AccessMyLibrary provides FREE access to over 30 million articles from top publications available through your library.

Digital cameras.(RATINGS)(Buyers guide)

Consumer Reports Annual Buying Guide

| January 01, 2008 | COPYRIGHT 2008 Consumers Union of the United States, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)Copyright

Almost all cameras in our Ratings took decent pictures. Your choice will depend a lot on whether you want small size or extra photographic power and flexibility. Compact cameras, too big for a pocket but small enough to fit easily in a bag, remain the best choice for most people, especially if your budget is tight.

A growing number of cameras now are subcompacts that fit in a pocket. They cost a bit more for the same capabilities and often come with compromises: shorter battery life, smaller controls, a narrower zoom range, and no viewfinder.

Small cameras continue to shrink and grow sleeker, and many have an LCD that dominates the back and has better screen resolution than ever. Some models have LCDs that swing out from the camera body and swivel, helping to compensate for the lack of a traditional viewfinder on many models.

Other features trickling down from large models to quite a few small ones include manual controls and the ability to save images in the RAW format, which stores the captured image before it has been processed and converted into a file by the camera's built-in software.

That improves your ability to control characteristics such as sharpness and color balance.

Consider a high-priced compact or SLR-like camera if you want lots of control over exposure and composition or you want to shoot close-ups of distant subjects. Spring for an SLR if you want those attributes and more, and can afford a variety of lenses.

Guide to the Ratings

Related articles from newspapers, magazines, journals, and more
High-quality photos on even a meager budget.(TOP 10 DIGITAL CAMERAS)(HP...
Magazine article from: PC World Butterfield, Eric May 1, 2006 700+ words
...prices and subpar battery life: the $500 Canon PowerShot SD430, the $500...Best $270 * Battery life: Good BUY] find...help menus. 2 Canon PowerShot A520 82 * Ima Image...Fair $200 * Battery life: Fair find.pcworld...
Feature-rich, 10Mp shooter: Canon Powershot G7.(digital...
Magazine article from: Australian PC World Butterfield, Eric April 1, 2007 700+ words
...SLR (single lens reflex) digicam may be turned off by the high price, lack of RAW support and mediocre battery life. CANON POWERSHOT G7 PRICE $899 VENDOR Canon PHONE (02) 9805 2000 URL www.canon.com.au SPECIFICATIONS 10Mp compact...
New advanced digicam hits 9 megapixels.(Canon EOS 20D, Canon EOS Digital Rebel...
Magazine article from: PC World Stafford, Alan December 1, 2005 700+ words
...camera to tote. Its battery life could be better, however. 4 Canon PowerShot S2IS 79 * Image...Good $499 Good * Battery life: Fair find.pcworld...camera to tote. Its battery life could be better, however. 4 Canon PowerShot S2IS * 5.0 megapixels...
Canon PowerShot A80.(Web Edition)(digital camera from Canon USA...
Magazine article from: PC Magazine Online April 12, 2004 700+ words
...it feels sturdy, offers very good battery life, and takes good pictures. ReviewThe Canon PowerShot A80 offers most of what you want from...and-Shoot for Control Freaks The Canon PowerShot A80 offers most of what you want from...
Top-of-the-line point-and-shoot.(HANDS-ON TESTING OF NEW PRODUCTS)(Canon...
Magazine article from: PC Magazine Freed, Les September 16, 2003 700+ words
The new 5-megapixel Canon PowerShot G5 cuts to the front of...infrared remote control. Battery life is indeed impressive...great images and excellent battery life will be enough to compensate. Canon PowerShot G5 $800 street. Canon...
Canon PowerShot S500 Digital Elph.(Web Edition)(Canon U.S.A. Inc. product...
Magazine article from: PC Magazine Online April 30, 2004 700+ words
...images; excellent battery life Cons: Heavy; some...confusing Bottom line: The Canon PowerShot S500 Digital Elph is...pictures and excellent battery life make this camera a solid choice. Review The Canon PowerShot S500 Digital Elph is...
Cameras offer more features for fewer bucks.(Konica Minolta DiMage Z6)(Sony...
Magazine article from: PC World Butterfield, Eric March 1, 2006 700+ words
...Performance 1 Canon PowerShot G6 86 * Image...Very Good * Battery life: Superior BUY...quality, long battery life, and a powerful...stabilization. 5 Canon PowerShot Pro1 81 * Image...Very Good * Battery life: Good find...
Canon PowerShot A75.(Web Edition)(new product)(Product/Service Evaluation)
Magazine article from: PC Magazine Online May 10, 2004 700+ words
...8-inch LCD. Excellent battery life with alkalines. Audio annotation...from the 3.2-megapixel Canon PowerShot A75 could be sharper, but...Review The 3.2-megapixel Canon PowerShot A75 ($300 street) is...omitted] for full review Canon PowerShot A75 The 3.2-megapixel...
Canon PowerShot S60 takes the lead.(Cameras)(Brief Article)(Product/Service...
Magazine article from: PC Magazine Menin, Glenn September 21, 2004 700+ words
...MAGAZINE EDITORS' CHOICE The Canon PowerShot S60 is Canon's replacement...and quicker and boasts longer battery life. The S60 is on the large end...adjusted to suit the situation. Canon PowerShot S60 $500 street. Canon U...
Point-and-shoot digital cameras: the latest designs offer great image quality,...
Magazine article from: Macworld Baguley, Richard June 1, 2006 700+ words
...resolutions (the Canon PowerShot SD430, the Kodak...a big camcorder. Canon PowerShot SD430 The PowerShot...a film camera). Battery life was unimpressive...considering its poor battery life and noisy operation...
For more facts and information, see all results
©2009 Gale, a part of Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
About us | FAQs | Contact us | Privacy policy | Terms and conditions
Other Gale sites: Encyclopedia.com | HighBeam Research | Acquire Content | Books & Authors | Goliath | MovieRetriever | Smart QandA