Recommended Cameras

[Eliwood]

Recommended Cameras
Summer 2007 Edition

These cameras come up time and time again as being reliable, great value, and versatile. They perform extremely well within their given sector and have achieved the greatest level of customer satisfaction. Here are the cameras I recommend. I'm not listing every camera out there. There are many good cameras. I only have room for the ones that I (and other respected critics) view as being a step above the competition.

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Budget (Below $200)

Canon Powershot A560 ($200)

This is the ultimate $200 camera at the moment. It has a solid set of features, great image quality and manual controls. There are sleeker models like the Sony W series, but this one outclasses them all in functionality.

If $150 is all you can spend, try looking at entry level models from last generation. Some good ones to look out for as the Panasonic LZ series models, a Canon A series model or an entry level Sony model. Don't go below $150 because at that point, the feature drop off is not worth the savings.
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Mid-Range ($200 - $350)

Canon Powershot A Series($200 - $400)

Canon continues its venerable A series cameras by offering versatile, general-usage cameras for a great price. They all take great pictures; they all have manual controls; some have rotating LCD's and some even feature image stabilization. The A570 IS ($275) is a good bet, but the A710 IS ($350) is even better.

Fuji FinePix F30 ($250)

The F10 was one of the best cameras in its class for its incredible high ISO performance, and the F30 builds upon that legacy by improving image quality further, adding in additional features, most importantly, manual controls. The quality is worth every penny, if you shoot in low light and need the high ISO performance. If you shoot almost entirely in daylight, pass on this camera because it has no marked advantage over others. The newer Fuji F40 is about the same thing. Pick up an F30 instead if you can still find one.
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Ultracompact ($200 - $400)

Canon Powershot SD800 IS ($350)

The SD800 IS delivers excellent images combined with a 4x zoom starting at 28mm and image stabilization in a pocket sized package. Highly recommended for everybody. If you want something cheaper, the SD600 is a budget-priced alternative for $250, but you lose a lot of functionality for the $100 saved (no IS, 3x zoom, not wide-angle).

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Ultrazoom ($300 - $500)

Panasonic Lumix FZ8 ($300)

Panasonic continues its dominance in ultrazoom category with the FZ8. The FZ8 offers a super fast (f/2.8) 12x zoom lens, superb image quality, manual controls, image stabilization, performance and sturdy build quality all for a relatively affordable price.

Canon Powershot S3 IS ($300)

Building on the legacy of the S2 IS, the S3 IS is pretty much the same camera with a 6 MP sensor. Besides that, not much has changed. And that may not be a bad thing because the S2 IS was up there with the Panasonic FZ5 as the best camera in its class. Now that this camera is nearing the end of its lifecycle, it's a bargain at just around $300.

Panasonic Lumix TZ3 ($300)

Panasonic's popular TZ series has collected a cult following for offering an ultrazoom with image stabilization and decent image quality all in a compact package for about $300. It lacks manual controls, but apart from that and some minor image quality issues, there's nothing to fault about this camera. For bargain hunters, the TZ1 can now be had for $200.
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[SeaMonkey]

This is quite old now, any chance of an updated thread for recommended cameras?

I'd love to see your latest recommendations

[Eliwood]

Yes, I'll update it after all the PMA cameras are announced.

[Fable]

Phew Im so glad to read you say "Panasonic owns this market" of the Ultrazooms!
Makes me feel alot better about my purchase.

[nathanhuth]

Thanks for the recommendations Eliwood. Any news on an update?

[Eliwood]

I've finally updated the recommended camera listing for the fall/holiday season. Enjoy!

[Eliwood]

I have made one final update to this guide given the recent camera introductions and some price drops.

[davelouise]

It's Nov. '06 and it appears there are many new cameras now available in the approx. $250 range, so are these your most current recomendations, i.e., Canon Power Shot A620?
Thanks for the help.

[hpalltheway]

yo, what about hp? in your opinion

[HarryO50]

Elwood,

I am really drooling over the new Canon Digital Rebel XTi. I can use my current XT lenses with it, so I don't need to buy the kit over again. You're reviews are very helpful and to the point. The shopping comparisons are super too.

Harry