tough TG-1 iHS
$399.99 direct
$369.99 at Amazon The Olympus Tough TG-1 iHS would be a very good camera even without a tough, waterproof build. Its go-anywhere design, GPS, fast f/2 lens, and impressive high ISO performance make it our Editors' Choice for ruggedized point-and-shoot cameras.
$399.99 direct
$369.99 at Amazon The Olympus Tough TG-1 iHS would be a very good camera even without a tough, waterproof build. Its go-anywhere design, GPS, fast f/2 lens, and impressive high ISO performance make it our Editors' Choice for ruggedized point-and-shoot cameras.
No comments:
Post a Comment