The Big Pixel
We review 15 new digital cameras, ranging from a $199 point-and-shoot to 4-megapixel professional models, to help you find the best deal.Carla Thornton
It's been a big year for digital cameras. With 4-megapixel models hitting store shelves, photography buffs are getting more for their money than ever before. Priced between $500 and $1000, these new high-end cameras take digital photography to new heights, producing images that look as good as--and in some cases even better than--images on film.
As high-end models have increased in resolution, so have those at the low end. Digital cameras capable of taking 2.1-megapixel pictures, priced at over a grand just a couple of years ago, now sell for less than $500 (some for less than $200). Industry experts predict 3-megapixel cameras will gradually follow suit.
The 15 digital cameras under-$1000 in our review mirrored this trend--9 of them are priced under $500.
Picture This
To put each of the cameras through its paces, we took a variety of pictures indoors (at our photo studio) and outdoors, at both the highest and the lowest resolutions, with and without the flash. We evaluated the resulting images in three forms: as low-resolution shots viewed on screen and as higher-resolution 4-by-6 and 8-by-10 prints. The big news, at least for budget-watchers: Though this year's batch of (relatively) low-cost digital cameras may still lack the bells and whistles of models priced in the $700 to $1000 range, they reproduce details better than ever. And the colors generated by this year's crop look particularly good when compared with those of last year's sub-$500 group.
That said, 4-megapixel cameras still hold the print quality edge in our tests. Canon's $899 4.0-megapixel PowerShot G2 took the overall prize for best pictures, followed by Toshiba's $699 4.2-megapixel PDR-M81. And Sony's $799 4.1-megapixel Cyber-shot DSC-S85, while not ranked as high in overall print quality, posted the best score in our evaluation of a cropped image, where resolution plays a big part.
For producing low-resolution pictures for e-mailing and posting on Web sites, lower-pixel-count cameras hold their own against the 4-megapixel powerhouses, with Canon's $399 2.1-megapixel PowerShot A20 claiming the top honors in our low-resolution on-screen test.
Enlargements? Use Film
Not all is picture-perfect for digital camera enthusiasts. Traditional film cameras are still better equipped for the price. For less than $500 you can get a single-lens reflex model with a zoom lens, extensive exposure controls, and the option to add more powerful lenses.
Consider also the issue of picture quality. Affordable film cameras maintain a slight edge over digital competitors in producing sharp, color-accurate pictures. And if your work requires poster-size enlargements beyond 8 by 10 inches, you should probably stick with film. According to Sally Smith-Clemens, product manager at Olympus, to begin to approximate the fine grain in a 16-by-20 enlargement produced by a film camera, you would have to invest in a 6- to 8-megapixel professional digital camera, for which prices start at around $3000.
However, any of the top digital cameras on our charts will easily serve your needs for 4-by-6 or 5-by-7 snapshots and 8-by-10 images at very close to film quality. You can squeeze even better pictures out of one of these cameras by investing in extra equipment, such as a dye-sublimation printer.
The instant gratification that digital cameras provide outweighs their drawbacks, both for casual shutterbugs and for businesses needing quick photo-based documentation. Andrew Johnson, analyst for the research firm Gartner Group, predicts that digital camera sales will surpass film camera sales in 2005.
New and improved accessory products are making it easier to use a digital camera to its full potential. Image editing software, photo-sharing Web sites, and photo-quality ink jet printers that can use better papers and inks to produce longer-lasting prints all allow you to easily tweak and share the pictures you take. For tips on putting together an image editing suite, see the July 2001 article " Desktop Darkroom," and to find out how to keep your prints vibrant, see the same issue's " Fight Photo Fade-Out."
Goodbye, Serial Port
One digital camera trend that owners of older PCs may not appreciate is the disappearance of the serial connection. Many of last year's cameras still had one, but now even low-end models rely exclusively on the faster, more modern USB port to connect to your PC. If you're determined to keep your older PC and you have a new digital camera, you'll have to spend about $40 for a USB expansion card, which plugs into an empty PCI slot.
More welcome is the inclusion of lithium ion batteries and rechargers with many digital cameras (typically those priced above $500). Rechargeable batteries are a must, unless you enjoy spending your hard-earned dollars to endlessly replace standard alkaline AA batteries. Fortunately, you can buy a set of rechargeable AA nickel metal hydride batteries and a charger for around $30.
Whether you desire a digital camera for fun or business, and whether you want to take quick pictures to e-mail to the family or make high-quality, framable prints, there's a good chance you'll find just what you're looking for here. If not, visit www.pcworld.com for reviews of cameras that missed the chart. And head over to find.pcworld.com/15782 for reviews of new high-end models that reached our lab too late for inclusion in this roundup.
Best Buys
Canon's $899 PowerShot G2 ranks highest on our $500 and over chart. Though heavy and a bit difficult to use, the PowerShot G2 took the finest pictures and lasts a long time on one battery charge--almost 350 shots.
Toshiba's $299 PDR-M61 offers basic settings and controls, takes about 330 shots on one battery charge, and produces generally sharp printed photos.
Carla Thornton is a contributing editor for PC World.
Digital Cameras (chart)
| Rank | $500 and over | Street price (9/18/01) | Overall rating1 | Output | Ease of use | Battery life/ shots2 | Pixels (millions)/ maximum resolution3 | Bundled media/capacity (MB) | Picture capacity at highest4/lowest resolution | Focal range (35mm equivalent)/optical zoom | Aperture range | Shutter speed range(seconds) | Manual focus override5 | Manual exposure controls6 | Photo output connections | Video/audio recording | Weight7(ounces) | Batteries8 | Comments |
| 1 | Best Buy Canon PowerShot G2 (http://pcworld.pricegrabber.com/search_prodsummary.php?masterid=509684) | $899 | 84 | Outstanding | Adequate | Very good/348 | 4.0/2272 by 1704 | CompactFlash/32 | 14/337 | 34mm-102mm/3X | f2-f8 | 15-1/1000 | Continuous | M, A, S, P | USB, video | Y/Y | 18.9 | One disposable lithium ion AA | This full-featured 4-megapixel camera takes the best-looking photos of the bunch and has a long battery life.  |
| 2 | Epson PhotoPC 3100Z (http://pcworld.pricegrabber.com/search_prodsummary.php?masterid=440685) | $699 | 83 | Good | Very good | Good/271 | 3.34/2048 by 1536 | CompactFlash/16 | 12/199 | 34mm-102mm/3X | f2-f8 | 8-1/1000 | Continuous | M, A, S, P | USB, video | Y/Y | 16.9 | Four AA | The 3100Z includes flexible controls and adds extra features like a print-tagging button to mark shots. |
| 3 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S85 (http://pcworld.pricegrabber.com/search_prodsummary.php?masterid=456422) | $799 | 83 | Good | Good | Excellent/427 | 4.1/2272 by 1704 | Memory Stick/16 | 8/240 | 34mm-102mm/3X | f2-f8 | 8-1/1000 | Continuous | M, A, S, P | USB, video | Y/Y | 16.4 | Two rechargeable lithium ion | The well-designed and easy-to-use DSC-S85 has extremely long battery life. Photos looked a bit oversaturated, however. |
| 4 | Toshiba PDR-M81 (http://pcworld.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php?masterid=462425) | $699 | 81 | Very good | Good | Very good/325 | 4.2/2400 by 1600 | SmartMedia/8 | 5/124 | 35mm-100mm/2.8X | f2.9-f8 | 1/2-1/1000 | Stepped | M, A, S, P | USB, video | Y/Y | 12.3 | Four AA | The PDR-M81 has good picture quality and simple menus and controls, but minimal manual control and nonrechargeable batteries.  |
| 5 | Nikon Coolpix 995 (http://pcworld.pricegrabber.com/search_prodsummary.php?masterid=445033) | $899 | 81 | Very good | Good | Very good/309 | 3.34/2048 by 1536 | CompactFlash/16 | 10/42 | 38mm-152mm/4X | f2.6-f14 | 8-1/2300 | Continuous | M, A, S, P | USB, video | Y/N | 16.2 | One rechargeable lithium ion | Offers a huge, sometimes intimidating list of features, including a swivel lens and custom buttons. Photos show fine detail. |
| Rank | Under $500 | Street price (9/18/01) | Overall rating1 | Output | Ease of use | Battery life/ shots2 | Pixels (millions)/ maximum resolution3 | Bundled media/capacity (MB) | Picture capacity at highest4/lowest resolution | Focal range (35mm equivalent)/optical zoom | Aperture range | Shutter speed range(seconds) | Manual focus override5 | Manual exposure controls6 | Photo output connections | Video/audio recording | Weight7(ounces) | Batteries8 | Comments |
| 1 | Best Buy Toshiba PDR-M61 (http://pcworld.pricegrabber.com/search_prodsummary.php?masterid=424426) | $299 | 79 | Good | Adequate | Very good/328 | 2.3/1792 by 1200 | SmartMedia/8 | 7/112 | 38mm-114mm/3X | f3.2-f3.7 | 1-1/500 | None | None | USB | N/N | 14.3 | Four AA | Though somewhat bulky and heavy with no manual controls, the PDR-M61 provides very sharp images and lengthy battery life. |
| 2 | Casio QV-2900UX (http://pcworld.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php?masterid=461016) | $399 | 78 | Adequate | Very good | Very good/366 | 2.1/1600 by 1200 | CompactFlash/16 | 16/66 | 40mm-320mm/8X | f3.2-f8 | 60-1/2000 | Continuous | M, A, S, P | Serial, USB, video | Y/N | 14.1 | Four AA | This model has a well-designed case with reprogrammable buttons and is the only camera on the chart with a serial port.  |
| 3 | Olympus Camedia C-2040 Zoom (http://pcworld.pricegrabber.com/search_prodsummary.php?masterid=418679) | $449 | 78 | Very good | Good | Adequate/217 | 2.1/1600 by 1200 | SmartMedia/8 | 7/82 | 40mm-120mm/3X | f1.8-f10 | 16-1/800 | Continuous | M, A, S, P | USB, video | Y/N | 13.7 | Two 3V disposable lithium ion or 4 AA | The C-2040 is solidly designed and creates realistic photos, but it won't capture audio with video recording, and battery life is short. |
| 4 | HP Photosmart 318 (http://pcworld.pricegrabber.com/search_prodsummary.php?masterid=505476) | $199 | 78 | Adequate | Very good | Very good/294 | 2.3/1901 by 1212 | Internal storage/8 | 10/80 | 38mm/9 | f2.8-f8 | 2-1/750 | None | None | USB | N/N | 10.4 | Four AA | The least-expensive camera on the chart offers the barest point-and-shoot capabilities. Photos look blurry.  |
| 5 | Canon PowerShot A20 (http://pcworld.pricegrabber.com/search_prodsummary.php?masterid=440691) | $399 | 75 | Very good | Good | Adequate/179 | 2.1/1600 by 1200 | CompactFlash/8 | 7/87 | 35mm-105mm/3X | f2.7-f4.8 | 1-1/1500 | None | None | USB, video | N/N | 12.6 | Four AA | This unit is easy to use, takes above-average shots, and has a built-in panorama mode to line up photos for stitching together later. |
Digital Camera Reviews
Canon PowerShot G2
Epson PhotoPC 3100Z
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S85
Toshiba PDR-M81
Nikon Coolpix 995
Toshiba PDR-M61
Casio QV-2900UX
Olympus Camedia C-2040 Zoom
HP Photosmart 318
Canon PowerShot A20
Beyond the Top 10: Nikon Coolpix 775
Beyond the Top 10: Fujifilm FinePix 6900 Zoom
Beyond the Top 10: Olympus Camedia D-510
Beyond the Top 10: Casio QV-3500EX
Beyond the Top 10: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P50
Print Samples
Canon's PowerShot G2 tops our list of cameras for overall print quality, but others took honors for individual photos. We captured five different shots with each camera and then rated each photo on criteria such as color, detail, and exposure. More megapixels usually equals higher quality, but it doesn't always. Here are the best and worst shots in each category (minus one picture of our mannequin taken without the flash).
Make a Resolution
With new 4-megapixel digital cameras making the scene, you can create larger, better-quality photos than ever before. But that doesn't mean you should crank up your camera to its highest settings every time you snap a picture of Uncle Fred. Take note of a few tricks that will save space on your camera's small and expensive media card.
Want to e-mail the photo or post it on a Web site? Choose a resolution of 640 by 480 pixels, the lowest resolution most digital cameras offer (some cameras go even lower, to 320 by 240 pixels). The smaller size of the file will enable it to download more quickly.
Want to print out pictures on your ink jet printer? For snapshots it's best to pick an intermediate resolution: 800 by 600 or 1024 by 768, for example. You may also have to play with settings in your photo editing software. In Photoshop, for instance, go to Image and then Image size to choose the shot's width and height, and the number of pixels per inch to print. Anything above 150 ppi will allow good-quality photos on ink jet printers capable of 720 by 720 dots per inch or higher. (Note: Consumer ink jet printers don't make use of over-300-ppi digital images.) To attain standard photo sizes, such as 8 by 10, 4 by 6, and 3 by 5, you'll have to experiment with cropping, too. While resizing your photo, turn off your editing package's resampling feature so that you don't degrade picture quality by losing pixels. Once you've achieved the desired size, you can turn resampling back on.
Aren't sure how you'll be using a picture? If, for example, you want to e-mail a picture and frame a print of it, choose your camera's highest resolution and lowest compression. You can't enlarge a low-resolution shot and preserve quality, but you can always use an image editing program to chop down a high-resolution picture to a more manageable size later. Some cameras, such as Sony's DSC-S85 and DSC-P50, allow you to take both high-resolution and low-resolution versions of the image simultaneously.