Dave's Picks

Small and pocketable, the Canon A3300 makes getting quality photos easy... (more)

Small and pocketable, the Canon A3300 makes getting quality photos easy
The Canon A3300 doesn't look like the A-series cameras of old, but it's still attractive, simple, and inexpensive, maintaining the legendary image quality we've come to expect. With a 16 megapixel sensor, and a 5x zoom, the Canon A3300 delivers a lot more to the average snapshooter on a budget, because the zoom starts at 28mm and telescopes out to 140mm equivalent, perfect for most photographic situations. A stack of easy auto and scene modes allow users to explore the possibilities if they like, and capturing HD video is as easy as you please. More pocketable than past designs, the Canon A3300 is a lot of fun to use and easy to afford. Click here for more on the Canon PowerShot A3300! (minimize)

Great as a gift or for everyday shooting, the Canon 100 HS is a pleasure to use!... (more)

Great as a gift or for everyday shooting, the Canon 100 HS is a pleasure to use!
True to form, Canon doesn't skimp on its low-end ELPH digital cameras, and with the Canon 100 HS, they outdid themselves! The slim pocket camera offers a wide array of special features, including Handheld Night Scene, Full HD video, and HDMI output to name just a few. Its 28mm-equivalent wide angle lens is a treat, making the PowerShot 100 HS a great digital camera for travel and everyday carry. HS stands for High-Sensitivity, and the Canon 100 HS does well as the ISO rises, easily outputting an 11x14-inch print from ISO 100 to 800, which is quite impressive for any pocket digital camera. The Canon 100 HS is one of our top picks for a simple pocket camera, great for casual shooting, making it a superb gift! (minimize)

A long zoom, touchscreen digital camera that slips into a small pocket... (more)

A long zoom, touchscreen digital camera that slips into a small pocket
Designed to take on the smartphone, the Canon 510 HS includes a blend of features to attract the savvy photographer. First, this digital camera has a 12x zoom lens with an impressive range from 28-336mm equivalent. Next, the Canon 510 employs a touchscreen so users can do just about everything without pressing a single button. Though we had a little trouble with the touchscreen at first, an aha! moment struck us and we learned to simply press a little harder on the screen, since the Canon 510 HS uses a different technology for its touchscreen, probably on purpose. Click here to read our Canon 510 HS review! (minimize)

Canon's premium pocket camera gets a better lens, higher resolution, and better video, plus GPS.... (more)

Canon's premium pocket camera gets a better lens, higher resolution, and better video, plus GPS.
Canon managed to pack more features into the PowerShot S100 while maintaining the same relative look and feel of their premium pocket digital camera. Higher resolution has lately come at a cost, but Canon raised both the resolution and still image quality while also raising video resolution. The result is a pocket camera that can shoot quality 1080p video while the camera both maintains focus and allows the user to zoom. They even snuck in a GPS and mapping software so you can see where you've been. There's a lot more to tell about the Canon S100, so click here to read our review. (minimize)

Pocketable quality continues, this time with built-in WiFi... (more)

Pocketable quality continues, this time with built-in WiFi
Taking the main photographic elements of its predecessors and remixing them with the latest trends in connectivity and communication, the Canon S110 remains a top choice for discriminating photographers looking for a take-anywhere camera that will bring home quality images. Whereas the previous model employed a built-in GPS, the Canon S110 uses its WiFi radio to pull in GPS from the nearly ubiquitous smartphone, a slick trick. The WiFi setup isn't as easy as it should be, but that's not a big selling point; if it is for you, be sure to consider that. Printed image quality is on par with its predecessors, and shutter lag improved quite a bit. Overall, though, the PowerShot S110's pocketable quality continues. (minimize)

A refined pocket digital camera with an f/2 lens... (more)

A refined pocket digital camera with an f/2 lens
The quest to build the better high-quality pocket digital camera continues with the Canon PowerShot S95, with its 10-megapixel sensor and fast, f/2.0 lens. Among its premium-quality competitors, the Canon S95 is the smallest digital camera with such a fast lens. Its understated, stealthy appearance will be popular with street photographers and the Canon S95's easy customization will gain the admiration of all photographers, period. The Canon S95's hold on users becomes complete with the gorgeous, 420K-pixel, 3-inch LCD screen. Anyone serious about having a quality camera with them at all times will love the optical and final image quality of the Canon S95. It's worth a closer look. Click here for more on the Canon PowerShot S95! (minimize)

Pocket long zooms don't get much better than this... (more)

Pocket long zooms don't get much better than this
Canon takes a quality pocket long zoom and adds both a GPS radio and Full HD video for a more complete package. The resulting Canon PowerShot SX230 delivers good image quality and pretty nice video quality as well, while maintaining that impressive 14x, 28-392mm zoom lens. We found some minor trouble with chromatic aberration, unsurprising at this focal length, but otherwise enjoyed the Canon SX230, indoors and out. It'll make an excellent travel camera, thanks to the wide and long zoom, as well as the GPS to match your photos to a map, and it offers as much automation or manual control as you could want. Click here for our review of the Canon SX230 HS! (minimize)

Further refinement makes a great megazoom excellent... (more)

Further refinement makes a great megazoom excellent
While Canon's previous megazoom digital camera was a good performer, the PowerShot SX40 HS is a finely tuned upgrade. With the same startling 35x zoom ranging from 24-840mm equivalent, the Canon SX40 sports a new, lower-resolution sensor and a punchy DIGIC 5 processor, resulting in better low light performance and better corner sharpness overall, as well as reduced chromatic aberration. These changes effectively overcome the usual limitations of megazoom cameras, leaving behind only the fun. Click here for our Canon SX40 HS review, or just click here to start shopping for the Canon SX40 HS! (minimize)

Nikon does it again with the Coolpix P510!... (more)

Nikon does it again with the Coolpix P510!
Sometimes product categories are defined by one popular line, and the Nikon P510 continues the tradition of excellence in ultrazoom digital cameras, with a very wide, very long zoom lens and impressive print quality. With a zoom that ranges from 24 to 1,000mm equivalent, it has a tendency to make you see the world differently, allowing you to realize shots you hadn't before imagined. With great handling, a nice grip, an articulated LCD and built-in GPS, the Nikon P510 offers more than ever before. Click here for our Nikon Coolpix P510 review! (minimize)

Nikon's premium camera gets an upgrade that makes it shine... (more)

Nikon's premium camera gets an upgrade that makes it shine
Just a year after the Nikon P7000 hit the enthusiast digital camera market, Nikon replaced it with a slightly tweaked version that improves speed and performance, while maintaining the excellent optical and image quality. Nikon's fixes make a digital camera that's not just pleasant to shoot, but whose images are worth talking about. Its 28-200mm equivalent lens covers a greater range than its nearest competitor, and maintains pretty amazing image quality. A new articulated VGA LCD screen also makes the Nikon P7100 a little more versatile than its predecessor. We think it's a worthy upgrade. Click here for our Nikon P7100 review and get the whole story! (minimize)

Revamped flagship enthusiast digicam scores big on design and image quality... (more)

Revamped flagship enthusiast digicam scores big on design and image quality
It's taken three tries but Nikon has finally produced a flagship Coolpix camera that stacks up favorably to its top competitors, boasting an upgraded 12-megapixel sensor and a fast 7.1x zoom lens with a maximum aperture of f/2.0. Nikon removed the optical viewfinder from the Coolpix P7700, but we actually see this as a plus, especially since the 3-inch vari-angle LCD screen is easy to view and allows you to compose in tight spots. Sans viewfinder, the Nikon P7700's design is more compact, comfy and classic than its predecessor. Ultimately, it comes down to image quality and the P7700 delivers sharp still images and Full HD videos -- with just a few quirks -- and produces large, high-quality prints at lower ISOs. Click here for our review of the Nikon P7700, or click this link to shop! (minimize)

Olympus refines the Pen series with a faster, simpler design... (more)

Olympus refines the Pen series with a faster, simpler design
Equipped with an improved lens and a more ergonomic body style, the Olympus Pen E-PL2 addresses several shortcomings of the previous model and refines the company's low-cost compact system camera design. The Olympus E-PL2's new lens design is smaller, lighter, and a little longer, with a more stable lens design and fast, silent autofocus. It even accepts accessory lenses. The E-PL2's 3-inch LCD is also higher resolution than any of the Pen predecessors, and the new Accessory Port 2 is compatible with more new gadgetry, including a bluetooth module that sends your pictures directly to a camera phone. Its 12-megapixel sensor still captures great images, and the Olympus E-PL2 tests faster than its predecessors. Click here for more on the Olympus Pen E-PL2! (minimize)

A great quality lens and smart design make the XZ-1 a choice premium digital camera... (more)

A great quality lens and smart design make the XZ-1 a choice premium digital camera
Long a pioneer in quality small cameras, Olympus has finally entered one of the more popular categories among digital cameras with the Olympus XZ-1. Competing with the Canon S95 and Panasonic LX5, which also have 10-megapixel sensors and wide-to-mid-range zooms, the Olympus XZ-1 merges ideas from both into a premium pocket digital camera with a very special lens. The XZ-1 is not only special because it has a 28-112mm, f/1.8 lens, which is 1/3 stop faster than its rivals, it is the first time Olympus has branded a lens with the Zuiko name. Our tests show that it's not just window dressing: This i.Zuiko lens has impressive corner sharpness, especially at wide-angle, besting its rivals. It sports an OLED display, and the ability to add the excellent VF-2 electronic viewfinder made for the Olympus Pen cameras. Sensor image quality is quite good from ISO 100 to 400, but noise suppression starts to soften detail from 800 and up a little more than its rivals. That doesn't take away from the potential of the XZ-1 for all manner of photography, though, as it still produces better results optically than other cameras in its price range. It's an impressive first offering in the premium pocket digital camera market. Click here for more on the Olympus XZ-1! (minimize)

Excellence returns to the Panasonic megazoom line... (more)

Excellence returns to the Panasonic megazoom line
Can image quality rise with a reduction in resolution? Apparently so, as the 12-megapixel Panasonic FZ150 dramatically proves. We roundly criticized the FZ150's 14-megapixel predecessor as quite a step back when compared to Panasonic's other ultrazoom digital cameras, but they're back with a significantly improved design that puts them back in the winner's circle. The FZ150's excellent optics, 3-inch LCD, and solid build are now matched with a fine sensor and image processor that's worth writing about. Click here for more on the Panasonic FZ150! (minimize)

A new benchmark in compact system cameras... (more)

A new benchmark in compact system cameras
Panasonic has updated their G-series line of compact system cameras, and the new G3 looks like a real winner. We've had hands-on with a beta sample of the new model, and it's impressed us greatly with its handling and image quality. In fact, image noise seems very much on par with that from the larger APS-C size sensors used in full-size DSLRs. The new G3 is noticeably more compact than the G2 that it replaces, and Panasonic also appears to have further improved shutter lag: In field tests, everyone remarked on how fast its shutter response was. The design incorporates a new 16-megapixel image sensor, and the same high-speed Venus Engine FHD image processor as previously featured in the more expensive GH2 model. Other improvements since the earlier camera include a picture-in-picture Manual Focus Assist function, pinpoint focus mode, Full HD (1,920 x 1,080 pixel) movie capture, and two separate Intelligent Auto operating modes that offer varying degrees of user control. Read our Panasonic G3 review for all the details! (minimize)

There's nothing micro about the performance of this compact, lightweight digital camera... (more)

There's nothing micro about the performance of this compact, lightweight digital camera
The Panasonic Lumix G5 takes the highlights from Panasonic's well-regarded G-series of Micro Four Thirds digital cameras and rolls them all into one package. The Lumix G5 feels better thought out than many entry-level DSLRs, including a touchscreen LCD monitor and speedy autofocus, at roughly the same price. Boasting better ergonomics and handling than the previous-model G3, the Panasonic G5 also boosts its video performance by adding Full HD recording at 60p, and a full-range of frame rates that make it perfect for serious photographers and videographers alike. If you want a compact, lightweight, easy-to-operate interchangeable lens camera with a 14-42mm lens that captures high-quality images at an imminently affordable price, then the 16-megapixel Panasonic G5 should place high on your short list. (minimize)

One step back, two steps forward: the Panasonic GX1 will please enthusiast photographers... (more)

One step back, two steps forward: the Panasonic GX1 will please enthusiast photographers
As a digital camera made expressly for enthusiasts, the Panasonic GX1 is a little larger than the smallest compact system cameras, but is still small enough to bring along easily. While the GX1 is in some ways a return to an older design, it still includes improvements in resolution and image quality. Its new touchscreen interface also manages to add a bit of utility as well; and an expanding list of compatible lenses make the Panasonic GX1 an appealing digital camera. Click here for more on the Panasonic GX1! (minimize)

One fine, take-anywhere digital camera designed with the photographer in mind... (more)

One fine, take-anywhere digital camera designed with the photographer in mind
In the battle for supremacy raging between high-quality pocket digital cameras and high quality mirrorless digital cameras, only two cameras are already considered legendary, and only one of those still has an f/2.0 lens: the Panasonic LX5. Its small Leica-like body actually includes a Leica-branded lens, now with a longer zoom, and both its f/2 lens and its 10-megapixel sensor are tuned for better image quality in low light. A 3-inch LCD and small, lightweight body round out the package, but it's the image quality and camera design that make the Panasonic LX5 special. Unlike many other recent camera designs the Panasonic LX5's low-light prowess and image quality is not dependent on special multi-shot modes, it just comes down to a refined sensor design and a fast, high-quality lens. Click here for our review of the Panasonic LX5. (minimize)

A serious photographer's digital camera in a small package... (more)

A serious photographer's digital camera in a small package
Panasonic's deluxe pocket digital camera line has long been a favorite of photographers as a capable, small take-everywhere camera, when lugging their pro camera was too much to ask. Improved in several ways, the Panasonic LX7 digital camera is a joy to shoot. Key refinements that will appeal to photographers include a manual aperture ring, a manual focus toggle, and a faster, high quality lens. As we've come to expect from Lumix digital cameras, the LX7 also has rock-solid image stabilization, and the new level gauge helps straighten your horizons. Optical quality stands out as the major enhancement, which gave us the confidence to place key subjects in corners without worry that they'd be too soft. The new faster lens -- a full stop faster -- allows faster shutter speeds in low light, and delivers fairly nice bokeh as well. We enjoyed shooting with the Lumix LX7, and felt comfortable with it as our only digital camera on several outings. Click here to see our review of the Panasonic LX7, or just follow our shopping link to find the best price. (minimize)

Sony's NEX-5N might borrow the NEX-5's styling, but don't let that fool you; there's a whole new book under this cover... (more)

Sony's NEX-5N might borrow the NEX-5's styling, but don't let that fool you; there's a whole new book under this cover
Sony made quite a splash with its aggressively-styled NEX-5 system camera back in mid-2010, and while the succeeding Sony NEX-5N digital camera is no longer the company's flagship system camera, it builds upon its predecessor with quite a selection of upgrades and new features. There's a new image sensor and processor that bring a wider sensitivity range and support for an electronic first-curtain shutter, gifting the NEX-5N with startlingly good shutter lag and burst-shooting performance. Sony has also revisited its accessory terminal design to add support for a new high-res electronic viewfinder, added a touch-screen interface that makes AF-point selection a breeze, and brought videographers fully manual exposure control. Is it time for first-gen NEX owners to consider an upgrade? Click here to read our Sony NEX-5N review, and find out. (minimize)

Sony's entry-level mirrorless camera frees you from behind-the-camera drudgery... (more)

Sony's entry-level mirrorless camera frees you from behind-the-camera drudgery
Are you the designated photographer for your family? If so, there's a good chance something is missing from your photo albums: you. Fulfilling the duties of family record-keeper means you spend almost all your time behind the lens, making an occasional appearance only for posed, tripod-mounted shots. The Sony NEX-F3 aims to solve the problem with an updated, tilting LCD panel that can now be seen from in front of the camera, putting you back into the family album. And that's not the only worthwhile update over Sony's previous entry-level mirrorless model. There's also a built-in popup flash that saves you from carrying an external strobe, and a restyled body with a much more prominent handgrip. As you'd expect of a NEX-series camera, the Sony F3 offers great image quality, despite a pricetag even the family photographer can justify. So... is it high time you upgraded your camera for a new NEX? Read our Sony NEX-F3 review, and find out! (minimize)

A great all-in-one imaging solution for travel photographers... (more)

A great all-in-one imaging solution for travel photographers
Superzooms are rather like the Swiss Army knives of the digital camera world. Where some cameras seem tuned for a specific task, superzooms like the Sony HX200V aim to cover every possibly shooting situation. All that zoom reach means compromises must be made. Done right, you get a great travel companion. Done wrong, no amount of zoom will help you. On paper, the Sony HX200V looks impressive: a 30x zoom lens, 18 megapixel sensor, tilting display, geotagging, and more. How does its real-world performance measure up? Read our Sony HX200V review and find out! (minimize)

Sony RX100 takes the premium pocket camera crown!... (more)

Sony RX100 takes the premium pocket camera crown!
We were so impressed with the Sony RX100's specs, we had to rush and give it a complete review in a hurry to see if it truly measured up. We were not disappointed. The Sony RX100's 1-inch, 20.2-megapixel sensor, f/1.8, 3.6x lens, and small body combine to create a new pocket digital camera benchmark. Sony didn't skimp on special features for amateurs or enthusiasts, either. Click here to see our Sony RX100 review! (minimize)