Digital cameras have come a long way–especially compact cameras. Prices have fallen, and features are being added with each new generation. While many cameras have similar “me-to” designs, some–thanks to some ground-breaking capabilities or unusual design–stand out from the crowd. Many of these cameras are part of a system of interchangeable parts such as tele or wide-angle extenders, off-camera flashes and optical viewfinders. I call this the “WOW!” factor.
Here are several compact digital cameras that have this “wow” factor. It might be how it looks, some functionality that we haven’t seen in such a small camera before, or other technical breakthroughs, or a combination of power features. Here they are–along with what makes them well worth your consideration if you’re planning to buy a first (or even second or third) digital camera. Read on and see why I consider these cameras to be the most fascinating compact digital cameras currently available.
Canon Powershot G10
Price: Approximately $500.
Overview: Canon has once again overhauled and updated the “wow” in its flagship compact G series. The G10 replaces the best-selling G9 and is a part of a system that includes additional lenses and shoe-mount flash that give it a greater range than most cameras its size. It also has optical image stabilization, and this year’s hot feature, Face Detection, so you needn’t have out-of-focus or poorly exposed people shots. New on this model is the ability to manually select the main face in a sea of faces. There’s also a scene recognition category that automatically sets exposure and color balance based on how the image compares to its database of thousands of scenes. Yes, its 14.7MP sesnsor has more megapixels than necessary–and it shows starting at ISO 400 in the form of noise–but this camera is so feature-packed that it excels in other areas and is recommended nonetheless. And what is that thing we see in the back? Could it be? A blessed optical viewfinder!
Learn more! What’s a “Portrait” mode? What do we mean when we say a camera has a “Beach/Snow” or “Action” setting?
Go to our Canonical List of Digital Camera Scene Settings and find out!
The Juicy Details: The new 28-140mm (35mm equivalent) f/2.8-4.5zoom lens starts at a wider-angle, while the latest-generation Digic 4 image processor has a claimed faster processing time for writing images to the SD memory card–important when shooting those big RAW image files and the ability to smooth grain at those high ISOs. A new face self timer actually waits for you to enter the scene before starting the shutter-release countdown. The camera is backed by a 3-inch LCD monitor also goes up to ISO 1600, making it well-suited for low-light shooting if you don’t mind grain on blow-ups. The layout is logical, and designed so shooters can get to the mode they need quickly.
What’s the “Wow”? The add-ons! The TC-DC58C doubles the length of the telephoto end of the zoom to 420mm, while the WC-DC58B stretches the wide angle range to 26.3mm. The external lenses are attached via the ICALADC58H lens adapter. Want a lot of flash power? Any Canon shoe-mount flash, such as the Speedlite 130EX TTL, will work on it, and you can even set it up for wireless off-camera flash operation via the Canon Speedlite Transmitter ST-E2!
Who Would Love It? Point-and-shooters looking to step up, street photographers, as well as Canon SLR users who desire a compact back-up body that’s compatible with their flash units.
Fujifilm FinePix E900 Kit
Price: approximately $430.
Overview: While you could buy this 9MP camera by itself, the thing that really makes this camera stand out is its three kit lenses (which would normally bring the cost of the camera up from around $280 to over $430, but there’s a $100 rebate that makes it worth your while). The additional optics extend the camera’s 32-128mm (35mm equivalent) lens into a, farther and closer territory. Control ranges from auto-everything to full manual exposure. And there’s even an optical viewfinder, along with the 2-inch LCD monitor, so you can hold the camera properly to reduce shake. A high-speed shooting mode further reduces shake. Yes, this camera’s been around a while (since 2005, an eternity in Internet time), but it’s still a popular model, a testament to its soldid features.
The Juicy Details: In macro mode, the camera focuses down to 3 inches; shutter speeds 15-1/2000 sec, claimed shutter lag of only 1/100 sec with AE/AF locked. ISO sensitivity from 80-800, all the usual flash operating modes, video and voice memo recording, color control modes including Black & White. A 5th generation imaging engine keeps performance fast.
What’s the “Wow”? The wide-angle adapter provides the equivalent of a 24mm view while the tele adapter stretches the long end of the zoom to 243mm. With its slightly larger dimensions, retro look and add-ons, this camera may appeal to enthusiasts who want to travel light. We also like the button in the back that accesses your favorite setting immediately.
Who would love it: Traditionalists who like having a long zoom range, and travellers who don’t like lugging around heavy equipment, but feel limited by most compact digital cameras.
Leica D-Lux 4
Price: approximately $850 .
Overview: A very capable compact camera with a zoom lens that starts at an atypically wide 24mm, and has a super-wide aperture making it unusually well-suited for low-light, no-flash shooting. The D-Lux 4 has optical image stabilization, a big LCD monitor, a 10MB sensor, and a bunch of scene modes that make you look like you know what you’re doing, even when you don’t. And if you do know what you’re doing, there’s plenty of manual overrides. And of course, since it’s a Leica, it’s also packed with something that’s hard to measure: prestige.
The Juicy Details: The camera is fronted bya Leica DC Vario-Elmarit 24-60mm (35mm equivalent) f/2-2.8 lens, 3-inch LCD monitor, ISO range from 80-3200, exposure compensation, 60-1/2000 sec shutter speed range in manual mode; auto, program, aperture priority, shutter priority autoexposure, and manual exposure. Scene modes: Mode DialP/A/S/M/Custom 1/ Custom 2/ IA (intelligent full auto mode)/Scene/Motion Picture Scene Menu: Portrait, Soft Skin, Self Portrait, Scenery, Sports, Night Portrait, Night Scenery, Self-Portrait, Food, Party, Candle, Baby 1, Baby 2, Pet, Sunset, High Sensitivity, High speed burst shooting, Flash Burst, Starry Sky, Fire Works, Beach, Snow, Aerial Photo, Pin Hole, Film Grain
What’s the “Wow”? Larger-than-usual sensor means better-than-average image quality for a compact camera, wide angle, fast lens and of course, the Leica prestige.
Who would love it: Anyone who likes working unobtrusively in low light.
Nikon Coolpix P5100
Price: approximately $280.
Nikon Coolpix P5100 Overview: Nikon’s most advanced, feature-filled compact, the 12MP P5100 is yet another “system” camera, with wide-angle and tele extension lenses, an optical viewfinder (a rarity these days but necessary for holding the camera in a manner that reduces shaky pictures), many exposure control options including manual settings, and three hot features–face priority, in-camera red-eye fix, and “D-Lighting,” a Nikon exclusive that fixes dicey exposures in camera. Yeah, 12MP is overkill, but this camera has many features that make us say it’s worth it anyway.
The Juicy Details: The camera’s optically-stabilized 36-126mm (35mm equivalent f/2.7-5.3 lens focuses down to 1.6 inches. ISO sensitivity ranges from 64-3200 (although we wouldn’t stray beyond ISO 400 in most cases). Face recognition software detects faces in a scene and focuses on them while making sure lighting and color balance produces the most flattering results. D-lighting–a feature that can also be found on the D80, D40 and D40x DSLRs, corrects poor exposures after the fact, which is a pretty cool trick.
What’s the “Wow”? The accessories! The WCE-67 is a wide-angle lens converter that changes the focal length to 24mm, while any Nikon shoe-mount flash can be used on the camera’s hot shoe.
Who would love it: Point-and-shooters ready to get serious, and Nikon DSLR owners who would like a compact camera that’s compatible with their Nikon flashes.
UPDATE: Nikon recently announced the N6000 (approximately $450), which will ultimately replace the N5100. It is the first Nikon compact to offer RAW and GPS.
Olympus Stylus 790 SW
Price: approximately $240.
Overview:The Olympus Stylus 790 SW may look like a typical compact, but it’s built like a tank. It’s designed to handle drops (from up to 5 feet), dunks (submergable down to 10 feet), and extreme cold (down to 14 degrees farenheight). It even measures air and water pressure so you know your altitude or depth. It packs high resolution (7.1MP), anti-shake technology for sharper images, face recognition technology, a nice-sized LCD screen, a multitude of shooting modes, and claimed good performance in low light. And yet it’s small and thin enough to fit in your pocket. Available in orange, blue, and black.
The Juicy Details: JIS Class 8 underwater device and MIL-STD-810F drop test compliant, this camera offers a straightforward 3x built-in zoom, a standard 2.5-inch LCD monitor, super macro mode as close as 2.8 inches, shutter speed range 1/2 – 1/1000 sec, ISO range 80-1600, high-speed shooting to 3.5 frames per second (when shooting 3MP images), in-camera editing effects including red-eye fix, black and white, sepia, brightness and saturation adjustments. It can operate in 10-104 degrees farenheight and 10-90 degrees humidity, so you’re all set for global warming.The Stylus 770 SW has 27 Shooting Modes: Auto, Program Auto, Digital Image Stabilization, Scene Modes (1. PORTRAIT, 2. LANDSCAPE, 3. LANDSCAPE+PORTRAIT, 4. NIGHT SCENE, 5. NIGHT+PORTRAIT, 6. SPORT, 7. INDOOR, 8. CANDLE, 9. SELF PORTRAIT, 10. AVAILABLE LIGHT PORTRAIT, 11. SUNSET, 12. FIREWORKS, 13. CUISINE, 14. BEHIND GLASS, 15. DOCUMENTS, 16.AUCTION, 17.SHOOT & SELECT1, 18. SHOOT & SELECT2, 19. BEACH&SNOW, 20. UNDERWATER SNAPSHOT, 21. UNDERWATER WIDE1, 22. UNDERWATER WIDE2, 23. UNDERWATER MACRO), Movie.
What’s the “Wow”? This is an incredibly rugged camera, yet it fits in a shirt pocket and delivers big-print quality (think 11×14 or even 16×20). You’ve officially run out of excuses to leave your camera home.
Who would love it: Campers, swimmers, snorkellers, beachcombers, mountain climbers, extreme outdoors enthusiasts–and anyone who has a hankering for taking pictures in downpours.
Ricoh Gaplio GX200
Price: approximately $750 with VF1 LCD viewfinder.
Overview: Pop the VF1 viewfinder on the compact but solid GX200 a very interesting, advanced little camera indeed. The 12MP camera has a 3x zoom lens that starts at 24mm (35mm equivalent) but what separates this from the pack are its easy-to-access manual focus and exposure options. Yes you could buy the GX200 without the VF1 monitor, but then you lose the up-to-your-face eye-level viewing, which has many advantages including giving you the ability to hold the camera steadier.
The Juicy Details: 24-72mm (35mm equivalent) lens, 12MP CCD, 2.7-inch LCD monitor supplemented by add-on finder; without finder, additional flash can be mounted. 1:1 (square) shooting aspect ratio available, 1st- or 2nd-curtain flash with light intensity adjustments, distortion correction, auto and manual exposure, focus; shutter speed range 180-1/2000 sec, ISO range 80-1600. Scene modes: Auto Shooting Mode/Program Shift Mode/Aperture Priority Mode/Manual Exposure Mode/Scene Mode (Movie/Portrait/Sports/Landscape/ Nightscape/Zoom Macro/Skew Correct Mode/Text Mode)/My Settings Mode.
What’s the “Wow”? Manual metering and focus; 3:2, 4:3 and 1:1 aspect ratio image capture lead the many features designed for more advanced photographers; 19mm wide-angle conversion lens (requires HA-2 hood/adapter), and 135mm tele conversion lens complete the kit.
Who would love it: Serious photographers who like something that feels mighty powerful that will fit in their pockets.
Sigma DP-1
Price: approximately $700 . Get current pricing
Sigma DP-1Overview: A most rare breed, this posh compact camera boasts a 14-megapixel Foveon X3 direct-image sensor and a single focal-length 16.6mm lens. But unlike any other compact camera, the DP-1’s sensor is APS-sized; in other words, it’s the size of a typical DSLR sensor. The larger sensor means the individual pixels can be larger, producing higher-quality overall image quality. Add an optical viewfinder (approx. $150) and you’re ready to hit the streets.
The Juicy Details: A 16.6mm f/4 lens (28mm 35mm equivalent), designed exclusively for this camera (most lenses for compact camerass are modules that can be found on many different cameras), native RAW support (early reports are that the DP-1 processes RAW files faster than JPEGs), Evaluative, centerweighted and spot metering, as well as the usual Auto, Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority and Manual exposure modes; no special “scene” modes here. ISO sensitivity 100-800. A hot shoe handles the EF-140 DG flash or the VF-11 viewfinder, both of which are optional.
What’s the “Wow”? The biggest imaging sensor in a compact camera should produce much better image quality and much less digital noise especially at higher ISO settings. The lens has gotten rave reviews on the street.
Who would love it: Wedding and event shooters, and anyone else who needs to work inconspicuously and fast, and doesn’t mind the fixed focal length.
Update: Sigma has just announced the DP-2, which offers a slightly wider-angle lens (24mm) and which they claim has improved performance over the DP-1. Look for it later this year.
Samsung NV40
Price: approximately $230 .
Samsung NV40 Overview: The flagship of Samsung’s highly-rated lineup of posh compact digital cameas, the NV40 serves up 10.5MP resolution (which looks great as long as you stick with low resolution settings) and has a Schneider Kreuznach lens. The body is thin and stylish (it’s almost eligible to be a fashion camera) and full of buttons but, and inside you’ll find anti-shake (the digital variety), face detection, and a load of special shooting and post-shot manipulation options.
The Juicy Details : 3x optical zoom, focus to half an inch in macro; 2.5-inch LCD monitor, ISO range 80-3200; exposure compensation, multi, spot, and center-weighted metering, face detection, red-eye reduction. Special scene modes: Photo Style Selector: Normal, Soft, Vivid, Forest, Retro, Cool, Calm, ClassicColor Effect: Normal, BW, Sepia, Red, Blue, Green, Negative, Custom ColorImage Adjust: Sharpness, Contrast, Saturation. Post-image editing: Image Edit: Resize, Rotate, TrimmingColor Effect: Normal, BW, Sepia, Red, Blue, Green, Negative, Custom Color, Color Filter, Add Noise (Shaded, Elegant TBD)Image Adjust: Brightness, Contrast, Saturation, Red Eye Fix, ACB.
What’s the “Wow”? All of those after-the-shot image editing options and extensive video modes.
Who would love it: Enthusiasts who want something pocketable but full featured to add to their arsenal, snapshooters, and anyone with a sense of style and looking for a camera that can be a real topic of conversation.
