Top 10 Point and Shoot Digital Cameras – DPS Reader Favorites
In this post I will share the top 10 Point and Shoot Digital Cameras – as voted by the readers of this site.
When I recently asked readers of DPS what digital cameras they use the array of cameras being used was quite amazing and yet there were some definite themes that I thought I’d summarize in 2 posts (this one looking at Point and Shoot Digital Cameras and tomorrow looking at DSLRs – update: check out the Top DSLRs post here).
Also at the bottom of this post I want to look at two other aspects of the results:
1. The breakdown between DSLRs and Point and Shoot Cameras
2. Brands of Point and Shoot Cameras
What Point and Shoot Models are Most Popular?
Before revealing the list let me make a couple of observations:
I was surprised on two fronts:
1. Despite there being 75 point and shoot cameras mentioned one camera completely dominated the list
2. The top of this 10 list was dominated fairly heavily by super zoom cameras (the top four all had 12x optical zooms with image stabilization). Only 4 of the top 10 were compact digital cameras.
Top 10 Point and Shoot Digital Cameras as Used by DPS Readers
I’m not going to list each camera mentioned but here are the top 10 (listed in order of popularity):
- Canon PowerShot S3 IS – a 6 megapixel camera with a 12x optical zoom and image stabilization – pictured right
- Canon Powershot S2 IS – a 5 megapixel camera with a 12x optcial zoom and image stabilization
- Panasonic DMC-FZ50 – 10.1 megapixels with 12x optical zoom lens and image stabilization
- Sony Cybershot DSC-H5 - 7.2 megapixles with 12x optical zoom and image stabilization
- Canon PowerShot SD800 IS - a 7.1 megapixel compact camera with a 3.8x wide angled optical zoom and image stabilization – pictured right
- Canon Powershot A620 – 7.1 megapixels and a 4x optical zoom (more of an entry level than others in the list)
- Canon PowerShot S5 IS - 8 megapixels, 12x Optical Zoom and Image Stabilization
- Fujifilm Finepix S5200 - 5.1 megapixels, 10x optical zoom and image stabilization
- Canon Powershot SD550 - 7.1 megapixels and a 3x optical zoom
- Nikon Coolpix 5400 – 5.1 megapixels with a 4x optical zoom
It is worth noting that the number 1 ranking point and shoot camera (the Canon PowerShot S3 IS ) outranked all of the others significantly. In fact as many people owned it as all of the other 9 cameras in the above list put together! Obviously Canon are onto a winner with that model – it’ll be interesting to see if the newer Canon PowerShot S5 IS gets as popular.
The DSLR vs Point and Shoot Mix
Here’s how the DSLR vs Point and Shoot breakdown looks among Digital Photography School readers.
This mix did surprise me a little as I get a lot of email from Point and Shoot users. Perhaps they didn’t feel as comfortable answering or perhaps Point and Shoot users ask more questions than DSLR users.
I should say that while fewer DPS readers use Point and Shoot digital cameras – more point and shoot models were mentioned than DSLR models. (75 Point and Shoots vs 28 DSLRs). This is simply because the digital camera manufacturers release a lot more cameras aimed at this market than they do DSLRs. For example Canon tends to release between 2 – 4 new or updated DSLRs a year but announces 20 or so point and shoot cameras.
So what brands of point and shoot cameras are most popular?
Obviously Canon is clear favorite when it comes to Point and Shoot digital camera users among our readers. After that there’s a lot less between the main manufacturers with Sony, Fujifilm and Panasonic contending for second place.
I hope you enjoyed this examination of top point and shoot digital cameras. Tomorrow I’ll post a list of the Top 10 DSLRs that the DPS community uses.
78 Responses to “Top 10 Point and Shoot Digital Cameras – DPS Reader Favorites” - Add Yours
August 14th, 2007 at 7:52 am
Interesting that Nikon does so badly in the point-and-shoot realm. I shoot with a D50, when I recommend pocket cameras to friends, I always strongly recommend Canon. Nikon’s offerings in this arena have always struck me as overpriced and underfeatured, and in terms of image quality, Canon impressed me more. I do love Nikon SLR’s, though.
August 14th, 2007 at 8:03 am
A lot of those are EVFs. They’re not as powerful as SLRs, but in a class far beyond a regular point and shoot. When you talk about a point and shoot camera, people are generally looking for something with a little less power and more automation than an EVF. I don’t consider EVFs to be in quite the same range as a standard point and shoot.
August 14th, 2007 at 8:12 am
Agreeing with the above: great cameras but hardly “point and shoot”!
August 14th, 2007 at 8:22 am
While I take your point on the EVF classification I didn’t want this series of posts to start breaking up into too many categories. Point and shoot, EVFs, entry level dslrs, pro dslrs etc – so I broke them into two categories and hope people will be OK with that.
There is a real difference between the EFSs and the other point and shoots though – hopefully people will be able to see the top 5 or so of each above pretty clearly.
August 14th, 2007 at 8:34 am
I had the Canon powershot pro 1 (an ElectronicViewFinder camera) and I personally classed that as a point and shoot, just because of the way it handled… I guess horses for courses?
August 14th, 2007 at 10:11 am
My S2IS is around 2 years old now.. but I still use it on a more or less daily basis. It does what I need it to do – but I do have DSLR envy and want to get one :D
August 14th, 2007 at 12:15 pm
I currently own a dsc-h2 and the s3-is was a bit more than I could afford,If I had the money I would have bought an Xti for sure.The dsc-h2 does basically what I need and some of my friends with d-slrs( 20d and xt) are also quite fond of my camera,simply because of the zoom lens.Over the 2 months I have had it i have now snapped over 7000 photos with it and am quite happy now.Wished it looked like the s3 is though. :)
August 14th, 2007 at 3:29 pm
Interesting article…
Nikon is no where in site when it comes to P&S…
but I too own a canon P&S and its def worth it…
August 14th, 2007 at 4:10 pm
I’m an S3 IS user, I love the camera, and I completely agree with Amigone201. :)
August 14th, 2007 at 5:59 pm
It’s to bad Ricoh has such a small market share – they make cool and innovative cameras! I was reading about the new one with a 24 mm wide angle zoom lens and it looks like a nice camera!
August 14th, 2007 at 6:47 pm
I just got Ricoh Caplio R6. Not enough pictures taken yet but looks promising!
August 14th, 2007 at 11:27 pm
I use the new Olympus SP-550 UZ and despite some negative reviews, simply love it. It has way more pluses than minuses. That said, when I went into the market for a new camera, I could have bought a DSLR and didn’t. I love the freedom of a compact digital camera. I like being more portable and not having to carry so much equipment. It works much better for my type of photography and do not regret my decision at all.
August 14th, 2007 at 11:36 pm
I have to disagree with the previous comment about EVF cameras. An EVF is just a point & shoot digital camera with a second, smaller LCD screen in a tiny peep-hole. Fundamentally, their feature set doesn’t differ significantly from other P&S cameras, and in fact is usually somewhat worse than that of some nice “bridge” cameras like my old Olympus C-5060. Their main feature is generally a large zoom range including a lot of telephoto reach. That’s useful and cool (despite the obligatory image quality compromises).
I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with them, but however you argue it, there’s one thing that unquestionably puts them in the same category as P&S cameras: a tiny little sensor.
August 14th, 2007 at 11:58 pm
I have the Sony H5 and love it! I used to use Nikon´s SLRs.
The Sony only has one major problem- no hot shoe.
August 15th, 2007 at 12:38 am
Yes, but I’m actually looking for a Point and Shoot so this could be of interest to me. I’d like to see a survey of what people use as a camera with the following constraints – it must be pocket/compact size and they must have another larger camera. I’d expect to see quite a few Canon IXUS’s and Fuji Fxx’s but I’m not sure what to go for.
August 15th, 2007 at 12:42 am
I own a Nikon Coolpix 5700, Canon Powershot A520, and a DSLR Canon 400D which I bought in that order, and my opinion is that Canon software is way more powerful in P&S segment at least that Nikon. On the Nikon there is a very noticeable lag from the moment you point and something and when it actually takes the photo which can be measured in seconds.
The A520 (4 Mp), even it was marketed as a lower camera than the 5700 (5.1 Mp)usually delivers much higher quality in the kind of fast shoots you can expect to use a P&S camera, handles better lightning and it overalls to a much pleasurable experience on top of it has plenty of manual controls more easily selectable than with the Nikon even if the Nikon has a lot of extra buttons to make those adjustments fast.
I always carry the A520 even when I carry my DSLR too, cause I want to be able to make some discrete and fast shoots which could spoil the subject if I get out a big camera for example. Im so satisfied with it Im going to buy another P&S from canon updated with more Mp.
August 15th, 2007 at 1:23 am
Forgot to say that I consider EVF cameras a subset of P&S because the visor only has a tiny LCD with is practically unusable, being the rest of the features almost identical, so the LCD visor can be considered a gimmick instead a feature imho.
August 15th, 2007 at 6:06 am
I wonder how popular the Sony Cybershot DSC series would be if you combined all those using H1/H2/H5 cameras. I personally use an H2.
August 16th, 2007 at 11:22 am
I am still lovin’ my Canon S2IS… it was my gateway camera…after I bought it I started to experiment with Manual mode and really started to love photography. I still have and use my S2 regularily especially for video and Super Macro!!
August 18th, 2007 at 6:04 am
A great photograph is 90% photographer and 10% camera. Camera features add to the potential subject list. An expensive full featured camera doesn’t insure great photographs.
August 19th, 2007 at 4:59 pm
I went to check out the popular S3 specs at the Canon site but
there are no “S” series cameras listed. Only “SD”. Does this mean the “S” cameras have all been discontinued? There seem to be too many cameras to choose from anyway and models don’t seem to last over a year. Is this becasue the technology changes that fast or it it just to make money? I just don’t understand why the popular cameras are discontinued.
Thanks in advance for responding.
http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ProductCatIndexAct&fcategoryid=113
August 23rd, 2007 at 11:58 am
I own a Canon Powershot A95. I’m an amateur photographer that does some serious photography. I recently got rid of my Minolta XG1 film and all lenses for $80. I was lucky to get that. I’ve used DSLR’s (Canon, Nikon) and love both. I travel and do sports, but basically throw my stuff around all over the place. My A95 has been with me for 4yrs almost and is still shooting…barely. However, it works. It has dents, scratches, nicks, and chips. I cannot stress how much I love the metal body.
I’ve taken some amazing photos (and many not so), but have always loved the result. It’s clunky and slow now. I have to coax it into zooming sometimes, but people are always impressed with the quality. Yes, it pales in comparison to the new models of anything, but you know what…
…it ain’t all in the camera. It’s who’s behind it that counts.
September 7th, 2007 at 10:00 pm
I wonder why people don’t like olympus models. For example Olympus SP-560 UZ is one of the best recently announced point and shoot cameras and there are much more very good models from olympus. I understand that Nikon and Canon has good name, but Olympus produce as good cameras as Nikon and Canon (my oppinion).
October 19th, 2007 at 6:55 am
I have canon 710 IS. & got tremendous pics’ from it.
will go in coat-pocket. lots of modes on. for price better than the S3 IS. lighter & lens accessories etc. has 6 optical as well. later version= 720 IS.has face detection.
November 9th, 2007 at 11:43 pm
Nice infos here. I am looking for quality digital cameras with fair price. And the articles are helpful. Thanks!
November 19th, 2007 at 1:29 am
I think – with regard to the above pie chart – that the operative comment underneath is “among our readers”.
Such a relatively small and weighted sampling doesn’t really prove anything one way or the other.
To imply that Canon sells nearly half of ALL point and shoots is ludicrous, and certainly inconsistent with actual sales world-wide.
All this illustrates is that the Canon “fan boys” are way more vocal about their toys!
December 9th, 2007 at 4:26 am
I have been a P&S camera user for a while now and was looking into possibly upgrading to an entry-level DSLR to have a little more fun. So I was going on line to try to educate myself a little bit before making a decision. Thanks for taking the time to post these articles for us. TF
December 31st, 2007 at 10:17 pm
Can anyone tell me if canon ixus75 is a good P&S camera. I’m just looking for something to get me started with photography that i can carry in my pocket.
I’m very new to photography and have never owned a camera before.
January 14th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
I thought Sony cameras are cool and stylish but don’t understand why only few people buy it. People should take a look at the all new DSC-T200.
February 17th, 2008 at 7:46 am
The Sony DSC-T200 is the coolest camera out there if you want to impress your friends with technology. Unfortunately, the indoor pictures are some of the worst you will ever see. Extremely grainy in most indoor lighting! You could get better pictures with most cameras that cost less than $100. This explains why so few people actually buy the DSC-200.
March 7th, 2008 at 1:14 am
I love my Nikon D50. I’ve owned it for about 4 months and just absolutely love it. This is my first DSLR. Previously I messed with a Canon SD100, which did great in low light settings. The pictures were just amazing and vivid. I now use that camera in my photo booth and it works out great. Only other bad thing is how slow it is to get ready to take a picture. Very slow
May 26th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
The recording pixels now include a “Widescreen” feature that has the same aspect ratio as 16:9 widescreen TVs for shooting wide images. Adding ISO [800] has resulted in a faster shutter speed even when shooting in dark environments.
Regards,
Image Clipping Services
May 28th, 2008 at 11:09 am
Any idea about the performance of the Sony DSCW170? It’s got great specs. But the general feedback i got from multiple reviews is that Sony, in general, under-performs on indoor shots. How true is that?
June 14th, 2008 at 6:18 am
I’m thinking about nikon s52. is this camera better than canon a620?
June 14th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
I own the Canon Powershot S5 IS and I absolutely love it
July 16th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
I purchased the S3 IS close to two years ago now and it’s been a truly great camera. It’s served me well until recently where I splurged for the XSi/450D. I’ll probably still use the S3 over the SLR when I need the ultra telephoto zoom (too poor to spend $1500 on a nice piece of glass).
My SD630 is small & convenient too although now that my skills have improved I wish it had a full manual (or even Av/Tv) modes. Anyone suggest a good P&S upgrade to the SD630 with aperture/shutter priority modes? (while still being nice and thin)
September 28th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
I just purchased the Sony DSCW170 and I want to cry. The camera looks great and has many options, but when I looked at the pictures on my computer they were horrible, very grainy. I’ve only owned one other camera (Canon A75 Powershot with 3.2mp) and the pictures from it are outstanding compaired to this camera. Am I doing something wrong. I figured couldn’t mess up “Auto” mode, but apparently I did. Can someone help me please?!
October 12th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
i have a lumix dmc-fz18
i get great shot from this camera i take photo of truck with oversize loads on the move i use sports mode i get very good shots i use my opticl zoom 18 x.
the camera it has some down fall as well on over cast days shuter speed is slow .
dont get much time with truck heading for you at 60-80 km/ph may be 10 shots at most .
October 12th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
hannah
do you use auto mode and zoom out as well .
if so i have try this and my photo are very grainy .
try manuel mode and zoom out
November 26th, 2008 at 6:55 am
I got a free Casio Exilim EX Z1080 when I participated in a rewards program with a vendor I use frequently. This little freebie is actually a 10.1 megapixel, 3x zoom gem with manual options for aperture and ISO. It has a great histogram and focus lock. Rather sophisticated. It takes really crisp pictures with no significant digital noise or moire pattern. I’ve been able to use almost all photos for large size print output at 300dpi & CMYK color mgmt.
I just got a Kodak Z1012 IS on sale at Newegg.com. I’ve not used it yet but the controls look logically placed and easy to understand. It was very highly rated thru’out the web for its class which is inexpensive, 10.1 mp, 12x optical zoom with manual ISO and full automatic settings. We’ll see how it goes.
I’m a sub professional (book published) photographer who’s for years used a Nikon SLR. I’m new to the digital photo world but very excited by what I’ve found so far and it’s such a relief to be spared the tedium of changing film… Fun stuff!
January 1st, 2009 at 5:36 am
The point and shoot term is kind of misleading, and probably the wrong one to apply to compact digitals: an SLR in program mode is also point and shoot, and A and G series Powershots have full manual controls.
To me there are three functional categories: pocket cameras, the EVFs, and SLRs. I think of EVFs (or power zooms or prosumer or whatever you want to call them) as analogous to rangefinders – smaller and easier to carry around than an SLR, but with more features and better optics than a pocket camera.
I’ve got a Powershot 710IS too and it’s great… I’m sad to see that Canon seems to have dropped the series after the 720. The 650 and SX110 have similar features, but they’re a bit bigger too.
January 9th, 2009 at 1:24 am
Have a look at the Panasonic Lumix LX3, which has become my take-everywhere camera of choice. It is a tiny compact camera with full manual controls (granted, the manual focus via joystick is a bit odd). It has a fantastic wide-angle lens and goes down to f2 and ISO 80.
January 9th, 2009 at 1:25 am
PS: the LX3 also stores RAW files if you like.
January 14th, 2009 at 11:02 am
Is a Panasonic FX 150 Lumix a good point and shoot camera. How about the DMC FX 150?
January 18th, 2009 at 5:12 am
I own a canon 30d, a canon xsi rebel, and a canon 720is. The point and shoot 720is takes great pics that often rival the pics taken with the other 2 dslrs, and it has IS and face detection built-in. It also renders beautiful color and can take quick photos of the sea and sky with great contrast and detail just using the settings dial.
January 18th, 2009 at 10:06 am
Hey Mikey, I own a 30D and a 960is and the shots are not comparable. I don’t know what you’ve had done to your 720is, but I’d sure love to see some shots side by side.
Sime
January 20th, 2009 at 9:35 pm
Canon S1, S2, S3 and S5 are absolutely wonderful cameras. My first digital camera was the S1. It was a faithful friend and an outstanding learning tool. I now have an S5 and although I still envy anyone with a Rebel, I can’t complain. After all, my S5 can show you craters on the moon and the only accessory required is a tripod.
January 30th, 2009 at 3:39 am
Hi, Darren,
I have been on the fence over which camera to buy. My first digital was a Sony Cybershot 5.1 mpix, sort of clunky but what a spectacular lense. I up-graded to a Fuju Finepix S5700, which I like, but I have a lot of trouble with noise as I’m still learning to use the apreture and film speed. My newest addition was the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5, beautiful clarity, less noise, But I miss the viewfinder.
What I want to know is Do You Buy the camera with the best lens ? and aren’t the Leica and Carl Zeiss lens
the best out there? If not, why not? If so, why then isn’t the Sony Carl Zeiss or the Panasonic Leica lens
camera the best to go with ? I will eventually hope to “graduate” to an SLR and want to make an educated purchase. I love to photograph portraits, wildlife, macro botanical, and zoom way out there to capture a lighthouse or sailing ship. I really appreciate your time in answering my questions.
I was referred to this site by my Forum friends at Shutterpoint.com
February 3rd, 2009 at 11:13 pm
Margie,
I’m not a professional by any stretch, but I think the lens quality is one of the major considerations on ‘point and shoots’. On the basis you only get one unchangable lens, it needs to be good. I used to be a Sony freak but I think their cameras often look great and have great design features but don’t live up to the expectation. I moved to Panasonic (who use Leica lenses) and have been very happy. I recently upgraded to an FZ28 superzoom. I love it. I was thinking of getting a beginners SLR but decided that I wanted a bit more ease of use and less stuff to carry around with me. The FZ28 allows manual control of many features or fully auto. The big advantage for me is that I get great Macro shots up to fully ‘zoomed in’ shots all on one lens. With SLR you obviously need a few different lenses.
Portraits and Macro are really good on this camera, sometimes shots can be a little ’soft’ at full size, but if you view/print at no more than A4 size it is not much of an issue. If you are prepared to learn the features and experiment a bit (menus are bit odd in layout) then the FZ28 is a great camera. If you are prepared to spend a bit of time processing on your PC/Mac then the ability to shoot RAW is also great (although bizarrely I find the finest JPEG mode often produces better shots that the RAW – probably just me!).
February 5th, 2009 at 2:37 am
Dave,
THANK YOU so very much for your kind reply.
It was very helpful and you seem to understand my level of performance.
I am going to take a careful look at this camera for consideration.
Best wishes,
February 5th, 2009 at 2:37 am
MANY THANKS,Dave, for your very helpful reply.
February 6th, 2009 at 8:19 am
Hi, new to this site, and have to agree with Dave above with RAW vs Jpeg.. might be I need a professional RAW software program rather than those supplied by camera manufacturers. Have mainly used Olympus
cameras and always had spectacular results, from the manual OM1, to the E-100RS which I must say was a fantastic camera and even with one 1 mpx I got really great shots.. (Fuji in the middle) then on to the SP570 superzoom with spectacular pictures, particulary those with the zoom macro.. I am now looking foward to the new Olympus superzoom out next month.. wow! imagine 12 mp and 27 optical zoom.. can’t wait. I mainly take pictures of wildlife – so need a camera light and easy to use and carry and quick to zoom in and get that shot.. A lot of my friends have pentax, panasonic and canon cameras and they all consider the pictures taken by the SP570 quite superior in picture quality, like everyone, I certainly have some duds here and there, but overall the camera has provided me with stunning shots and opportunities I would never have had to capture once off shots… having to carry one camera instead of a bag full of components makes everything so much easier. Cheers…
February 6th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
trisha, THANK YOU for taking time to share your experience with me. I’ve heard a lot of really good things about Olympus cameras. I’m taking notes :)
February 8th, 2009 at 10:39 am
Hi, I just purchased my first ever sub compact camera, that is a Canon SD1100 IS. I had to decide between a Sony DSCW 150 and the Canon. I was really going to buy the Sony but backed away after some Goggling. Image quality was a concern for many owners and most important, I owuld have had to buy these expensive Memory Stick. Coolpix line: nver in a thousand years. Cheaply made and horrible IQ. Though I have a Nikon D50 which I love and takes astounding photos, a Fuji S5200 which is exceptional in low light and a behemoth Sony DSC R1 (CF cards) that takes beautiful pictures. I concur: in the P&S world, nothing beats a Canon. Endnote: my first digital cam was an Olympus Camedia D100 (1.4 pixels) which was built like a tank. Next I bought a Canon S2IS that died on me, thanks to the E18 error. So I stayed away from Canon after that. Today I’m giving Canon another try but I’m still very anxious, To me, Canon is not exactly trustworthy.
February 19th, 2009 at 6:02 pm
Hi Margie
I have recently bought the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5 and have enjoyed the capabilities of the camera which took absolutely punchy photos. It takes fantastic photos at ISO 100 – 200. Anything above ISO 400 will have noise present but that is quite prevalent with other camera with the same size sensor, so its not unusual or specific to TZ5. I don’t think there is any point buying another point and shoot camera because you have got the best or second or third best of the lot. If you are interested in taking beautiful photos then the next camera should be a DSLR ( because of the bigger sensor and manual control, you get better dynamic range and smoother gradation ). I recently have upgraded to a Pentax 200D DSLR ( very cheap )and was amazed at how much better the photos turned out. I am not going to brag about my DSLR but for the price and features its an enjoyable and ( enough sophistication and features ) to do some serious photography with it. With a prime lens it will probably produce professional results. Remember that the photogapher comes first and then the camera.
Hope you have a great time with the TZ5 ( what it lacks is RAW capture and manual control ). This is why you need the DSLR. Happy snapping.
February 20th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
Thank you so much, racineur and Richard for sharing your experience and taking the time to reply to my questions. From what I’m reading, a camera is a very personal choice. A lot depends on what you like to shoot, the size and feel of the camera, how experienced the photographer is and the bottom line, is the budget. I’m really looking for something I can grow with in experience, that won’t overwhelm me or have too many accessories and take away from the fun of taking pictures.
To that end, I’m taking notes and following up on all the great suggestions I have received here.
Many Thanks !
March 1st, 2009 at 6:06 pm
i want to bay the canon sx1 is,for quick shuter, superzoom and little video.Iwant ACAMERA for to foto karate fight (my son 9 year) idont want dslr.what is your think. thank you
March 16th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
hi guys..
i have to ask for your opinions since you’re the pro.
which dslr camera should i get? a canon or a nikon?
i do have a canon compact camera and the features are cool but im wondering if i should get myself another one or try to switch to nikon..
please help me with this: i’ve heard that ten canon cams is only equivalent to only one nikon cam..? hmmmm….
by the way, i’ve learned much from this site…
thank you very much!!!
i’d love to hear from you soon…
March 17th, 2009 at 9:51 pm
Errr… What about the Canon Powershot G7… or the most recent addition the G10. Outstanding capabilities!
March 21st, 2009 at 3:36 pm
Personally I like the Canon G9.
I like the manual features of this point and shoot.
April 16th, 2009 at 8:31 pm
Allow Me To say, You are such a BOON!
I am amazed at the amount of efforts n fine tuning you have done regarding cameras, was searching to upgrade from digital cameras, as i was keen to take close up flowers n faces…hence came across you
.
.
wow i seek so much in my cam lol
Video Priority
remote …PRIORITY
Point and shoot (prof dslr wud not be me i guess, dont haVe the patience
Wow so happy I found You
Thankssssss
Hugsss
April 16th, 2009 at 8:42 pm
Would you please suggest what I should look for?
I dont want to play around with lens, i want all auto if possible, if there r options for manual too thats not a problem.
.
So what I understand from you is that point and shoot cameras are good for us?
.
.
I would like good zoom , and optical lens should be good, i have OLympus c-70, with 5x zoom, would want double or more than that, megapixels dont matter to me…8 would be fine i guess…
I know its a baby camera, but i have had immense satisfaction with this
.
The shutter speed is less, which i want to look into too…faster shutter or lag as of in technical terms
.
if u suggest some DSlr with these values which has inbuilt auto systems , I would be interested in that too
.
Aw but dont want too heavy cameras
SniFF do i seem confused?
.
Thanks For listening!
Dq
.
.
April 17th, 2009 at 1:48 am
I was really rather surprised that the Kodak Z1012 was not mentioned in the top ten. I shoot both medium format and 35 mm film cameras, but had not invested in a DSLR. I have a friend that owns a Z1012, and he raved about it. I borrowed it and was utterly amazed. About the only thing that I miss on it is rear curtain sync, but when I need that I can use my 35 SLR. For the price and covenient size, the Z1012’s image quality, zoom range, and shooting modes are amazing.
May 17th, 2009 at 11:00 am
Can anybody help me to decide which on to buy between Sony Cybershot DSC-H50 or Nikon Coolpix P80. Or Should I spent a little more money and get a Cannon Powershot SX 10 IS. Appreciate you response.
May 24th, 2009 at 3:32 am
I bought a Canon Powershot SX100 IS last year, and must say I’m really happy with it (10X optical zoom; 8MP resolution). It’s really a hybrid camera, between a DSLR and a point-and-shoot. It has features like shutter priority, aperture priority and manual controls, along with manual focusing. exposure compensation, ISO setting, flash settings, slow sync, image stabilization, multiple face detect, etc that allow you to take full control over every aspect of photography. And I think it looks and feels nice. The price was less than half of what is advertised in Amazon.com for the Canon PowerShot Pro Series S3 IS that is shown at the top of this blog.
Some people have asked for advice regarding buying the “right” camera. Let me say that this will depend entirely on your personal needs, and if you go by other people’s advice you are likely to be disappointed, as some important need of yours that you never clearly thought about may not be met.
For example, when I set out to buy a camera, I knew I wanted the following features (among others):
1. Must have very good optical zoom: the higher the better. Good resolution would be a plus point. I never planned to make huge printouts, so huge resolution was not required.
2. Must not be bulky (that pretty much ruled out SLRs). Ease of carrying was important to me. I’d rather have a lesser camera that I could carry everywhere, than a super camera that I would find difficult to take around with me.
3. Using AA batteries would be an advantage, as I could find these readily available anywhere if required in a hurry when my own battery was exhausted.
4. Lots of manual controls that could also help me to learn more about photography would be an advantage.
5. I didn’t want an LCD monitor that opened out on hinges. I wanted one that was fixed in place. This was because of a bad experience with a video camera earlier. The hinged monitor got damaged because it was “opened too much”, and replacing it cost a fair bit of money. I thought, the less the moving parts, the better.
And so on. The more the merrier. Actually, my list grew longer as I went and looked at cameras and found out about more features.
You would be well advised to make a similar list of what you want and what you don’t want, what you wouldn’t mind having, how much you are willing to consider paying, etc. Just think about what you would like to photograph, and the conditions under which you plan to photograph. Otherwise the options are just too many, and can drive you crazy. And after you’ve done your buying, you’ll realize too late that you should have guessed that the kids would drop your camera first thing (a little forethought might have guided you to the rugged, drop resistant, water resistant and very pretty Olympus models as the right choice for you.)
For example, will you need to attach filters to your camera? My model cannot take them. Maybe you would like to use polarising filters to cut down on reflections? It’s up to you. I didn’t think I would need it all that much.
Do you want to consider interchangeable lenses? You will need a DSLR for that.
Will you need a hot shoe for an additonal external flash? Mine doesn’t have one. But I can use a “slave flash” that will be triggered automatically when my built-in flash fires.
Do you need a built-in viewfinder? Mine doesn’t have one. Doesn’t really bother me.
Do you need a rugged model? Would you like to do underwater photography? Should it be able to take a little rain water? Will your kids be using it?
Do you plan to take high-speed action pictures?
I think you get the picture!
June 1st, 2009 at 4:27 pm
Maybe, we should take a look at the ‘new’ Kodak Z980 Digital Point-and-Shoot camera. Bought it as a back-up to my DSLR. This Kodak Z980 with 12 MP and 24X (26-624mm) wide angle Schneider-Kreuznach Variogon optical power zoom lens with other great features, may ‘not’ be my back-up camera for long. I haven’t picked my DSLR in two weeks, because of this ‘new’ camera. This ‘new’ Kodak Z980 Digital Point-and-Shoot is a ‘winner’ and will give any DSLR a run for it’s money. By the way.., the price is also a ‘winner’.
June 19th, 2009 at 2:15 am
I’m looking for a small point and shoot that doesn’t have a long shutter lag. Is there such a thing?
July 4th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
Since this poll was done almost 2 years ago, it might be interesting to re-visit assessment. 2 Years is a long time in the digital camera world and many, many new products are on the market. My current favourite P&S is the Canon G10.
July 27th, 2009 at 6:57 am
I totally agree with the above comment. The up-to-date top 10 p&s cameras would be nice. By the way, I’m so surprised that there is no Olympus camera in your list.
August 6th, 2009 at 7:38 am
Hi, I just purchased my first ever sub compact camera, that is a Canon SD1100 IS. I had to decide between a Sony DSCW 150 and the Canon. I was really going to buy the Sony but backed away after some Goggling. Image quality was a concern for many owners and most important, I owuld have had to buy these expensive Memory Stick. Coolpix line: nver in a thousand years. Cheaply made and horrible IQ. Though I have a Nikon D50 which I love and takes astounding photos, a Fuji S5200 which is exceptional in low light and a behemoth Sony DSC R1 (CF cards) that takes beautiful pictures. I concur: in the P&S world, nothing beats a Canon. Endnote: my first digital cam was an Olympus Camedia D100 (1.4 pixels) which was built like a tank. Next I bought a Canon S2IS that died on me, thanks to the E18 error. So I stayed away from Canon after that. Today I’m giving Canon another try but I’m still very anxious, To me, Canon is not exactly trustworthy.
August 7th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
I’m a newbie to this area and just abt 6 months into serious photography. The camera which really caught my eye (with the help of google ofcourse initially) was Cannon Sx10IS…. I wanted to invest in the optical zoom and was def not ready for a DSLR. This camera gave me exactly that. 10 MP with a 20x zoom.
I think the beauty abt this camera is that it can be used by a wide range of people. I myself have used it only on auto and the designated scene modes on my first trip (when i didnt know much) and got great results.. and it has all the features to keep you busy experimenting like shutter speed, exposure etc…ofcourse its nothing compared to a DSLR but as mentioned caters to a wide range.
Negatives: very heavy..A newbie who tries to click using the LCD will struggle initially if he tries to use it like the slimfit P&S and end up with blurred snaps.
Would request a new post on the same topic. Maybe it would spring up some interesting results.
September 10th, 2009 at 3:47 am
For me, a camera is a tool to gather photo reference for drawings and water color paintings.
Darren , your information was very useful, informative, graphically illustrated and well organized .
Thanks for the help in selecting a new camera . Based on your information and because I am NOT a
strong techno. guy , I am going with the fastest DPS with the largest op. viewfinder and image sensor available on a DPS.
Thanks Again ,
Rick Ripple
September 13th, 2009 at 4:09 pm
I agree with moses and manop that this list needs to be updated to reflect the current offerings in P&S market
September 23rd, 2009 at 7:34 am
I find your analysis very helpful. How do you discern the relative size of the sensor that is used by a particular camera? Is there a numerical specification or standard that lets you make an interpretation of “biggest”, “too small,” etc. Thanks.
October 5th, 2009 at 3:48 am
I am useing a Nikon P90 and so far i am extreamly happy with it 12.1 mp and the zoom is way beyond exceptional 24x
in my humble oppion it is a great starter camera and a good back up for the dslr
October 7th, 2009 at 11:35 am
I too own the Canon SX10 IS. I couldn’t decided between that and a DSLR. It was just a little cheaper and I thought that at the time I didn’t know too much and was afraid to spend the extra money. I do love it!!! However, now that I’ve taken some classes and know more, I would really love a DSLR! I just got this one last Dec. and am trying to justify buying a DSLR. But I do get some great shots and lots of compliments on some of my photos, I would just like real professional look and feel I could only get that with a DSLR.
October 19th, 2009 at 4:32 am
Hi, I’m (another) newbie here. At the moment, I am the proud owner of a Nikon Coolpix P80, 10mp, 18X zoom (27-486mm). I’ve been reading a lot about DSLRs and lenses, but I’m still not sure why do I have to upgrade to a DSLR. Ok, I understand that with DSLRs you can have more flexibility when it comes to lenses, but my coolpix can already do a lot from a wide-angle, to zoom, macro zoom… I can take great pictures with it. It has VR (vibration reduction), it can fit on a tripod, and i found out that i can even buy filters for it. At this point, having read about DSLRs I am very much interested in owning one, but not yet convinced. Can someone convince me please? Btw, I’m mostly interested in travel and landscape photography, and I’m into photography as a hobby, because I happen to travel a lot, and really would like to take great shots when I’m around. Thanks.
October 19th, 2009 at 11:30 pm
Hi Bob,
I suggest you should read the comparison study between Point-n-shoot & DSLRs at some other article in DPS. Basic points would be,
(i) Better picture quality, color depth.
(ii) More control in Manual mode.
(iii) Low noise
However ” great” is a subjective word, so you have to consider the benefits along with the Extra cost of DSLR & the lenses.
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