miliar brand names for less than $200. There are also more digital SLRs priced under $1,000, including two head-to head competitors that cost $600.
took decent pictures. Your choice will de pend 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
a section of th e image from the sensor, almost always result ing in a degraded image.
grow sleeker, and many have an LCD that dominates the back and has better screen resolution than ever. Some models have LCDs that swing out from the camera body and swivel, helping to compensate for the traditional viewfinders many models now lack. Other features trickling down from large models to quite a few small ones include manual controls and the ability to save images in the RAW format which stores the captured image before it has been processed and converted into a file by the camera's built-in software. That maximizes your ability to control characteristics such as sharpness and color balance. Consider a high-priced compact or SLR-like camera if you want lots of con trol over exposure and composition or you want to shoot close-ups of distant
CR BEST BUY The Samsung L77, $250, offers 7-megapixel resolution, an electronic image stabilizer, and a nonprotruding 7x optical zoom-rare in a camera less than an inch thick.

CONSUMER REPORTS

NOVEMBER 2007 Expert Independent Nonprofit
at least 7 m egapixels. If you n eed high resolu tion an d impec cab le quality, choose one of the high re solution com p acts or SLRs that h ad exc ellent print or im age qua lity in our tests. Sh ooting a t a high er resolution with ou t usi ng a com pressed format such as JP EG can fill your me m ory card and h ard drive more quic kly Thi s year; though, more ca meras ca n r ecord on a n ew; higher capacity ca rd known as SDHC. If high re s olution isn' t critic al, a model in our Ratings with very good image quality and 6 or 7 m egap ixels of resolution should be fin e. Among p oint-and-shoot ca me ras, the hi ghest ISO lig h t -sensitivity setting has ge n er ally been 400, too low to make sh arp h a ndheld shots in dim light with out a flash. Som e mo de stly priced mod els h ave b egun featu ri ng settings of 1600 or even 3200, but resul ts can be grainy and n otice ab ly worse th an th ose shot at equival en t se ttings u sing SLR s and the priciest point -an d-shoots. If yo u 'r e attr acted to a p articular su bc om p act or com p ac t b e ca us e of its h igh ISO se ttings, check its performan ce in our Rat in gs and make sure you ca n return it at n o cos t if its low light results are disappointing.
These have lower resolut ion and smaller LCOs th an the ir high-rat ed siblings. th e Canon Powershot A(1) and A630 (3) And neith er offe rs manual controls, which t hose model s do. But their pe r formance is solid across the boa rd, and they have a 4x optica l zoom, the highest of the group. Canon PowerShot A460

Kodak EasyShare C653

Competent though slower than most: Kodak EasyShare C653 (6 MP), $140 Nikon Coolpix LlO (5 MP), $120 Pentax Optio M30 (7 MP), $190 Olympus FE-21O (7 MP ), $140 These will ta ke decent pictures, but more slowly than the best models in th e Rat ings. Shutte r lag is 1 sec ond (1'1, seco nds for the Kodak). The Nikon is the only budget su bcompact tested, a nd it has face det ect ion, as does th e Penta x. The Olympus has a built-in help guide, but its next-shot de lay is 3 seco nds, the longes t of the budget models. Too slow for action-packed scenes:
Polaroid T737 (7 MP), $180 This has th e biggest LCD of the gro up, at 3 inches, but its image quality is fair to middling. Next-sh ot delay is a full 5 seco nds, lon ger than a ny rated model while sh utt er lag is also on th e slow side, at 1'1, seco nds.
NOVEMB ER www.ConsumerReports.org

CAN O N

The biggest model selection. Compacts are known as Power Shots. The moderately priced PowerShot A series is less likely than the Sand G lines to have features such as image stabilization. (G models use proprietary batteries; most other Canon compacts use AAs.) Canon's subcompacts are known as SD ELPHs. The Digital Rebel series helped define budget SLRs. Other SLRs include a host of pro and "prosumer" models. In August Canon announced two high-end models, the $1,300, 10 megapixel EOSAOD, with a live preview LCD, and the $8,000, 21-megapixel EOS lOs Mark III. Canon also offers a wider selection of lenses than most brands.

FUJ1F1Lt1 (FINEPIX)

Polnt-and-shoot features, from basic to sophisticated. The budqet A series is the lowest priced. A step up is the F series, which offers more advanced features. The Z series are the subcompacts. FinePix models include face detection, high ISO capabilities, and practical features such as the ability to fire two quick shots , with and without flash. Most. new models have. a slot for the expensive xD cards and another for cheaper SD. Certain models in the SLR-like S series are larqe, with an optical zoom range of lOx or greater. The pricey FinePix S Pro series SLRs target pro shooters. Fujifilm doesn't offer lenses, but models accept Nikon or compatible lenses from third-party manufacturers.

KODA K (EASYSH A RE)

Cameras made simple. Kodak focuses on ease of use, as indicated by its brand tagline and features such as Smart Scene mode, which automatically selects specialty modes. The budget C series includes some of the cheapest compacts available. Higher-end Z-, po, and newer M-series compacts have longer zooms and more sophisticated features. The V series of subcompacts offers some of the most unusual point-and shoot features, including Bluetooth wireless and innovative dual-lens/dual sensor designs. Kodak doesn't offer SLRs.

HP (P HOTOSMA RT )

Inexpensive cameras targeted to the general consumer. Photosmart compacts, which range from the budget E and M series to the advanced R series, have a very narrow range of technical specifications. Some of the more innovative features offered in this line recently include a slimming feature, blemish removal, and pet red-eye removal. Most zooms are close to 3x; no model features image stabilization. Many models offer practical guides, including tips, in their menu interface for novices. HP doesn't offer SLRs.

NOVEM BER 07

Expert Ind ep en d ent Nonprofit

N IKON

SLR leader also offers innovative point-and shoots. Coolpix comp acts and subcompacts are divided into three seriesa budget L, ste p-up S, and high -end P. Nikon has int roduced more of these models with wireless features than any other company. Like Canon's SLR lineup, Nikon's D ser ies offers cameras for ever y
SLR user and budget and a wide range of lenses. Nikon' s SLR bodies are typically less expensive th an Canon's. In August, Nikon introduced two high -end mod els: the $1, 800, 12 mega pixel D300 with a live preview LCD and th e $5,000, 12-megapi xel D3.

OLYM PUS

Groundbreaklng 't echnologies in niche markets. Budget FE. series compact s have built-in help guides and empha size simple operation. Olympusrecently offered some groundbreaking technologies in both point-and-shoot lines and Evolt SLRs. High end $P compacts have featured ver y long zooms. Select Stylus subco mpacts have been water-resistant, waterproof, shockproof, and crushpro of. All point-and-shoots use the slightl y more expensive xD memory cards. Evolt SLRs were the first wit h Iive preview LCDs. Olympus offers a reasonable range of lenses.

SAMSU N G

Up-and-comer In compacts and subcompacts. Has produ ced some very inexpensive compact digital cameras. Its pricier subcompact NV series includes an innovat ive navigation interface. The GX series of SLRs are essentially rebranded Pentax K-series SLRs. Samsung offers a limited selecti on of lenses.

PANASON IC (LU MIX)

.On the move with image stabilization. Ever y Lum ix, from th e top SLR-like FZ series cameras to the budget. LZ and LS series, has opt ical stabilization. FX-series subcompacts feature several modes and auto features ; high-end LX can capture photos in 16:9 'asped mode, while the TZ-serie s compacts sport superzooms. t.urnlx camera s offer great value when th ey combine optical image stabilization wlth.lnnovattons such as intelligent ISO, which auto matically raises the camera sensor 's sensitivity when it detec ts mot ion, allow ing faster shutter speed. Panasonic has been among. th e more reli abl e point-and-shootbrand s. Panasonic offers two L-series SLR bodi es and some lenses.
Premium style, premium price. Sony offers innova
tions at relatively high prices. Cyber-shot compact s and subcompact s offer distinctions such as t ouch screens and sleek bodi es; In recent tests , Sonys have beaten most brands in shutter lag and next- shot dela two comm on complaints. All Sony point-and-shoots. use proprietary (and pri cey) Memory Stick storage. The Wand S series are budget lines. High-end H- and G-series compact s and premium N- and T-series sub compacts tend to be pricier than other brands. A new comer to SLRs, Sony offers on e series, Alpha, with tw bodie s and a reasonable range of lenses.

NOV EMB ER 2007

www.ConsumerReports.org 39
image stabilization, and face detection.) The Fujifilm has very good next-shot delay,
good shutter lag, and an image stabilizer. For flexible editing and composition:

10 Canon (10 MP) $500

This has 6x zoom range, excellent next shot delay, good shutter lag, an image
stabilizer, manual controls, manual focus,
optical viewfinder, and face detection.
(Also available: the 12-megapixel Power Shot G9, $500, with RAW-file capability and 3-inch LCD.) For a camera that fits in a pocket: 20 Sony (10 MP) $Sony (7 MP) $250

22 Panasonic (7 MP) $350

24 Canon (7 MP) $310
26 Samsung (7 MP) $250, CR Best Buy
The Sonys both have excellent picture quality, excellent next-shot delay, and very good shutter lag. The Sony (20) has
manual controls. The Panasonic has ex cellent next-shot delay, very good shutter lag, wide-angle capability, and an optical image stabilizer. The Canon has excel
lent next-shot delay, very good shutter
lag, wide-angle capability, optical view
finder, and an optical image stabilizer. (Also available: the 8-megapixel 5087015 ELPH, $400, with a 3-inch LCD but no viewfinder.) The Samsung has very good next-shot delay, good shutter lag, 7x

optical zoom, an image stabilizer, and MPEG4 video.

'"

U P F G VG E 0:: en (/) z 2: 5: 0 ---' c:: COMPACT CAMERAS For those who want thebasics at a lowprice or advanced features.
Canon PowerShot A640 Canon PowerShot A710 IS Canon PowerShot A630 Canon PowerShot S3 IS Olympus SP-510 UZ Fujifilm FinePix E900 Fujifilm FinePix F31fd Nikon Coolpix SIO Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3 Canon PowerShot G7
4x 2.4 13.8 6x 2.5 11.5 4x 2.4 13.2 17.1 12.1 lOx 2.4 14.8 4x 3x 2.4 21.13.8 2.4 13.1

[;l~ 3 4

[;l~ 7

9 lOx 2.5 17.7

9 lOx 6x 8

ee 0 0

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11 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-G1
12 Canon PowerShot TXl 13 14

3x 3.4 9.2

Nikon Coolpix P5000 HP Photosmart R927 HP Photosmart R837 Olympus FE-200

9 lOx 1.8 6.3x 3 15.6

8 3.5x 2.4 26.2 e o ~e

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15 Olympus SP-550UZ 16

17 Samsung NV7 OPS 18

18x 2.4 14.8 o e~ e
3x 3 13.6 7x 2.4 5x 3x 19 2.7 8.2 o e~~ 2.5 17.1 ~ O~O

19 Olympus Stylus 1000

Guide to the Ratings
Overall score is based mainly on picture quality, the presence of useful features, battery life, and w Displayed scores are rounded; models are listed in order of precise overall score. Megapixels is the r tion in millions of pixels. Weight includes battery and included memory. Optical zoom refers to the ra focal lengths. LCD size is measured diagonally. Flash range is the manufacturer's claimed maximu tance in auto mode with lens at wide angle. Picture quality is based on expert judgments on a refe monitor of images made with each camera's best resolution and compression settings. Battery life cates how many highest-quality photos were taken with the batteries supplied (if they were propr ones) or rechargeable nickel-metal hydride AAs; alternate shots used flash, and the zoom lens was rac

NOVEMBER 2007

Expert Independent Nonprortt

3.3.8x 2.4 1

repair ed or had a serio us pr oblem. Diff ences of less than 3 poin ts are not meanin ful. Models wit hin a bra nd might vary, a change s in design or manufacture mi affect reliability. Still, choosing a brand w a good repair history can improve you r od of get ting a reliable mode l.

DIGITAL CAMERAS

Fewer +repairs P anasonic Sony Ol ympus Ko dak C anon

I3fm 2 6

3x 2.6.7 7x 3x 7x 2.1.5 2.4 14.8 2.4 7.2

"

2.8 3x 2.8 1
3x 2.4 11.5 3x 2.4 9.8 3x 2.3.1

3x 2.8 11.8 6.4

3x 2.3x 3x 3x 5x 1.2 2.3 19.7 2.4 12.5 2.4 12.5

Sa rnsuno

Fuj i!Fujifilm

HP (Hewlett-Packard)

Nik on

Pentax Vivitar

3x 2.4 6.2
and out. Mode ls th at shot at least 513 we re rated excellent; 256, very good; and 128, goo d. Shutter lag is
how qui ckly the camera can take its fir st shot once powe red up. The faste st were vi rt ually inst ant aneou s;
t he slowest t ook 1second or longe r. Next-shot delay is how quickly the camer a can tak e it s next photo. Model s at least as quick as 1 second were rat ed excellent; 3, very good ; 5, good ; and 7, fair. Image stabi lizer shows whi ch have th at steadying featu re. AA batteries deno tes came ras th at use tha t size; most of th ose don't include a charger. Cameras with pro prietary batt erie s always inc lude a ch arger. Wide angle shows which have a lens t hat zooms as least as wi de as a 28-m m-equivalent fil m-camer a lens. Manual controls refers to sett ings that let you adju st shutter speed and lens opening. Price is appr oximate retail.
POIN T&S O HO TCAM ERAS _

SLR CAM E

Data are based on more than 2 21,0 reade r respon abou t di git al cam eras t o t he Annual Produ ct Reliabil Sur vey conduc te d by th e Consumer Repor t s Nation a Research Cente r. Dat a are adjuste d to elim inate diffe ences linked solely to the age and use of the pr odu c

NOV EMB ER 0 7

www.ConsumerRepo rts.org
zoom while recording video, but t hey are
fairl y heavy. The Fujif ilm (40) has excel lent pict ure quality, very good shutte r lag, and excellent next-shot delay. If high reso luti on t rump s speed, tr y the newer Fuji
film (42), which has very good picture quality and very good next-shot delay but only fair shutte r lag. For an easy-to-use SLR:

. ----

SLR cameras
In performance order. Blue key numb ers indi cat e Quic k Picks.

Features

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47 Nikon (10 MP) $Olympus (10 MP) $Nikon (6 MP) $600, CR Best Buy All three are compact and lightweight for an SLR and are very easy to use, with very good image qualit y and excellent batt ery life. Both Nikons include in-camera image correct ion, such as cropping and filt er effects, plus softwar e-based dust removal. They also feature a 2.5 percent spot meter and use the same metering system as their pricier sibling, t he Nikon (44), a fine and rugged 10-megapixel model that accepts a wide variety of lenses. The main advan tages of t he Nikon (47) over the Nikon (51) are greater resolution; the ability to shoot 3 frames per second, instead of 2.5, contin u

ously for up to 100 JPEG images;and a low ISO setting of 100 instead of 200. The Olympus includes t hrough-the-Iens live view with autofocus, with up to l Ox magni ficat ion with manual focus. It also features hardware-based dust removal, fu lly cus tomizable RAW+J PEG, spot metering with a shadow- and highlight-based spot, and unlimited contin uous shoot ing on a fast card with HQ-quality JPEG.
43 Canon E S O -30DDigital[jJ $1.000

44 Nikon 080 [jJ

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1 2.1 12.1 11.2 11.4 11.2.4 10

1 ,1 ,,200

45 Sony alpha O -Al00K SLR

46 Nikon 0200!D

47 Nikon D 40X

48 Olympus E E volt -410

49 Canon Digital R X ebel ti

50 Pentax K l0D

28 10.1 4.8

!;ll j 51

Nikon 040

52 Pentax K100D

e e e e e e

53 Sigma SO 14 m

II P riceis for body only.

4.65 28

100-00-3200 100-600 00-00-00-00-1600
100-1600 200-3200 200-00-1600
Overall score is for th e body only and is based on imag e qua lity, versat ilit y, weight. ease of use, zooming capa bility, battery life, and useful features. Displayed scores are roun ded; model s are listed in order of precise overall score. Megapixels is in milli on s of eleme nts. Weight is for th e body only, includino battery. Flash range is th e maximum claimed for a well-light ed SUbject. SLR im age quality is based on expert judgments using images ta ken at the best resolut ion and comp ression and vi ewed on a referen ce monitor, and on objective analytical test data. Battery life reflect s the number of high-resol ut ion photos taken with the batteries supplied, if the cam era uses a proprietary size, or with rec hargeable nicke l-me ta l hydri de AA s; 250 or more was judged excellent. Image stabilizer shows mod els wit h th at steadying feat ure. AA batteries denotes mode ls using those. Charger is for t he batt eries. ISO settings ind icates the sensit ivity range. Price is approximate reta il (wit h lens). Model s we re te sted with a high-quality, 50 -m m same-brand lens. Kit lenses commonly bu ndled are: Canon 18-55 mm EF-S, (Nikon D80) AF Zoom-Nikkor 18-135 mm, Sony 18-70 mm DT,(Nikon D200) AF Zoo m-Nikko r ED 18-55 mm, (Nikon D40x, D) AF-S OX Zo om- Nikkor 18 -55 rnrn, Olympus 14-mm, Pen tax DA Zoom 18-55 rnrn, and Sigma 18-50 mm.
Ex pe r t I n d e pend e nt N on pr o fi t
CO N S U M.ER R E P O RTS

NO VEMB ER 2007

Recommendations picks from ConsumerSearch (CS) and Consumer Reports (CR) all prices approximate from above sites (Nov 2007) mp=megapixels, followed by optical zoom IS = image stabilization Number of picks = number of reviewers who picked in Consumer Search; Some recently discontinued models are included- may still be available on sale Budget - $150 or under Canon Powershot A460 5mp 4x $100 - CS 4 picks Canon Powershot A550 7mp 4x $ 150 Canon Powershot A560 7mp 4x $150 - CS and CR recommended slower NikonCoolPix L10 5mp Kodak EasyShare C653 6mp
3x $100 easy, no frills 3x $140 easy to use
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LS70S 7.2mp 3x $130 -optical IS Panasonic Lumix DMC-LS75S 7.2mp 3x $150 bigger lcd

Compact Canon Fuji -

PowerShot A570 7.1mp 4x $175 - optical image stab. CS 5 Picks PowerShot A630 8mp 4x $220 CR pick FinePix F40fd 8.3mp 3x - $195 very good low light -5picks
Sub or ultra-compact Canon (ELPH) SD1000 SD750 SD800 IS SD850 IS SD870 IS Sony DSC-W55 Sony DSC-W80 Sony DSC-N2
7mp 3x $170 7mp 3x $215 7.1mp 3.8x $300 image stabilization 8mp 4x $310 IS - 6 picks 8mp 3.8x $310 - IS, wider zoom, 6 picks
7.2mp 3x $180 7.2mp 3x $210 - IS 10mp 3x $310
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX30 7.1mp 3.6x, $240 - IS Samsung L77 7.1 mp 7x, $260 - IS
Advanced compact Canon Power Shot G7 Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2 Fuji FinePix S6000fd Super or ultra zoom Canon S2 IS Canon S3 IS Canon S5 IS Fujifilm FinePix S700 Kodak-EasyShare Z712 Olympus SP-510 UZ
10mp 6x $530 -no more raw - IS 7.5mp 4x $365 shoot raw - IS 6.3mp 10.7x $320 - CR pick - IS
5mp 12x $350 5mp 12x $360 newer model 8mp 12x $picks 7.1mp 10x $200 - IS 7.1mp 12x $220 - IS 7.1mp 10x $240 - IS 7mp 12x $250 - IS, CS - 9 picks & CR pick 7.2mp 12x $280- IS, image stabilized 10.2mp 12x $450 IS, 10 picks 7mp 15x $380 IS, 5 picks
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3 Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H9 Waterproof Olympus Stylus 790

7.1mp 3x $260

Digital SLR Nikon D40 Nikon D40x - 6mp est. $500 - 10mp est. $650 8mp est. $600 est. $700 anti dust CR Best Buy

Canon Digital Rebel XT

Canon Digital Rebel XTi 10.1mp
Anti-dust for lens changers 10mp for big prints - 14x21