Umm, where's Olympus?! Olympus hands down makes the best Point and Shoots on the market. This test means nothing without them.

lafond66

I have a higher end just-under-DSLR camera and personally, I prefer AAs. I bought a small form-factor battery charger that I keep in my camera bag. It charges the 4 AAs in 15 minutes, came with a car adapter, was around $35 AND came with 4 batteries that supposedly last longer in digital cameras.

When my friend and I went on a trip, when his battery died we would have to go to the hotel and wait and hour or two for the batteries to charge. When mine ran out, I ran into any store anywhere and was back in action in no time. That is if I didn't have a 15 minute stop somewhere with a wall/car power outlet where I could charge the damn things.

The AAs would have to be replaced maybe a little more often as any proprietary battery would, but the cost would probably be comparable in the long run.

Captain Angry

You'll wish you had those AA batteries when you are out somewhere and your camera dies and the local gas station doesn't carry your brand.

thepixelpuncher

i want the
Lumix DMC LZ8K
[www2.panasonic.com]

$179.95 comes out in 2 weeks

boomersooner9133

Sorry for the double-post, but also, nice picture selection for the galleries.

man_in_gauze

Excellent. Thanks so much; I really want a camera and this'll definitely help me decide. :D

man_in_gauze

...........

zunes suck and yes i hate you, you know who you are

i readmodo the articulemodo lolmodo.

zunes suck and yes i hate you, you know who you are

I just bought a Nikon S210 today for $179.99 at costco (came in a bundle with case and 1 gb lexar SD card). I wasn't expecting much, but they didn't have any SD1000s left. It seems like a SD1000/SD750 with VR and a nicer LCD. Picture quality is on par but shot to shot speed is slower. Plus its small as hell.

@rdldr1:

F- Olympus and F- xD cards. F- them right in the A-.

thechansen

@bandit: I completely agree.
AWESOME camera that I bought for my mom for Xmas, and it's just awesome.
She likes it because it is very simple, but has a lot of options that she can meddle with.
Her favorite part is the skinny factor, that it can be put in a purse no problem, and she uses it all the time. The screen is also 2.5 inches, which isn't too shabby.

itb

@bandit: I work at Target, and I've seen them as low as 70 dollars.

of course it was a clearance price, but still it's worth a shot to ask and see if they have any of them left over.

you're right though, for the price, even before the clearance markdowns, it's an excellent deal.

theory

No, no, no! The best camera at the $150 price point is the Canon SD1000. It's last year's model, but it's better than the new SD1100. Since they are clearing them out, you can find them as low as $140 if you look hard (or wait for a clearance). Fantastic compact form factor (slips into a pocket). Great features (7.1 MP, rechargeable battery, 3X optical zoom, etc.) Much better all-around than any of the ones above. Go to the usual sites for a full review (dcresource.com, for example).

GE makes cameras??

bandit

[www.letsgodigital.org]

Yeah Where's Olympus? It may be the Kodak camera. Its design is ripped off from Olympus, who had it first.

rdldr1

@lafond66: I spoke to Olympus, but they had nothing that fit our price range (under $150) ... so they missed the cheap camera cut.

Benny Goldman

Hey commenters, where's all the spit and vitriol ala the last camera battlemodo? Oh right, no one cares about low end cameras. Oh and by the way, there's speculation about a Nikon D90 coming soon: [www.bythom.com]

Oh and I third that observation... GE make cameras? Who knew.

Maxwells_Nylon_Hammer

cannon powershot a460 "only 5mp"
new in da box. $85.00 @ microcenter!!!!!!!

godwhacker

I'm happy with my Pentax Optio SV. It's a few years old, but it does it's job.

Some good deals can be found on used or older cameras, as well.

Anticitizen

I want a camera that costs $250 and records at least average 720p video, until then I'm sticking with my 4.2mp Samsung.

gamecrazychris

Double AA batteries is the ONLY way to go...eneloops are the best of the lot.

RainyDayInterns

Had no idea GE made digital cameras. It looks like they shouldn't. I looked into point and shoots a couple years ago, and Sony and Canon always excelled. I think Sony used to (and still may) make the cmos sensors for many of these cameras, and Sony optics were generally decent. Canon tended to produce better pics, often offering great the best of manual control options. Perhaps Sony's caught up. I got a Sony eventually because form factor, ISO and shot to shot time were more important to me than the best image quality, which cannon had. Sony's was still pretty good.

If you are using manual controls, then you should rarely come across blurry pics as long as you compensate for the zoom by opening the aperture and increasing the shutter speed. This will affect your depth of field, and if it's dark, there might not be much you can do without a tripod or steady placement (don't increase the film speed or iso too much on these inexpensive cameras--it'll all be noise). And don't trust the camera suggesting that the photo will be stable, and make sure to keep the shutter speed faster than the length of the lens (if you are zoomed in all the way at 105mm, you won't get a steady shot at a shutter speed of 1/60, though that would be fine if you were not zoomed in at all--or at 35mm)

capitalass

@thechansen: just saying Kodak should't copy directly from Olympus' designs.

rdldr1

Actually, I wouldn't mind a recommendation for a very cheap and durable, simple camera that I can give to my 3-year-old kid to play around with. Big buttons and a decent screen will suffice as probably no photos will make it to the computer. Would be nice if I could set a long review time so that the kid can stare at her own photos between shots without having to switch to "review" mode. The ones they sell as toys are really terrible and cost as much as a mid-range model. That GE sort of looks tempting for this purpose, at $80 from Radio Shack.

bandit

@itb: I've owned 4 models of Canon's ELPH line (SD110, SD400, SD600 and now the SD1000). The SD1000 is by far the best they've ever made in this form factor. They simply did a great job. So good that the biggest benefit of the 1100 model seems to be the choice of pastel colors (and poo brown, if you like that).

bandit

I have a hand-me-down olympus camedia d-565 4 megapixel (it was my sister's, but she got a fancy dslr).

I like it, but it has extremely shitty battery life. I went to a party with it and it wasted 4 batteries with moderate use through the night. thats crazy!

mechfluff

The canon is a far superior camera. It has the truest colors by far. Kodaks look yellow and Sony's look blue. I spend a lot of time with these, and Canon has the best image sensor.

The AA battery thing I agree with. But, instead of getting rechargeable, get the Lithium. Take one out when you aren't using the camera, even if you are just done for the night and you are gold.

CSUSam

Canon, FTW. End of story. My A530 has taken many a great picture over the years.

The one thing I hoped they improved in the A580 was the battery life. Using zoom as much as I do eats AAs like nobody's business.

Invest in a set of good rechargeable batteries and you're set though!

michaelportent

So Benny, for the last 10 years you've not had a digital camera because your iPhone that only came out a year ago has a camera? Hmmm...

I think you're just trying to namedrop the iPhone.

Or perhaps you're force to mention the iPhone due to Gizmodo's daily iPhone quota?

LittleJon

Thank-you for proving that the world doesn't rotate around DLSRs

phoomp

As far as point and shoots go, only the Sony w-series stacks up IMO. Went from the dsc-w5 to the w200, haven't looked back since.

tehronin

I personally prefer the Canon - I have an old-ish A530 and it's fine for casual photographers like myself.

Did you review the video-taking features?

Blue387

Is Casio a bad word on here or something? I LOVE my Exilim. Slim, great pix, lots of manual options, li-ion battery, SD storage. I haven't priced them lately, though. Are they all above $150 or something?

Flux1971

lol my step dad has the same coolpix L18 and my mom has that exact same cannon camera.

CGrant

@bandit: We just bought the GE a couple weeks ago for our daughter's 3rd birthday. It takes reasonably good pictures, and even has an image stabilization mode, which is handy for a 3 year old. It's pretty solid too, but fortunately we have a very careful kid so it doesn't get dropped really. It's good enough to last her a few years I think. Those "kid's cameras" are junk- they are basically phonecams in a big housing.

superbad

@LittleJon: I though the exact same thing when I read it.

madcoweater

I like my fuji- I have an A610 that I got for somthing like $110- $120 (I forget the exact price) but besides taking pretty damn clear pictures with reealy good color accuracy, it is fast as hell- wheras most cameras take up to a second to take a shot- in anywhere near decent light mine is pretty near intantaneous which is awesome when you are out and about and need to take pics of something (or someone) before they run away.

entropyman

I would like to see a 8 or 10MP version with a manual setting of the Kodak EasyShare One. Best camera I ever had. My brother's Panny literally pans on everything and my mom can't even use the Sony I gave her last christmas.

The old 4MP Kodak clunker is always in my back, always ready to upload anything.

KenjiFinster

im gonna second or third or fourth or however many its been the sd1000. it dominates everything.

danger_the_pirate

@LittleJon: Perhaps he was simply referring to the fact that he's never felt the need for a real camera, because his cell phone's camera has always proved sufficient. Common sense?

JustEaton

@JustEaton: You're too generous! Why didn't he just say, "...I never saw the point of paying $300 for something my cellphone could pretty much do well enough"?

Sounds like he was taking the opportunity to make sure we knew he has an iPhone (which he probably paid $600 for, even though he considers $300 to be a lot for a camera)!

Maybe this an attempt by the Apple fanboys to turn "iPhone" in to the shorthand for cellphone in the way "iPod" is widely used to mean any PMP/MP3 player?

LittleJon

Want a damn good camera under $100? Shop eBay for models a couple years old and you will find much better cameras than the ones tested here.

Brau

actually olympus makes two cameras at that price point. the fe 310 ($149) and the fe 770 ($99) both are indeed decent cameras for the price. they are a bit bulky and take double aa batteries. also like sony the use a brand specific card that cost twice as much as the sd card. panaramic feature is pretty cool though!

bgirl1985

The Canon A570 IS is around $150 and has tons of great features and has Image Stabilization (a great feature to have)

PlasmaMachine

Sorry to burst your bubble but all of the above cameras are rebranded other OEM except for the Canon. Most likely rebranded Sanyos.

songs

So I've been messing around with this Nikon Coolpix S210 for a few hours and I would like to throw out a little review.
Good:
Image quality is on par with SD1100, SD1000, SD750 (These three I see as the S210's main competition) Maybe a little less sharp than the SD1000 and SD750, but beats 1100.
Nice looking and well built (for the most part)
Small
Dead easy to use
Great auto focus and white balance
Cheap: Again cost me $179.99 with case and SD card
Time Lapse mode is fun

Bad:
Battery door is kinda cheap
Not much control, only basic exposure compensation
Seems slightly noisy at ISO 800 but I haven't looked at those photos in 'shop yet
eVR (seems to work OK)
Slower than the Canons, but not that slow to cause a problem

UGLY:
No battery life status. WTF.
Mic seems too sensitive
ISO 1600 and 2000 are a mess

I would recommend the SD1000 over the S210, if you can find it at $149-$179. I think the S210 is a better value than the SD750 ($200) and SD1100 ($250). Only problem is the SD1000 is getting harder to find.

thechansen

Another vote here for the Cannon SD1000. And there is a firmware hack that makes it little bit better.

"CHDK, the Canon Hacker's Development Kit, is an open-source software project that can be loaded on cameras using Canon's DIGIC II or DIGIC III firmware platforms. It unleashes new features including RAW file format, live histogram display, a battery readout, and the ability to run scripted actions on a camera."

Senshi34

@LittleJon: But the iPhone is not a cell phone. For the record, I have an iPhone too. Now you know.

JustEaton

I seem to be the only person ont he Internet using the Samsung s73, which is running about $100 currently.

Pros: Interface is easy yet with good features, nice LCD, good range of modes, takes SD and AA batteries.

Average: Shutter speed, all the usual stuff that $100-ish digital cameras have nowadays.

Cons: Eats batteries like they're Good n' Plentys. Also has trouble telling full batteries are full, now and then.

Mongoose

I buy my digital cameras from Fuji's refurb shop ......they normally are new or ex deom with great savings
[secure.fujifilm.co.uk]

fastmike

I have the Canon A710is , which also uses AA. And I'm glad it does, I use rechargeables. I was in a Zoo in Latvia on Saturday and just went to the nearest kiosk and bought some AA's when the batteries died. Very handy.

PJK

@man_in_gauze:

Sorry, but I don't see how this can help ANYONE decide. What's the point of having this guy review cameras if he thinks his cellphone is good enough? His disdain for AA's doesn't make sense either...maybe he wants batteries that can't be removed (see iphone).

futonhead

I have the Sony CyberShot 8.2 MP....
it is equal to godliness.]

ItsRabid

+1 for Sony! I've got the W80 (also 7.2) and I love it. Still kinda want a close to dslr cam eventually.

fsusmithc2

Why is no one continuing to hammer on the use of AA batteries? I won't consider a camera that doesn't take batteries I can replace from the corner drug store in the middle of nowhere. Now that A76 batteries are long gone, most of my old film cameras have been retired. But I'll stick with my Nikon F5 and its pack of EIGHT AA batteries until I make the leap to digital.

"I won't use common batteries" is something you'll never hear from anyone who has ever relied on their camera to make a living.

benenglish

Another advocate for AA batteries. They do have such things as cheap rechargeable AA NiMH you know. You'll be grateful when everyone else's camera batteries die and you're able to pop in a few alkalines.

jibbly

@futonhead: It's not supposed to be a thorough review. It's just a quick "roundup" putting similar cameras together for consideration.

I had more or less decided on the Canon (590 specifically) already so this was a nice affirmation for me.

ParJoe

I've come to the same conclusion about buying my first digital camera. I've been looking at the kodak v1233 and v1253 they are both cheap (under $150)and 12mp, if you get them off amazon or newegg. take a look.

Guardian1

I can vouch for Fuji F20, since that little camera eats low light like a full grown bear feasting on little baby photos. Iso performance that can easily wow your friends is a no brainer.

tanvach

How does that Cybershot measure up to a Powershot SD1000? I love the Canon I bought, and it's taken some great pictures all in all, though I may be upgrading to something a little more on the pro end.

Kaiser-Machead

I love my Canon A540.
It's not new and shiny but it's still taking great shots and it's easy as hell to use, even if it is a bit bulky.

Still, not as bulky as my Sony Mavica!
No more floppies for me, brutha.

strider_mt2k

No Fuji!

flyboy

I've had more problems with AA batteries than I've had with proprietary batteries. NiMH AA batteries are strong but they degrade faster than proprietary lithium batteries.

With a modern camera, the proprietary batteries easily last a full day.

My first digital camera used AA batteries and sometimes a "corner store" isn't as convenient as some posters have implied. Also, by the time you add up the costs of purchasing AA batteries (in a pinch) and your NiMH kit, you could have purchased a second proprietary battery to keep as a backup.

I'd rather have a small pocketable camera and a second battery than a bulky camera that offers the convenience of corner store batteries.

Tank

I want a camera that costs $250 and records at least average 720p video, until then I'm sticking with my 4.2mp Samsung.

You might want to try out a Kodak z1275 HD. They're a bit bulky and rely on AAs, but even adding a couple dozen NiMH batteries and a charger you'll still be well under 250USD.

It's not a great camera -- the macro is a bit lacking, and the high ISO mode is worthless -- but good enough for most purposes.

gattsuru

@JustEaton: Yes, I guessed you had an iPhone. Why else would you have leaped to his defense and claimed it was "common sense".

So why isn't the iPhone a cell phone then?

LittleJon

Okay guys, you sold me. It was the perfect article for me this week as I am myself in the market for the $150 price-range cameras. After the reviews and the comments I am absolutely sold on the Canon SD1000, but where can you find one for a good price. The cheapest I can find it is on butterflyphoto.com for $156.40.

Already went to the local Target, Best Buy and Meijer, but they are already gone. In fact there was girl in front of me looking for the same camera! Anyone know where I can go for a cheaper price - and still respectable website?

Tylas

I'll also chime in with some love for AA's. Not only are they ubiquitous on sale, but ½ of my other gadgets also take them... running low? Swap with something else... I've had gizmos with proprietary batteries before that have run out at inconvenient times, so AA is one of the "features" I now look for in a digicam.

Fall-Apart

I've got and very much enjoy the Sony Cybershot W80. Image stabilization sold it for me over the Canon SD1000.

cudthecrud

@Tylas:

Well Amazon has it for $164 but for $10 to $30 you can get a 2GB memory card (depending on the brand. Not to mention the shipping will be free.

Senshi34

@Tylas: Costco has it for $169.99 online with a memory card.

thechansen

AA batteries are pretty boss. I bought the battery grip for my D80 just incase my batteries shit out while I'm out shooting I can just pop in AAs and go on with my life. Even though the D80 lasts for about a month with out a charge I often forget to charge it after a number of uses. My younger brother has the Nikon featured here and its pretty small despite using AAs. Lasts awhile using 2400 mAH NiMH rechargeable batteries.

thechansen

AAs aren't so bad, if you use Sanyo Eneloops or something similar.

Nintenboy01

I've shot some very good pictures with my Canon A720 (very similar to the A580), pictures people want to pay money for, so my vote is for the A580.

But I hate AAs. Lithium-Ion is much, much better. They last a lot longer and the flash cycle time is very short compared to AAs. And it is really easy to carry a second charged battery with you. That's what I do with my D70 and I've never run out of juice with that, but I have with my A720, even when carrying a second set of AAs.

When you are shooting in a nature preserve, or at a wedding, running out to a store to buy more AAs really is not practical.

Also, rechargeables significantly out perform standard AAs.

james-42

@Mongoose: nope, i have it and love it. leave it in my messenger bag for quick shots anytime--tiny, battery lasts forever, and i love the funky button system. at $100 at j&r a year ago, and i'd pay that much again tomorrow.

moosiest

@Tylas: About a month ago, Dell Home had the SD1000 for $149 with free shipping. They are all sold out now. I think you just have to wait for someone to decide to clear their inventory and stock the SD1100 instead. Good sites to check for deals are dealnews.com and dealhack.com. If you can't wait, just spend the extra $15. The camera is worth it.

bandit

Thanks guys, I ended up buying two at beachcamera.com for $155. Already have SD cards coming out of my ears so I don't really need anymore. It'll make a good present and a good point and shoot for the girlfriend.

Tylas

[6mpixel.org]

"The best compromise for a compact camera is a sensor with 6 million pixels or better a sensor with a pixel size of >3µm."

I wonder what pixel size these cameras have?

JohnInMableton

In speeding through this review. . I didn't notice any reference to viewfinders. If you find your self in bright sun or wear reading glasses then a viewfinder option is essential. therefore the Canon makes most sense. However I would cross check any choice with one of the many pro review sites i.e. stevesdigicam or dppreview among others.

rcpmac

I have the Sony Cyber-Shot , it is a pretty good camera but I think I'm going to bring it back so I can buy a camcorder

nikehead

Olympus FE-340, inexpensive, solid, takes a pretty impressive picture, and its easy to use. And no AA's which means the camera will actually will take more than 3 pictures without needing a new battery.

mixtronic87

Canon.
Always choose canon.
best picture quality, if you choose to upgrade later the layout of the cameras are the same. Canon has been in the photo game a long time and they do digital best.
I have a Powershot A20 that I've had for 7+ years and still works like a charm, I've since upgraded, but the powershot is a great "purse/pocket" camera.

keziah23

"It uses Sony's proprietary Memory Stick"
-Benny

Since when has Sony had their own memory stick? Do you mean the pro-duo memory stick? If so, that is in no way proprietary to Sony, nor is it even a Sony invention. Also, why the hate on AA's? I find it entirely convienent to purchase cheap alkaline double AA's or get a set of high end nickel metal hydroxide batteries that have a large capacity.

thirtyfiftyone

2 years ago i bought a samsung Digimax A402...4.0 mega pixels.. it takes good video with adequate light and had acceptable sound.. For $129.00.(Target).
This year for Christmas I bought my wife an HP Photosmart M447- 5mpx ,video capture, Image stabilization, decent battery life. WITH a portable photo printer, Hp Photosmart software and a 2 1/2" preview screen, For $99.....(walmart online, delivered to my home in 3 or 4 days with no delivery charge) it's a damn decent camera and she takes excellent pictures with absolutely no photo training.... Although battery life is always an issue, AA batteries are much better than some proprietary goofy batteries that you can't find at the local 7-11, Lithium batteries give some extra life in either cam and I just recovered from the sticker shock and got some rechargeable AA's for both units...If you can't find a decent camera for under $150, you don't know how to shop.
Also what did you START using in 2002, when almost every electronic device uses AA or AAA Batteries?

CottonwoodBud

J&R has the SD1000 for $150 now.

[www.dealhack.com]

bandit

These aren't cheap. I'd like to see a review of cameras that retail for under $100, followed by a review of cameras that retail for under $50.

outsdr

@outsdr: Actually, these ARE cheap. It's clear to me now that the reviewer picked cameras with an MSRP of $150 but several of these are available closer to (or below) $100 "street price." The Canon I recommended has an MSRP of probably $250 but you can get them now for $150 because this year's model (which doesn't add much except a useless extra megapixel) has now arrived.

bandit