Buy a digital camera in 15 minutes

Posted on 10 Mar 2009 at 11:08

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

 1 of 7

Gallery

While we're on the subject of specific features for niche users, we should draw your attention to a couple of other cameras. In most respects, Casio's EX-FH20 (which was reviewed in What's New, Shopper 251) is a decent but unremarkable ultra-zoom camera. However, it distinguishes itself with two highly unusual features: slow-motion video and the ability to capture 40 photo frames in just a second. It's not cheap, costing around £350 including VAT, but it's great for wildlife photography and science projects.

Waterproof cameras are also worthy of mention here. Housings are available for certain cameras. Fujifilm's WP-FXF100 housing, for example, is designed to protect the F100fd camera. However, these are expensive at over £100. If you want an affordable waterproof camera, consider Pentax's Optio W60.

Finally, if you have a weakness for desirable, feature-laden gadgets, you should check out Panasonic's groundbreaking DMC-G1. It's overpriced at £500, but it's extremely capable and by far the coolest camera currently on the market.

Three's company

By now, you should be able to navigate the questions in the flowchart with confidence as you work your way down to the appropriate branch. At the end of each branch there are up to three recommendations. Let's quickly explain how these work.

The Best models are suitable for most people. You'll notice that the prices vary widely. This gives you an idea of the kinds of prices you can expect to pay for a point-and-shoot camera compared to an ultra-zoom or SLR. However, it's possible that the recommended camera doesn't match your budget.

If funds are scarce, consider our Budget recommendations. These won't beat the Best cameras for image quality and there may be a few compromises when it comes to other features and performance. However, they're still excellent value. We've already outlined the Kodak Z8612 IS's lack of manual focus and a viewfinder. It's also quite slow and its 12x zoom is smaller than the Panasonic FZ28's 20x zoom. However, its image quality compares surprisingly well and it's a bargain at less than half the price of the FZ28.

Our Premium recommendations are for those who are willing to pay extra for added luxury. Image quality is a notch up in each case, and these cameras tend to be more responsive. Their designs are more alluring and they include various extra features. Fujifilm's F100fd has a 5x zoom wide-angle lens, while Panasonic's DMC-LX3 has superior hands-on controls and records video in high definition.

Don't worry, be happy

There are a few things that you don't need to worry about when picking a camera from our flowchart, because we have already taken them into account when recommending the best model for each camera type and budget.

Just to reassure you, performance is something we've taken very seriously. We've tested how quickly each camera switches on, focuses and takes repeated shots (with and without flash, and in continuous shooting mode). Some Budget recommendations (specifically, Kodak's Z8612 IS and Pentax's M50) are slower than we'd like, and Fujifilm's F100fd doesn't exactly excel for performance, but these cameras more than make up for it in terms of their image quality and features. All the others are up to scratch for performance.

Other important areas include battery life, the layout of controls and menus, build quality and quality-enhancing features such as optical image stabilisation and face detection. Again, our recommendations have taken these factors into account when establishing the best models in each category and budget.