Best Budget Digital Compact Cameras

Canon IXUS 230 HS
"If you're looking for a budget digital compact camera for either yourself or as a present and you want good quality and good picture performance then you need to take a serious look at the new Canon IXUS 230 HS."
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Fujifilm FinePix Z900EXR
"It's a shame that there isn't a "Camera that looks like a budget model but performs like a prosumer" award because the Fujifilm Finepix Z900EXR is a strong contender."
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Pentax Optio H90
"Given its overall plus points it's a shame therefore that Pentax lacks the marketing budget and spend of its electronic company rivals when it comes to shouting about its products. Scoring highly across most categories, there's a time and place for humility, but the Pentax Optio H90 isn't it."
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Fujifilm FinePix F80EXR
"Despite all the new features, the F80EXR retains the same very attractive official retail price of £229.99 / $299.95 as its predecessor, easily making it one of the most capable mid-range compact cameras around."
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Samsung PL150
"Even ignoring the secondary screen, the PL150 is still a well-appointed and stylish camera, making it worthy of our Highly Recommended award."
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Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX9V
"The Sony CyberShot DSC-HX9V is the best travel-zoom camera that we've reviewed to date, taking on and beating the market-leading Panasonic DMC-TZ20."
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Canon Powershot S95
"The Canon PowerShot S95 addresses virtually all of the issues that detracted from its predecessor - most notably the lack of HD video and sky-high price - whilst further improving the handling and customisation. Current S90 owners won't find too many reasons to upgrade, but the S95 is an even more attractive proposition as a serious compact for serious users."
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Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5
"Our test of whether we truly liked a camera or not is always whether we're reluctant to give it back to the relevant PR person, and we have to say that was the case with the LX5."
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Canon PowerShot SX230 HS
"The new Canon PowerShot SX230 HS is a more sensibly priced and better-specced challenger to the market-leading Panasonic TZ-series, going head to head with the TZ20, which it actually betters on paper in quite a few aspects."
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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ150
"Having the ability to shoot everything from wide-angle landscapes to close-up action shots and capture some of the best quality video on the market, all from one light and relatively compact device, is a real attraction of this camera..."
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Fujifilm FinePix X100
"The Fujifilm Finepix X100 is one of the most surprising, appealing and well-realised cameras of recent times, offering a compelling mix of intuitive handling, impeccable image quality, and a truly innovative viewfinder."
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Samsung EX1
"The EX1 is a serious photographic tool that concentrates on delivering high quality images with the minimum of fuss, yet can still be carried in your pocket. The lack of any HD video mode or burst RAW shooting are annoying, but the refined handling, bullet-proof build quality and great photos more than make up for the EX1's few real deficiencies."
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Olympus XZ-1
"In summary the Olympus XZ-1 is a very attractive and well thought-out - if a bit expensive - digital compact camera that appeals to a wide range of users and presents a real threat to the likes of the Canon Powershot S95, Panasonic Lumix LX5 and Samsung EX1."
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Canon Powershot G12
"If you want an all-in-one camera that offers a tried and trusted user interface, speedy performance, excellent image quality and a versatile screen, the Canon Powershot G12 is very easy to recommend."
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Fujifilm FinePix HS10
"With a wealth of innovative features, shooting modes for every experience level, not to forget that amazing 30x zoom, the Fujifilm Finepix HS10 is one of the best super-zooms around and also a viable alternative to a DSLR camera."
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Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3
"The Lumix DMC-G3 is the most well-rounded Panasonic compact system camera to date, offering a great mix of cutting-edge features, improved image quality, intuitive and customisable handling, and a very competitive price."
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Olympus E-PM1
"The new Olympus E-PM3 is a great start to a new series of smaller, lighter and sexier PEN cameras, taking the design cues of the E-PL3 further without sacrificing too much in the way of features or ease-of-use."
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Sony NEX-5N
"...a winning combination of excellent image quality even in low-light, a refined and customisable interface, and fast and responsive operation does make the Sony NEX-5N one of our current favourites."
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Olympus E-P3
"A strong '4.5 out of 5' then and a Photography Blog recommendation for the Olympus E-P3, by some distance the best Pen yet."
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Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2
"The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 offers a winning combination of high-quality stills and video, proven handling and design, and a more affordable price-tag - it's simply the most complete interchangeable lens camera currently available for people who want to shoot in both formats."
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Samsung NX11
"Although the Samsung NX11 won't win any awards for originality, it is the best Samsung compact system camera yet and does just enough to remain competitive in an increasingly crowded market."
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Sony A33
"The Sony A33 turns conventional design on its head to provide what is in many ways a better user experience than traditional DSLRs can achieve, at a price point that Canon and Nikon must be worried about."
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Nikon D5100
"The Nikon D5100 successfully bridges the gap between the beginner-friendly approach of the D3100 and the more complex D7000, with the latter's fantastic 16 megapixel sensor being the icing on the proverbial cake."
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Pentax K-r
"The Pentax K-r adds a few new features, most notably the 6fps burst shooting mode and expanded ISO range, to the proven user interface of the cheaper K-x and the high-resolution screen and illuminated AF system of the more expensive K-7, to create a compelling mid-range DSLR. It's also significantly cheaper than its main rivals."
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Canon EOS 1100D
"The EOS 1100D / T3 is a great entry-level DSLR camera that's well-suited to its beginner target audience. The combination of proven metering, auto-focus and processing systems with a sensible 12 megapixel sensor and simplified control layout is a winning one."
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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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Sony A65
"The Sony A65 represents a significant upgrade for Sony's mid-range DSLRs, offering a feature-set and performance that few other rivals can match. The new 24.3 megapixel sensor offers greatly increased resolution without impacting on low-light performance or operational speed..."
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Nikon D7000
"The Nikon D7000 is a successful crossbreed of the cheaper D90 and the more expensive D300s, borrowing features from each model and adding enough new highlights to surpass them both in many ways."
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Canon EOS 600D
"...the Canon EOS 600D / Rebel T3i cleverly occupies a position that's mid-way between the 550D and the 7D without being subjected to a price increase on launch. It's the most capable yet friendly Rebel yet, and easily worthy of our Highly Recommended award."
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Pentax K-5
"The Pentax K-5 combines the proven design of the K-7 with an exciting new 16.3 megapixel APS-C sensor to create an appealingly well-specified, intuitive and customisable DSLR with few real drawbacks. "
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Sony A580
"...the larger and easier-to-use A580 with its trusty optical viewfinder is a great DSLR, and thanks to its 16 megapixel sensor, full HD video and improved AF system, also a real rival to similar offerings from Canon and Nikon."
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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 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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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 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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Olympus E-5
"The Olympus E-5 is an exceptionally well-built and rugged digital SLR camera that is a joy to use and produces remarkably crisp images with great colours, and resolution that defies its pixel count."
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Epson Stylus Photo R3000
"The Epson Stylus Photo R3000 is a big step-up from the older R2880 model, if not in print quality then certainly in terms of design, features, connectivity and ease-of use."
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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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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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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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