Best Budget Digital Compact Cameras

Fujifilm FinePix F70EXR
"The Fujifilm FinePix F70EXR produces very good out-of-the-camera JPEG images with low noise and amazing dynamic range at a frankly astonishing price."
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Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZX1
"...an otherwise excellent pocket camera that's easy to recommend if you don't need more advanced manual controls or the best possible HD video. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZX1's combination of size, speed and that remarkable lens is simply too compelling to ignore."
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Canon Powershot A2000 IS
"Beginners will love it - the A2000 is a camera that produces excellent images in good light, covers a large focal range for such a small camera thanks to the 6x zoom lens, and has a massive 3 inch LCD screen on the back that can be viewed from a wide angle."
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Ricoh Caplio R10
"The Ricoh R10 builds on the winning design of its predecessor, the R8 model, by including a handful of minor new features that add up to make this the best Ricoh R-series camera yet."
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Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W300
"could be said to be ideally suited to its target market of the undemanding snapper who requires visual aide memoirs delivered with the minimum of fuss."
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Canon Digital IXUS 870 IS
"I can happily recommend the Canon Digital IXUS 870 IS to anyone who is looking for a small, carry-anywhere camera that feels responsive in use and produces more than acceptable image quality."
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Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ7
"The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ7 is easy to recommend to anyone looking for a compact, pocketable point-and-shoot camera that takes great photos with the added bonus of HD video."
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Fujifilm Finepix F200EXR
"In a world of look-a-like digital cameras with ever-increasing megapixel counts, the Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR is a veritable breath of fresh air. If you're even remotely interested in getting the best-quality photos straight out of the camera, then the F200EXR is for you"
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Ricoh Caplio CX1
"If image quality is of prime importance, then the Ricoh CX1 is well worth a look...If you don't mind the lack of manual controls, the CX1 makes a great pocket camera for the keen photographer."
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Fujifilm Finepix S8100fd
"On that note the Fujifilm FinePix S8100fd comes recommended. There may be better performing bridge models or super zooms out there, but not many in the S8100fd's class."
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Canon Powershot SX110 IS
"For first time adopters, though, the SX110 IS remains a user-friendly jack-of-all-trades and there's no underestimating the usefulness of a larger zoom than most compacts with an otherwise similar under-the-bonnet specification would feature."
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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ38
"Panasonic have widely resisted the temptation to change the FZ-series template too much, whilst adding enough new features to justify upgrading from earlier models. It may not offer the most megapixels, widest or longest zoom, or the biggest screen, but it does still offer a well-balanced and full-featured overall package that's still our pick of the super-zoom crowd."
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Ricoh GR Digital III
"The Ricoh GR Digital III is a thinking photographer's dream camera, offering a wealth of features, superb handling, almost infinite customisation, fast operation, and excellent image quality. Only the massive price hike to £529.99 / $699 prevents us from awarding it our highest Essential! / 5 star rating."
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Canon Powershot G11
"...the most notable thing about the G11 is that Canon has stopped playing the numbers game and is trusting the camera's target audience to realize that there's more to digital photography than ever increasing helpings of megapixels with each successive product."
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Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1
"The Panasonic DMC-GF1 is a natural evolution of the Micro Four Thirds format, offering similar functionality to the G1 and GH1 models in a smaller and lighter body. The GF1 isn't perfect, but it is one of my favourite cameras of 2009."
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Olympus E-P1
"The EP-1 represents a significant upgrade for compact owners who don't want the bulk of a DSLR, and a great second camera for DSLR users who want something smaller without sacrificing image quality, ultimately satisfying the needs of both groups."
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Fujifilm FinePix S200EXR
"...the Fujifilm FinePix S200EXR brings the EXR success story to a new audience, offering a compelling combination of excellent image quality and handling at a more affordable price than before."
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Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1
"...the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 offers a fantastically well-implemented Live View experience in a small and portable DSLR-like format with the addition of an intuitive video mode that mere mortals, and not just experienced videographers, can produce great results with."
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Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3
"...the new Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 certainly fulfills its remit of being a premium system camera which challenges the likes of the Ricoh GR and GX series cameras, the Canon Powershot G9 and the Sigma DP1."
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Ricoh GX200
"At first glance the GX200 seems very similar to it predecessor, but after a week's shooting it quickly becomes evident that this camera is much more refined, both in terms of speed and features - the only thing lacking is any improvement in image quality. If you can live with the noise at ISO 400 and faster, the Ricoh GX200 is a great backup to your DSLR, and a fantastic pocket camera is its own right."
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Pentax K-x
"The new Pentax K-x occupies the sweet spot between the entry-level K-m and prosumer K-7 cameras, combining the ease-of-use of the former with many of the advanced features of the latter. The 4.7 fps continuous shooting speed, speedy and accurate 11-point AF system, HD movies and an extensive ISO range of 100-12800 mean that Pentax should be onto a real winner with the new K-x."
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Nikon D3000
"As with the Nikon range topping D3x, with the D3000 at the very opposite end of the scale, its manufacturer is again providing the photographer (fledgling in this case) with their own virtual 'wingman', delivering essential aid whilst leaving them to get on with the business of taking photos."
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Sony A350
"With an aggressively affordable price-tag of less than £500 / $400 with the 18-70mm kit lens, the Sony A350 is a compelling reason to join the DSLR world, and a worthy recipient of our highest Essential! rating."
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Pentax K-m
"...the K-m continues the recent Pentax tradition of producing well-thought out DSLRs that offer great image quality. The new Pentax K-m may not feature any great surprises, but it does offer an easy path into the often-confusing world of SLR photography."
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Sony A200
"It may not be the most exciting camera on paper, with no Live View and "only" a 10 megapixel sensor, but in practice it's an easy-to-use, solid proposition from which you can confidently upgrade in the future to a more feature-rich model."
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Pentax K-7
"Overall Pentax are onto a winner with the K-7, especially if the sensor change in the final, final version improves the noise levels at the higher ISO speeds. Current Pentax owners can be delighted that the best ever Pentax DSLR is has (almost) arrived, with the K-7 being a natural upgrade for both the Km and K20D."
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Olympus E-620
"It's one of the cheapest and most full-featured mid-range SLR cameras, with great ease-of use, compact size and light weight, and excellent image quality in good light. This camera certainly lives up to its official billing as "The Olympus E-620: All our knowledge in one", and is our pick of the current range of Olympus DSLRs."
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Canon EOS 500D
"So in summary, the new Canon EOS 500D / Digital Rebel T1i is a much-improved DSLR camera that's easily worthy of our Highly Recommended award. It doesn't quite merit our full 5-star rating due to the combination of its high recommended retail price and quirky video mode, but the 500D is still one of the best mid-range DSLRs around."
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Nikon D90
"The bottom line is that if you are looking for a high-performance yet affordable DSLR for taking high-resolution still photographs of varied subjects, I can highly recommend the Nikon D90 to you."
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Canon EOS 50D
"Canon have mainly placed their bets on the combination of the new 15 megapixel sensor and Digic 4 processor, hoping that the headline-grabbing pixel count will steal the limelight - thankfully this hasn't come at the expense of image quality. Both prosumer and professional photographers should give the Canon EOS 50D serious consideration."
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Sony A700
"Offering a compelling combination of intuitive design and handling, sophisticated functionality and excellent image quality, the Sony A700 is an easy DSLR camera to recommend...the Sony A700 is a fantastic DSLR camera that only narrowly misses out on our coveted Essential / 5 Star award."
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Nikon D300s
"To us it seems that the majority of D300 owners aren't likely to switch to the D300s unless they've been specifically waiting for one or more of the improvements it offers, but everyone else in the market for a capable and high-quality DSLR should seriously consider this camera, which easily earns our 'Highly Recommended' rating."
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Canon EOS 7D
"When the Canon EOS 7D was announced at the beginning of September 2009, many people instantly dismissed it because of the lack of a full-frame sensor. On closer inspection, that seems to be their loss, as the 7D is a fantastic APS-C DSLR that only narrowly misses out on our highest 5 Star / Essential award."
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Nikon D3x
", for such a high end camera the D3x is surprisingly intuitive to use, controls feels just right, are clearly marked, reasonably sized and the camera responds instantly to each button press or rotation of command dial."
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Sony A900
"In terms of image quality, the A900 is also hard to find fault with. The resolution is jaw-dropping, the dynamic range is fantastic, the tonality is great and the colours are pleasing."
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Canon EOS 5D Mark II
"Whilst not perfect, the new Canon EOS 5D Mark II ultimately strikes a great balance between resolution, quality and performance, offering a fantastic all-round package that just deserves our highest Essential rating..."
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Nikon D3
"...the fact that the Nikon D3 is (currently) pretty much peerless means this is a rare occasion of a camera deserving the full compliment of review stars."
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Olympus E-3
"...the E-3 presents a viable option for those not already wedded to a particular system. Or as David Bailey quipped to fellow photographic legend Barry Lategan at Olympus' E-3 press preview: "seen the new camera, Barry? It's good, innit?"."
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Nikon D700
"...the Nikon D700 looks and handles closer to the D300 than D3, in terms of controls and layouts, whilst of course featuring the D3's full frame capture ability, but in a lighter and smaller design. As such it comes across as a kind of 'greatest hits' of Nikon DSLRs."
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Epson Stylus Photo R2880
"The increase in dMax, while subtle, makes the already solid black and white performance even better. Combined with the lack of metamerism, this printer should be at the top of your list in the 13”x19” size."
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ColorMunki Photo
"X-Rite has a real winner with the ColorMunki Photo. Combining monitor calibration with printer profiling at a reasonable price, the ColorMunki Photo should take care of all your color management needs."
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Epson P-7000 Multimedia Storage Viewer
"The Epson P-7000 is a clear winner when it comes to portable storage devices. Battery life is good and would be more than enough to last the typical user a full day... this certainly isn't a cheap device, but the quality is first rate, and it beats the heck out of lugging a laptop for image storage."
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Wacom Cintiq 12wx
"As a reviewer, I get to play with lots of fun products. Most of them go back at the end of the review without hesitation. The Wacom Cintiq 12wx is one of the rare items that comes through that has me digging out my wallet to buy."
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HP Photosmart B9180
"Overall, the HP B9180 is hard to beat. The image quality is first rate, and with the move to pigment inks the print life and media options are excellent."
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