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)

A well-built waterproof digital camera with a unique look... (more)

A well-built waterproof digital camera with a unique look
Finally, a waterproof digital camera that looks the part: the Canon PowerShot D10. Capable of diving to 33 feet, falling from four feet, and withstanding temperatures of 14 degrees Fahrenheit, the Canon D10 is ready to weather some tough conditions; tougher than most digital cameras. Its 12-megapixel sensor delivers crisp images to its 2.5-inch LCD, and its 3x zoom is protected within a sturdy bell housing, protected from impact and weather. As with almost all digital cameras, the Canon D10 makes a better wet camera than a dry camera, with more significant corner softening than we see from most digital cameras in the pocket category, but that's a side-effect of shooting through an additional pane of glass on the front of the sturdy housing, something you won't notice in your underwater pictures. The flip side is that you won't be worrying about a lens cap with the Canon D10; instead your only concern will be having more fun with your waterproof digital camera! Click here to read more about the Canon PowerShot D10 waterproof digital camera. (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)

An excellent wide-angle pocket digital camera... (more)

An excellent wide-angle pocket digital camera
Taking up the bottom position in the price category for quality slim pocket digital cameras, the Canon ELPH 300 HS has just what it takes to be a top seller. While it won't deliver the gigantic prints of CCD cameras of similar size, the Canon 300 HS pleases in other ways, packing a 24-120mm equivalent lens, a good quality 2.7-inch LCD, and Full HD video capability in a very slim package. Handheld NightScene mode further reveals the advantage of the Canon 300's CMOS image capture, combining three images into one for a smoother still than you'd normally expect at ISO 1,600. Though we had some trouble with soft corners, we thought the Canon 300's images were still good enough for most anyone's purposes as a pocket camera for recording the fun wherever you go. Click here for more on the Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS. (minimize)

A no-nonsense pocket camera with an 8x zoom that's fun to shoot... (more)

A no-nonsense pocket camera with an 8x zoom that's fun to shoot
We tend to review more enthusiast digital cameras than easy pocket designs, but every once in a while we get a simple digital camera that inspires our creativity despite its lack of controls. The Canon PowerShot 310 HS struck a particular chord with its 8x zoom and nice, big high-res LCD, and reasonable set of Canon Scene modes. We found it a lot of fun to use, and its simplicity actually encouraged our creativity! Click here to see what was so special about the Canon 310 HS! (minimize)

A good quality pocket camera with a very wide angle lens... (more)

A good quality pocket camera with a very wide angle lens
When you think of quality pocket digital cameras, the Canon S95 and G12 are top of the list. But don't ignore the Canon 500 HS, an ELPH with a wider lens than either of those cameras, and a noticeably more pocketable shape. Its major unique feature is its touchscreen, which dominates the back of the camera, much like the screen of a smartphone. Its Full HD video capture, Handheld NightScene, and High Speed Burst modes number among the standout features, but enthusiasts will be drawn to the Canon 500's Aperture and Shutter priority modes, which offer a little more control than the average point and shoot. Click here for more on the Canon PowerShot 500 HS! (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)

The long-zoom "everywhere" camera just got smaller... (more)

The long-zoom "everywhere" camera just got smaller
Iconic and capable at the same time, the PowerShot 520 HS represents quite an evolution in Canon's classic ELPH design. Duplicating the same diminutive shape and size as its spiritual predecessors, the Canon 520 offers a 12x zoom ranging from 28-336mm with optical image stabilization. Its 3-inch LCD has a higher resolution of 461K-dots, and its simple control set and intelligent exposure modes make getting good stills and videos easy. Click here for our review of the Canon 520 HS! (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)

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)

High-quality travel zoom appeals to enthusiasts and novices alike... (more)

High-quality travel zoom appeals to enthusiasts and novices alike
There's nothing like a pocket travel zoom digital camera when you want to get creative shot on vacation. The PowerShot SX260 HS is Canon's best attempt yet at meeting the needs of both the point-and-shooter and the enthusiast photographer, regardless of the destination. Its 20x zoom has great optical quality, and combined with its 12-megapixel sensor the Canon SX260's image quality is good enough to output a 16 x 20-inch print! What with the built-in GPS, we wish it had a little better battery life, but overall the Canon SX260 is looking pretty good. Click here for our Canon SX260 HS review! (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)

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)

Though it's only a small part of an excellent smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S II's digital camera is replete with options, and captures a good image!... (more)

Though it's only a small part of an excellent smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S II's digital camera is replete with options, and captures a good image!
With an 8-megapixel digital camera, the Samsung Galaxy S II makes an interesting choice if you're looking for a phone that can double as a daily-carry digital camera. The Galaxy S II has a pretty good quality 30mm equivalent lens, and a set of options that rivals a dedicated pocket camera when it comes to exposure, white balance, scene settings, and even capturing panoramic images. Video quality isn't bad either, able to capture up to Full HD video. Click here for our Samsung Galaxy S II Camera review! (minimize)

Feature-packed yet stylish, the Sony TX200V goes anywhere you do -- even underwater... (more)

Feature-packed yet stylish, the Sony TX200V goes anywhere you do -- even underwater
There's a problem with feature-rich, life-proof digital cameras: they typically look like feature-rich, life-proof digital cameras, and are about as pocket-friendly as a brick. With the TX200V, Sony shows it's possible to make a camera jam-packed with worthwhile features, safe to use at the beach, in the pool, or on the slopes, and yet to give it a body that would be right at home on the catwalk. Inside, the Sony TX200V sports a high-res 18 megapixel sensor, a 5x Zeiss-branded zoom lens with SteadyShot stabilization, and even a GPS receiver for geotagging. On the rear panel, a large organic LED touch screen that's the main control method, with physical controls kept to the bare minimum. And the TX200V is no slouch, either: it shoots at ten fps, and can capture high-res stills during HD movie capture! On paper, plenty to love -- but how does this digital camera handle in the real world? Read our Sony TX200V review for the verdict! (minimize)