Welcome to the Adorama Learning Center Readers’ Choice 2010 Awards. This year we expanded from one category to four: DSLR, MILC, Compact Camera, and Photographic Accessory. A one-week nominating period allowed readers the opportunity to tell us which cameras should be included in the voting. Voting took place for 10 days in November.
Voters could vote in one or all categores. While we encouraged voters to vote in all categories, many did not. A total of 609 people voted, although nobody voted in every category.
Here are the results:
Adorama Learning Center Readers’ Choice DSLR 2010: Nikon D7000
Nikon D7000
263 votes
This was a real horse race, and for good reason. Both the Nikon D7000 and the runner up, the Pentax K-5, pack identical sensors and produced a virtual tie for low light/high ISO image quality in DXOMark’s lab tests. But it appears the camera’s place in a larger ecosystem gave Nikon the edge. With a much wider array of lenses, a flash system that can be wirelessly controlled from the camera, and the ability to step up to pro-level DSLRs, the D7000 edged out the rugged, fast Pentax, and was the biggest vote-getter over all four categories. But the closeness of the vote shows the Pentax K-5 is recognized as an outstanding camera in its own right.
Runners Up:
Pentax K-5 217 votes
Olympus E5 56 votes
Canon EOS 60D 53 votes
Sony Alpha 55 19 votes
Total 552 votes
Adorama Learning Center Readers’ Choice MILC (Mirrorless Interchangeable-Lens Compact) 2010: Olympus Pen E-PL1
Olympus Pen E-PL1
161 votes
In a tightly contested race, the Olympus E-PL1 came out on top. A less expensive, more responsive refinement to the camera that started the MILC revolution (and the least expensive interchangeable-lens camera to shoot RAW), the E-PL1 beat a camera with a larger sensors and better image quality, the Sony NEX-3 as well as the larger but more advanced Panasonic GX2—but not by much.
Runners Up:
Sony NEX-3 132 votes
Panasonic GX2 125 votes
Samsung NX100 91 votes
Total 509 votes
Adorama Learning Center Readers’ Choice Compact Digital Camera 2010: Canon G12
Canon G12
180 votes
The G12, which is the successor to a camera that is said to be the compact camera of choice among professional photographers, was the clear winner here. Its many external controls, compatibility with Canon’s Speedlite flash line, the addition of 720p HD video, and reduced lag time all helped put a lot of daylight between the G12 and the intriguing runner up, the interchangeable-lens/sensor module-based Ricoh GXR.
Runners Up:
Ricoh GXR 96 votes
Nikon P7000 79 votes
Samsung EX1 66 votes
Fujifilm FinePix HS10 58 votes
Casio EX-H20G 19 votes
Total votes 498
Adorama Learning Center Readers’ Choice Photographic Accessory 2010: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Adobe Photoshop CS5
188 votes
Calling Photoshop CS5 an accessory might have been a bit unfair, as Photoshop isn’t the sort of thing you could stuff in your camera bag (unless it’s loaded onto your laptop). But its ever-increasing abilities made Photoshop CS5 a popular option, with the Apple iPad and its many photo-friendly apps coming in a close second and the new, fast Sigma 85mm f/1.4 portrait lens right behind it in third place in the voting.
Runners Up:
Apple iPad 121 votes
Sigma 85mm f/1.4 lens 113 votes
Datacolor SpyderLensCal 72 votes
Gary Fong Puffer 23 votes
Spiderholster Black Widow 18 votes
Rogue Flash Bender 16 votes
Frio Coldshoe 2 votes
Total votes 553
