Top 10 Digital Cameras

Camera- Under $500	Rank			Inventory number	Bullet	Bullet	Bullet	PCW Bullet	PCW Bullet	PCW Bullet	Comments
17964	1	Best Buy	Canon PowerShot A70	22565	3.2 megapixels	16MB CompactFlash	3X optical zoom	Video recording, audio recording	Six scene modes; aperture priority, shutter priority, and manual modes	Price when ranked: $300	Bargain price for a relatively advanced point-and-shoot model; has an extensive complement of manual controls and takes optional add-on lenses.
14334	2	Best Buy	Olympus C-4000 Zoom	21586	4 megapixels	16MB SmartMedia	3X optical zoom	Video recording, no audio recording	Ten scene modes; aperture priority, shutter priority, and manual modes	Price when ranked: $450	Inexpensive for an advanced camera, the C-4000 Zoom blends great image quality, manual exposure settings, and long battery life. Its menus can be confusing.
17739	3		Kodak EasyShare DX6340	22464	3.1 megapixels	16MB internal memory and SD card slot	4X optical zoom	Video recording, audio recording	Five scene modes; aperture priority and shutter priority modes	Price when ranked: $299	The 4X optical zoom on this stylish model is longer than most. The camera docks directly onto a small, optional Kodak printer.
16671	4		Nikon Coolpix 3100	22391	3.2 megapixels	16MB CompactFlash	3X optical zoom	Video recording, no audio recording	Fourteen scene modes	Price when ranked: $350	One of the smallest, lightest Nikons is also one of the easiest to operate; it has a huge selection of shooting aids for the casual photographer.
17736	5		Olympus C-740 Ultra Zoom	22436	3.2 megapixels	16MB XD-Picture Card	10X optical zoom	Video recording, no audio recording	Six scene modes; aperture priority, shutter priority, and manual modes	Price when ranked: $499	The C-740 Ultra Zoom cleverly packs a 10X optical zoom lens in a relatively compact camera. Its images were among the best we've seen from a sub-$500 model.
15153	6		Nikon Coolpix 4300	21812	4 megapixels	16MB CompactFlash	3X optical zoom	Video recording, no audio recording	Twelve scene modes	Price when ranked: $400	The fairly lightweight Coolpix 4300 takes wonderful shots and is easy to hold with one hand, but its multilayered menus make using its advanced features difficult.
18006	7		Samsung Digimax V4	22566	4 megapixels	32MB SD card	3X optical zoom	Video recording, audio recording	Two scene modes; aperture priority, shutter priority, and manual modes	Price when ranked: $400	The compact Digimax V4 has few programmed scene modes (they're useful for casual photographers) but many controls for taking creative shots.
17169	8		Canon PowerShot S400 Digital Elph	22300	4 megapixels	32MB CompactFlash	3X optical zoom	Video recording, audio recording	Three scene modes	Price when ranked: $499	This elegantly designed, ultracompact model takes great shots and sports a sturdy stainless-steel body, but it lacks manual controls and has relatively short battery life.
15414	9		Fujifilm FinePix 3800	21882	3.24 megapixels	16MB XD-Picture Card	6X optical zoom	Video recording, audio recording	Four scene modes; aperture priority mode	Price when ranked: $400	The FinePix 3800 has a longer optical zoom and better battery life than most models on the chart; styled to look like a single-lens reflex camera, it's rather bulky.
18657	10	NEW	Toshiba PDR-M700	22669	3.2 megapixels	16MB SD card	10X optical zoom	Video recording, audio recording	Five scene modes; aperture priority, shutter priority, and manual modes	Price when ranked: $450	One of the few models with a 10X zoom lens, and the only 10X unit we know of with a 2.5-inch LCD display. But the Olympus C-740 Ultra Zoom does most things better for just a bit more.

Smallness has always been a desirable trait for point-and-shoot digital cameras; but this month, big is in--big LCD displays, that is. Three of the six new models we tested have 2-inch or larger LCDs (measured diagonally), simplifying the tasks of framing shots and adjusting settings. Toshiba's PDR-M700 and Kyocera's Finecam L3v have the largest LCD display we've seen, at 2.5 inches; Casio's Exilim EX-Z3 crams a 2-inch display onto a camera the size of a small cell phone. Alas, from this month's group of newcomers, only the Toshiba manages to slip onto the chart, at number ten.