Smart Shopping: Digital Cameras

BACK TO: Consumer Reports: Smart Shopping

Your next digicam will let you shoot photos faster and better.

If you’re shopping for a digital camera, chances are it isn’t your first. And if you’re like many camera buyers, you’re looking for a model that addresses the biggest gripes about your current digital camera.

Many new point-and-shoot cameras—compact models and pocket-sized subcompacts—have made progress on problems including sluggish shooting and excessive power consumption. Digital SLRs, the descendants of single-lens-reflex film cameras, are becoming more popular because they avoid those and other problems.

But don’t join the SLR stampede too quickly. Weigh an SLR’s advantages against the convenience of pocket-sized subcompacts, or the versatility you’ll find in midsized compacts.

Almost all cameras in our Ratings take decent pictures. Your choice will depend a lot on whether you favor small size or extra photographic power and flexibility. Compact cameras, too big for a pocket but small enough to fit easily in a bag, remain the best choice for most people, especially if your budget is tight.

Small cameras continue to shrink and become sleeker, and many have an LCD that dominates the back and has better screen resolution than ever. Some compact models have LCDs that swing out from the camera body and swivel.

Other features trickling down from large modelsto quite a few small ones include manual controls.

Select models give you the ability to save images inthe RAW format, which stores the captured image before it has been processed and converted into a JPEG file by the camera’s built-in software. That maximizes your ability to control characteristics such as sharpness and color balance.

You’ll also find even modestly priced models with features such as image stabilization, which can compensate for camera shake and minimize blurring, and face detection, which helps when photographing people. The touch-screen technology found on the iPhone and other smart phones is showing up on the LCD screens of more digital cameras, and those screens are getting bigger.

If you already know the features you’re looking for, you might want to skip ahead to our Ratings. If this is your first digital camera or you just want a refresher on what to look for, read on.

WHAT’S AVAILABLE
The leading brands are Canon, Casio, Fujifilm, HP, Kodak, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax, Samsung, and Sony. Other brands come from electronics, computer, and traditional camera companies. General Electric is arecent entrant.

A growing number of cameras are subcompacts that fit in a pocket. They cost a bit more for the same capabilities and often come with compromises: shorter battery life, smaller controls, a zoom range usually no greater than 3x, and no viewfinder. Price: $140 to $400.

Mainstream compacts are too big to pocket but small enough for most handbags. The ones we tested recently weigh 6 to 18 ounces. Price: $80 to $600.

More serious cameras have the versatility and power to capture fast action or create photographic art under the most demanding light conditions. SLRs (single-lens reflex), the largest and heaviest type, offer the most versatility and power, including interchangeable lenses. As more people move to SLRs, some convenience features are also trickling up from small cameras. Examples include onscreen help guides and real-time or “live view” framing on the LCD rather than only through the viewfinder. Price: $400 to $1,700 for consumer models; professional models can cost thousands. SLR-like is what we term a category of digital cameras offering some SLR benefits for less money. They feature a more versatile lens than other point-and-shoots, although it’s built-in rather than interchangeable.

Most SLR-like cameras lack some SLR features, such as large image sensors and an optical through-the-lens finder, and aren’t as fast off-the-mark when the shutter is pressed. Price: $320 to $850.

FEATURES THAT COUNT
Digital cameras are distinguished by their resolution—how many pixels, or picture elements, the image sensor contains. One megapixel equals 1 million picture elements. A 6-megapixel camera can make excellent 8x10s and pleasing 11x14s.

There are also 7- to 12-megapixel models, including point-and-shoot ones. Those are well-suited for making larger prints or for maintaining sharpness if you want to use only a portion of the original image. Professional digital cameras use sensors with as many as 21 megapixels.

Most digital cameras are highly automated, with features such as automatic exposure control (which manages the shutter speed, aperture, or both according to available light) and autofocus.

Instead of film, digital cameras record their shots on flash-memory cards. Compact Flash (CF) and SecureDigital (SD) are the most widely used. Once quite expensive, these cards have tumbled in price—a 1-gigabyte card can now cost less than $15. Other types of memory cards used by cameras include Memory Stick Duo and xD.

To save images, you transfer them to a computer, typically by connecting the camera to the computer’s USB or FireWire port, or inserting the memory card into a special reader. Some printers can take memory cards and make prints without putting the images on a computer first. Image-handling software, like ACDSee, Adobe Photoshop Elements, Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo, or Ulead PhotoImpact, lets you resize, touch up, and crop digital images using your computer. All digital cameras work with Windows computers and Macs.

The file format commonly used for photos is JPEG, which is a compressed format. A select few high-end cameras can save photos in the uncompressed TIFF format, but this setting yields huge, storage-hogging files. Other high-end cam-eras have a RAW file format, which yields the image data with no processing from the camera and is often uncompressed.

The optical viewfinder is becoming increasingly rare, replaced by larger color LCD viewers. (Some are now as large as 3.5 inches.) These displays are accurate in framing the actual image you get—better than most optical viewfinders—but they might be hard to view in bright sunlight. You can also see shots you’ve already taken on the LCD viewer. Most digital cameras provide a video output, so you can view your pictures on a TV screen. Some even include HDMI outputs (either on the camera body or camera dock) that can be attached to an HDTV. But the cords or docks may cost extra.

Most models let you capture video and sound. Some let you record video in the high-quality MPEG4 format for up to 30 frames per second, up to the memory card’s capacity. The ability to record video in high-definition (though not in the MPEG4 format) is starting to show up.

A zoom lens provides flexibility in framing shots and closes the distance between you and your subject, ideal if you want to quickly switch to a close shot. The typical 3x zoom on mainstream cameras goes from a moderately wide-angle view (35 mm) to moderate telephoto (105 mm). You can find cameras with extended-zoom ranges between 8x and 18x, giving added versatility for outdoor photography. Other new cameras go down to 24 or 28 mm at the wide-angle end, making it easier to take in an entire scene in close quarters, such as a crowded party.

Optical zooms are better than digital zooms, which merely magnify the center of the frame without actually increasing picture detail.

Sensors in digital cameras are typically about as light sensitive as ISO 100 film, though many let you increase that setting. (At ISO 100, you’ll probably need to use a flash indoors and in low outdoor light.) A camera’s flash range tells you how far from the camera the flash will provide proper exposure.

If the subject is out of range, you’ll know to move closer. But digital cameras can tolerate some underexposure before the image suffers noticeably.

Red-eye reduction shines a light toward your subject just before the main flash. (A camera whose flash unit is farther from the lens reduces the risk of red eye. Computer editing of the image can also correct the problem.) With automatic flash mode, the camera fires the flash whenever the light entering the camera registers as insufficient. Some new cameras have built-in red-eye correction.

More and more cameras, including many with powerful telephoto lenses, now come with some form of image stabilizer. Stabilizers compensate for handheld camera shake, letting you use a slower shutter speed than you otherwise could without producing blur due to handshake.

But an image stabilizer won’t compensate for a subject’s motion. Optical and mechanical image stabilizers are the best types to use; some cameras include simulated stabilization to try to achieve the same effect.

Most new 6- to 10-megapixel compacts come with full manual controls, including independent controls for shutter and aperture. That gives serious shutterbugs control over depth of field, shooting action, or shooting scenes that have tricky lighting.

Face recognition is a handy new feature that makes sure that faces are in focus and properly lighted. Sony’s Smile Shutter feature takes face-detection technology a step further by shooting a photo of the subject when he or she smiles.

HOW TO CHOOSE
You can’t always depend on salespeople to help you choose the right camera. Readers indicate that the quality of in-store help is all over the map. Indeed, when our reporter shopped at mass merchandisers, as many consumers do, one salesperson told him that there was no difference between digital and optical zoom (optical is far more useful). Another couldn’t explain the differences among mechanical, optical, and simulated image stabilization (optical and mechanical are superior). Here’s what you need to know:

Shop by brand. Before diving into specific models, consider some characteristics by brand, culled from our years of digital-camera tests. For example, Fujifilm offers image sensors with proprietary technology that produce high image quality at high ISO settings. Kodak emphasizes simplicity and ease of use. Canon, Nikon, and Olympus offer full lineups for every type of user.

HP offers such innovative features as in-camera retouching and a “pet-eye” fix that removes the glow from a flash. Casio specializes in ultraslim models; Samsung offers cameras with high styling and multimedia features. Panasonic uses image stabilizers throughout its line, and Leica lenses. Sony uses Zeiss lenses, a brand well known in the camera world.

Beware the megapixel wars. Despite the increasing prevalence of 7- , 8- , 10- , and 12-megapixel cameras, 6 megapixels is all the resolution most people need. Higher resolution doesn’t necessarily produce better prints. Lenses and other design factors are important, too. In our most recent tests, some models with 6 or 7 megapixels had excellent print quality, while some with 10 megapixels had fair or good quality. If you often crop or drastically enlarge your images, get at least 7 megapixels.

If you need high resolution and impeccable quality, choose one of the compacts or SLRs that had excellent print or image quality in our tests. Shooting at a higher resolution without using a compressed format such as JPEG can fill your memory card and hard drive more quickly. Recently, though, more cameras can record on a new, higher-capacity card known as SDHC.

Weigh zoom trade-offs. Another feature to consider is an optical-zoom range greater than the 3x found on most cameras. (A zoom lens’s range is the ratio of its highest telephoto focal length to its lowest wide-angle length. For example, a zoom lens equivalent to a film camera’s 35- to 105-mm lens has a range of 3x.)

Greater zoom means greater weight and bulk, though a few pricey compacts manage to squeeze 10x into a package just a few ounces heavier than many basic compacts and slightly larger than many subcompacts. Don’t compromise on price, size, and weight for a zoom range greater than 3x unless you often shoot distant subjects such as wildlife and sporting events or need a very wide-angle lens for landscapes or group portraits. A greater proportion of this year’s compacts and subcompacts have a range above 3x, some as high as 7x, enough to make a distant figure fill the frame. SLR-like cameras typically have a 10x to 12x zoom range. As with an SLR, they allow precise zoom and focus control using a lens ring. An SLR’s zoom range depends on the lens mounted on it; the typical kit lens sold with most models offers the equivalent of about 3x magnification, though upgraded kit lenses offer more.

How much control do you want over exposure and composition? Cameras meant for automatic point-and-shoot photos, with a 3x zoom lens, will serve casual shooters as well as dedicated hobbyists much of the time. The full-featured cameras in the SLR-like category offer capabilities that the more dedicated photographer needs. Two of the more important are an optical zoom range of 5x to 10x or more, which lets you bring distant outdoor subjects close and also lets you shoot candid portraits without getting right in your subject’s face, and a full complement of manual controls that let you determine the shutter speed and lens opening.

Spring for an SLR if you want those attributes and more, and can afford a variety of lenses.

Among point-and-shoot cameras with built-in lenses, the highest ISO light-sensitivity setting has generally been 400, too low to make sharp, hand-held shots in dim light without a flash. Some modestly priced models have begun featuring settings of 1600 or even 3200, but results can be grainy and noticeably worse than those shot at equivalent settings using SLRs and the priciest point-and-shoots.

Forgo the extended warranty. Overall, digital cameras have been among the most reliable products in our subscriber surveys. Only about 5 percent of those purchased between 2004 and 2007 have been repaired or had a serious problem. Yet in our latest electronics-buying survey, more than 70 percent of digital camera buyers were pitched an extended warranty in stores and 15 percent bought one. We don’t think it pays to buy an extended warranty for a digital camera.

Once you’ve established the performance priorities that you need from a camera, consider these convenience factors:

Size and weight. The smallest, lightest models aren’t necessarily inexpensive 6-megapixel cameras. And the biggest and heaviest aren’t necessarily found at the high end. If possible, try cameras at a store before you buy. That way, you’ll know which one fits your hands best. In our tests, some of the smallest didn’t leave much room even for small fingers.

Battery type and life. All digital cameras run on rechargeable batteries, either an expensive battery pack or a set of AAs. In our tests, neither type had a clear performance advantage. The best-performing cameras offer around 500 or more shots on a charge, while the worst manage around 125.

We think it’s more convenient to own a camera that accepts AA batteries. You can buy economical, rechargeable cells (plus a charger) and drop in a set of disposable lithium or alkaline batteries if the rechargeables run down in the middle of shooting.

Camera speed. With point-and-shoot cameras like those we tested, you have to wait after each shot as the camera processes the image. Most models let you shoot an image every couple of seconds, but a few make you wait 5 seconds or more.

Your other cameras. If you own a film camera with interchangeable lenses, you can often use the lenses on digital SLRs of the same brand. There are exceptions: for example, some new Nikon bodies only operate autofocus on its AF-S or AF-I lenses.