Dave's Picks

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)

With dangerous good looks and serious skills, this enthusiast compact shoots to thrill... (more)

With dangerous good looks and serious skills, this enthusiast compact shoots to thrill
Sleek, retro-styled and a little dangerous looking, the Fuji XF1 may just be the James Bond of enthusiast pocket cameras. With its compact size, quality build and luxurious feel, the XF1 just begs to be used. The slick 4x optical zoom lens (with a f/1.8 max aperture!) is of the manual variety, and when you twist it open, the camera turns on ready for action. The Fuji XF1 borrows the same 12-megapixel, 2/3-inch-type EXR CMOS sensor from the X10, as well as the unique EXR shooting modes that go with it that increase its low-light capabilities and dynamic range. Overall, it's a fast and fun shooter with a ton of customizability that should appeal to enthusiasts, while its good looks make it an object of desire for gadget geeks and fashionistas alike. Check out our Fuji XF1 review for in-depth details on its performance and image quality, or shop for one right now. (minimize)

Nikon's J1 answers the demand for a truly compact system camera, and does it with style... (more)

Nikon's J1 answers the demand for a truly compact system camera, and does it with style
Nikon bided its time before entering the compact system camera market, and when it finally did so, wasn't afraid to take a path untrodden. The Nikon J1 adopts a rather smaller sensor than its main rivals, but in doing so also offers a worthwhile savings in weight and size--not only for the camera body, but perhaps more importantly for its lenses. That's not the only attention-grabbing feature, either. An unusual hybrid AF system and a speedy new EXPEED processor make the J1 swift even by SLR standards, and all this in a body that looks less camera than fashion accessory. Inquiring minds must know, though: how does that smaller sensor fare against its system camera rivals, and does it offer enough advantage over enthusiast compacts? To find out, click here and read our Nikon J1 review. (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)

Really fast autofocus in a compact body you won't leave at home... (more)

Really fast autofocus in a compact body you won't leave at home
Back in mid-2011, Panasonic launched its tiny Lumix GF3, nicely demonstrating the size advantage of mirrorless over SLR cameras. This year's Panasonic GF5 takes that design and swaps in an improved sensor, faster image processor, higher-resolution touch screen display, and a raft of other tweaks. Key among the changes for us has to be the Panasonic GF5's improved autofocus performance: the GF3 was already fairly fast by mirrorless camera standards, but the Panasonic Lumix GF5 goes a step further, besting many consumer DSLRs. Panasonic has also updated its touchscreen user interface, finally allowing almost overlay-free image framing and reducing distraction. Do these and other changes take a good consumer camera and make it great? And are the advantages of the GF5 enough for more experienced photographers to overlook the lack of a viewfinder and flash connectivity? Read our Panasonic GF5 review, and find out! (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)

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)