Best Budget Digital Compact Cameras

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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Fujifilm FinePix F60fd
"...we can highly recommend it as an intuitive, attractive, competitively priced pocket camera that takes pictures that are every bit the equal of its more expensive rivals."
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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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Canon Powershot G10
"The new Canon Powershot G10 carries on where the previous G9 model left off, further establishing the G-series as a realistic alternative to an entry-level DSLR camera, or backup compact for a pro user."
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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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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28
"...thanks to it's essential core feature of that excellent Leica-branded lens, which exhibits very little barrel or pin-cushion distortion despite the huge zoom range, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28 remains the super-zoom camera to beat."
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Fujifilm FinePix S100FS
"If you can overcome that price tag – or hunt down a more enticing price online, which doesn't force an either/or purchase between this and a mid-range DSLR, then the Fujifilm FinePix S100FS is easily worthy of a Highly Recommended verdict from the PhotographyBLOG ratings board."
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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 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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Nikon D60
"...the D60 is a compelling option for users of compact digital cameras looking to upgrade to a DSLR. The additional new features, and particularly when purchased with that VR lens, mean that we can award the D60 our Highly Recommended rating."
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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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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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Pentax K20D
"At first glance the Pentax K20D simply looks like an incremental upgrade of the K10D, with relatively few additions on offer apart from the headline-grabbing 14 megapixel resolution. Whilst the increased image size is certainly worthy of attention, Pentax have made a substantial number of improvements underneath the surface that add up to make the K20D a really compelling DSLR camera."
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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 D300
"Though that body-only price tag may appear decidedly steep to the average consumer, the pro will consider the D300 something of a bargain, particularly if he/she already has a collection of compatible optics waiting in a kit bag."
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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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