Best Middle Size Digital Camera

Imaging Resource Picks section. They're well known for their exhaustive testing of digital cameras. They investigate various aspects of each digital camera to help you pick the best one for your needs. But they know that sometimes you just want someone with experience to tell you which digital camera to buy. To serve that need, they've revamped their Picks to get straight to the point, listing your top digital camera choices by category.


Best Middle Size Digital Camera


Canon PowerShot G9
12.1 megapixels, 6.00x zoom
$474.36



Canon updates a classic "enthusiast" model, delivers a real winner! Sometimes, you just don't have the space or patience to lug along your SLR and several lenses, but still want good image quality, and plenty of manual control and flexibility to let your creativity express itself. That's where a camera like the Canon G9 comes in. The Canon G9 is the latest in one of the most famous product lines in the digicam industry, stretching all the way back to the original G1 first introduced in the Fall of 2000. The most recent G7 model drifted from its enthusiast-oriented roots a little bit, dropping RAW file capability, but that's been restored in the new G9. Old G-series fans will miss the original swivel-screen, but the big, bright 3" LCD on the G9 may console them a little. What most impressed us about the Canon PowerShot G9 though, was its image quality: Great color with loads of resolution. Like many high-megapixel cameras these days, it suffers a little from image noise at low ISO settings, but its important to keep in perspective just how fine-grained that noise will be at any reasonable print size. We found that even ISO 400 & 800 shots made surprisingly decent-looking 8x10 inch prints. Talk about detail: Who'd have imagined being able to make great-looking 16x20 prints from a "pocket" digital camera even a few years ago?


Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2
10.2 megapixels, 4.00x zoom
$388.11



A widescreen digicam with broad appeal. The Panasonic Lumix LX2, like its predecessor the LX1, is clearly inspired by the surging popularity of widescreen (16:9) televisions. Employing a unique set of "triple-wide" features, the Lumix LX2 combines a 28mm wide-angle Leica lens, a 16:9 wide CCD, and a 16:9 wide LCD. If you're the type who likes to count pixels, the DMC-LX2 has a 10 megapixel CCD that uses the full resolution of the sensor when shooting at 16:9. The Panasonic LX2 now has a 2.8-inch LCD that lets you see the entire wide-angle shot on the screen without letterboxing. (The LX1 had a 2.5-inch display which letterboxed 16:9 shots.) Other improvements include Panasonic's new LSI Venus Engine III image processor which is designed to lower noise at higher ISOs, and a new Intelligent ISO Control (I.I.C.) system which detects subject movement and automatically adjusts ISO and shutter speed to suit the lighting conditions. Even without these changes, there a lot to talk about with the Lumix LX2 including many impressive manual options and Panasonic's tried-and-true MEGA O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer)


Canon PowerShot A720 IS
8.0 megapixels, 6.00x zoom
$197.06



A capable all-around digital camera with high-end features at a great price Canon seems to offer a digital camera for every kind of customer, and the Canon A720 IS was made for those who want all the performance at a low price. With an 8-megapixel sensor, a 6x zoom, optical image stabilization, face detection, high ISO, and both a 2.5-inch LCD and an optical viewfinder, the Canon A720 IS has just about everything. Minor compromises are the low-resolution LCD and a slow flash-recharge cycle. The Canon A720's excellence is in the lens: While it's a 6x zoom, it is impressively sharp in the corners, and chromatic aberration is kept relatively low. As a result low ISO images from the Canon A720 print well at 13x19 inches, and even ISO 1,600 shots are usable at 4x6. Good shot-to-shot times and good shutter lag numbers mean that the Canon A720 will be a good no-nonsense digital camera for kids and pets, one that will double as a good video camera with 640x480 recording at 30fps.

Best Consumer SLR Digital Camera

Imaging Resource Picks section. They're well known for their exhaustive testing of digital cameras. They investigate various aspects of each digital camera to help you pick the best one for your needs. But they know that sometimes you just want someone with experience to tell you which digital camera to buy. To serve that need, they've revamped their Picks to get straight to the point, listing your top digital camera choices by category.


Best Consumer SLR Digital Camera


Nikon D40
6.1 megapixels, 3.00x zoom
$494.78



A surprisingly excellent SLR that will take the market by storm We've been pleasantly surprised with the Nikon D40's excellent performance in low light and its simple grace as a day-to-day shooter. The Nikon D40 is a natural fit in most hands. Its controls are where they should be for easy use, and the D40 is a well-behaved guest at parties with its soft shutter sound. A big, bright LCD is great for reviewing photos from a wide variety of angles. The Nikon D40's low light performance at ISO 1,600 is startling, even without noise reduction turned on. It's so good that we don't really feel like we're pushing the D40 until we jump into ISO 3,200. The Nikon D40 stands up well against the competition -- even those with higher resolution -- with great image quality at all speeds, and near-perfect utility as a family camera. It's tough to ask for more. The Nikon D40 lives up to our expectations, and even exceeds them.


Canon EOS 400D Rebel XTi
10.1 megapixels, 3.00x zoom
$620.64



Seriously excellent digital SLR with improved autofocus and a three-stage anti-dust system My first experience with the Canon Digital Rebel XTi was positive. It offers more of what you'd seek from a higher-end camera like the Canon EOS 30D at a much lower price. It's also smaller and easier to bring along, which is no small consideration when you want quality pictures on vacation. It can't quite reach to the EOS 30D's ISO 3,200 mode (it's limited to ISO 1600), nor does it have the benefit of 1/8,000 second shutter speed (it's limited to 1/4,000). But the Rebel XTi has something no other EOS has: automatic dust removal and abatement technology, plus a way to digitally subtract dust when a more thorough manual cleaning isn't possible. This important technology will doubtless make it into other EOS cameras, but for now the Canon Rebel XTi is the only self-dusting digital SLR available from Canon. From what I've seen the Canon Digital Rebel XTi will be an excellent take-anywhere all-purpose digital SLR, and will now better serve as a second camera for owners of Rebel XT, 20D, 30D, and 5D cameras who want to keep a second body with a different focal length strapped around their neck. More pixels, a bigger LCD, and dust reduction are great, but faster AF is the true benefit to the Rebel XTi


Olympus EVOLT E-510
10.0 megapixels, 3.00x zoom
$656.53



The E-510 is a well-rounded SLR with more than a few tricks up its sleeve With just the right combination of features and a mature set of lenses, the Olympus E-510 gives the Four-Thirds system a strong contender in the ongoing battle of the digital SLRs. No longer trying to forge new body shapes, Olympus has crafted the E-510 to fit the hand well and lead the pack with innovative features. While matching the competition's standard specs of a 10 megapixel sensor, 2.5 inch LCD, and 3.1 frames per second, they've included their second generation Live View technology and sweetened the deal with sensor-shift image stabilization. As the Olympus E-410 wooed us with is svelte figure, the E-510 set about making better quality images and proving itself a fit rival for a place in your bag. As with all cameras, there are a few issues, but we were most impressed with the Olympus E-510's edge-to-edge image sharpness, thanks to the good quality kit lens; and its high ISO shots fared well against larger sensor designs. Live View, for its part, can easily be misunderstood, but its virtues are worth discovering, and make the E-510 a compelling choice for the creative photographer

Best Family Digital Camera

Imaging Resource Picks section. They're well known for their exhaustive testing of digital cameras. They investigate various aspects of each digital camera to help you pick the best one for your needs. But they know that sometimes you just want someone with experience to tell you which digital camera to buy. To serve that need, they've revamped their Picks to get straight to the point, listing your top digital camera choices by category.


Best Family Digital Camera

Canon PowerShot S3 IS
6.0 megapixels, 12.00x zoom
$307.01



Canon's flagship long zoom digicam gets better and better Offering a complete range of auto and manual exposure controls, the Canon PowerShot S3 IS is equally suited for novice users and experienced amateurs alike, with a big image-stabilized zoom for getting the shot no matter the situation. The Canon S3 IS's Auto mode keeps things simple for novices, while the manual settings offer the opportunity to take more control when you need it. Its 6.0-megapixel CCD captures high quality images, quite suitable for printing as large as 8x10-inches with good detail, and the increased sensitivity to ISO 800 with image stabilization is a better attack on red-eye than using the flash in red-eye reduction mode. The design is reasonably compact given the increased magnifying power of the 12x optical zoom lens, and the camera should fit in a larger coat pocket or be comfortable when using the neckstrap. The Canon S3 IS reaches beyond the normal limits by offering not only a long-ratio zoom lens, but a very effective image-stabilization system as well, that makes the long lens much more usable than it would be otherwise. Even at wide angle, image stabilization can help capture available light images without blur as low as 1/4 second shutter speeds. The Canon S3 IS also offers a movie mode capable of nonstop recording to the limits of the memory card's capacity, even at 640x480 resolution and a 30 frame/second frame rate. The PowerShot S3 IS is priced competitively, but its features and capabilities set it apart from the myriad camera choices in its price range, so the price will drop only slowly. If you're looking for a long-zoom camera with image stabilization that captures excellent photos and videos, the PowerShot S3 IS looks like a great choce.


Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H3
8.0 megapixels, 10.00x zoom
$271.51



Packed with features, the Sony H3 has a fast shutter, a long zoom, and turns out great 13x19-inch prints Sony has developed a knack for packing a lot of high-end value in the entry-level model of each of their digital camera lines. In the long-zoom H-Series, the Sony H3 continues that trend with a 10x optical zoom, Advanced Sports mode, a Bionz processor, face detection technology, High ISO, Super SteadyShot, in-camera editing, and HD output signal. Gone is the electronic viewfinder found on the other H-series digital cameras, and the Sony H3's LCD has shrunk from 3.0 to 2.5 inches. That, along with a move to lithium-ion power from AA power, makes the Sony Cyber-shot H3 a much smaller camera. The real appeal of the Sony H3, though, is its image output quality: ISO 100 shots look great at 13x19, and even ISO 400 shots look good at 11x14. A good candidate as the enthusiast's second camera, the Sony H3's fast shutter, 10x zoom, and image stabilization make it a great digital camera for anyone looking for a little more quality in a small, long zoom package

Best Enthusiast Digital Camera

Imaging Resource Picks section. They're well known for their exhaustive testing of digital cameras. They investigate various aspects of each digital camera to help you pick the best one for your needs. But they know that sometimes you just want someone with experience to tell you which digital camera to buy. To serve that need, they've revamped their Picks to get straight to the point, listing your top digital camera choices by category.


Best Enthusiast Digital Camera


Canon PowerShot G9
12.1 megapixels, 6.00x zoom
$474.36



Canon updates a classic "enthusiast" model, delivers a real winner! Sometimes, you just don't have the space or patience to lug along your SLR and several lenses, but still want good image quality, and plenty of manual control and flexibility to let your creativity express itself. That's where a camera like the Canon G9 comes in. The Canon G9 is the latest in one of the most famous product lines in the digicam industry, stretching all the way back to the original G1 first introduced in the Fall of 2000. The most recent G7 model drifted from its enthusiast-oriented roots a little bit, dropping RAW file capability, but that's been restored in the new G9. Old G-series fans will miss the original swivel-screen, but the big, bright 3" LCD on the G9 may console them a little. What most impressed us about the Canon PowerShot G9 though, was its image quality: Great color with loads of resolution. Like many high-megapixel cameras these days, it suffers a little from image noise at low ISO settings, but its important to keep in perspective just how fine-grained that noise will be at any reasonable print size. We found that even ISO 400 & 800 shots made surprisingly decent-looking 8x10 inch prints. Talk about detail: Who'd have imagined being able to make great-looking 16x20 prints from a "pocket" digital camera even a few years ago?


Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50
10.1 megapixels, 12.00x zoom
$481.11



Long zoom, high res digicam delivers great prints Panasonic's Lumix FZ50 takes the company into new territory in terms of resolution, matching the resolution of many popular SLRs, and exceeding their zoom abilities with one very long 12x, 35-420mm Leica zoom. Though the Panasonic FZ50 is as big as an SLR, there are a few tradeoffs in terms of image quality. The sensor's smaller size means that the noise suppression systems have to work harder to erase the considerable noise that occurs even at the Lumix FZ50's lowest ISO setting. That's the story for all 10-megapixel sensors in digicams, though. The good news is that the Panasonic FZ50's print performance is quite good, producing nice 13x19 inch prints. Our favorite feature is the FZ50's mechanical zoom mechanism, which does more to equal the framing control offered by an SLR. It also allows quiet zooming while capturing video, a little-noted problem for most long zoom digicams. It's all wrapped up with a refined Panasonic menu system with enough automatic and manual exposure modes to please all types of shooters. For those looking for a great all-purpose digicam and don't mind the extra heft and size, the Panasonic FZ50 is a great choice.