Take Your Best Shots
It's summertime and the snappin' is easy. We show you how to get better photos out of any camera--and how to find the best vacation-ready models for your budget.Paul Jasper is a technology consultant and freelance writer based in San Francisco. Dave Johnson writes the "Digital Focus" e-mail newsletter for PCWorld.com. Eric Butterfield is an associate editor for PC World. Testing was performed by Performance Analyst Tony K. Leung of the PC World Test Center.
Paul Jasper
The warm days of summer are here, and it's high time to take a break. Whether you're jetting off to an exotic beach locale or relaxing at a local leisure spot over a long weekend, you'll likely be thinking of these pleasant times when the cold, dark days of winter return. And there's no better way to recall summer travel than with a digital camera. Today's models come in an incredible array of sizes, capabilities, and prices, but they all let you print and share your memories quickly and simply.
To help you decide on the best camera to pack in your bag, we tested 13 of the latest models. Most of them are small and easy to carry wherever you go. We looked at a wide range of point-and-shoot cameras, from basic models to relatively sophisticated units that should appeal to experienced shooters. We put the cameras through a barrage of tests to gauge image quality, battery life, and hands-on usability. When we were done, we found that all of them can capture great photos that you'd be happy to share with friends and family.
Taking price, capabilities, and quality into account, we picked two Best Buys: the Nikon Coolpix 3200 and the HP Photosmart R707. The former is great for quick snapshots, while the latter combines a slew of advanced features in an easy-to-tote package. But if price were no object, our favorite would be the Sony Cybershot DSC-T1--a slim, elegantly designed camera that takes handsome photos and easily fits into a shirt pocket.
Snapping great summer photos is as much about technique as it is about gear. So we've collected 36 tips that could prove handy when you're shooting under less-than-ideal conditions. Using the right camera accessories can help you compose the perfect shot, as well as helping you protect your camera. To that end, we've assembled a collection of 16 useful add-ons that you might want to carry along on your travels. Happy vacation!
Ready-to-Go Cameras
Illustration by Daniel Chen
Action Shots: Reduce Lag Time
Photograph by Rick Rizner
Image Quality--Lots of Variation
In our image quality tests, we used a combination of outdoor and indoor shots with daylight lighting and flash lighting to determine how well each of the digital cameras captured sharpness, color, and light values (exposure). We've selected a few representative shots from the 13 cameras tested for this roundup to demonstrate their varying levels of success in delivering memorable images.
In our flash test, the Pentax Optio S4i (which didn't make the chart) had a difficult time rendering skin tones: The mannequin's face has an ashen cast, and the colors look dark. Canon's PowerShot S500 Digital Elph, on the other hand, delivers more lifelike skin tone, as well as accurate colors on the model's shirt.
Outdoor shots present a different set of challenges--notably, high contrast and pure colors (the blue sky). The Konica Minolta DiMage Z2 delivered an overexposed image that brought out details in shadows, but washed out the sky. The photo taken by the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ10, preserved accurate sky color and easily visible sharp lines.
Capturing Cathedrals and Museums
Photograph by Rick Rizner
But what if tripods are forbidden, as they are at some famous European landmarks? One possibility is to brace yourself against a wall or doorway to keep the camera as stable as possible during a lengthy exposure. If you're very still, you should be able to get a steady picture with a shutter speed as slow as 1/30 second--but only if your camera's zoom is set to wide-angle. (Telephoto tends to exaggerate camera shake, increasing the likelihood of a fuzzy shot in dim lighting.) Controlling your breathing can help, too: First inhale; then slowly exhale as you press the shutter release.
To minimize the length of the exposure you need, set the camera to its highest ISO level; this will make the sensor more sensitive to light. (If you often shoot in low light, look for a high ISO setting on the next camera you purchase. The ISO rating of Kodak's EasyShare DX7630, for example, tops out at a relatively high 800.)
Another option is to buy a tiny tabletop tripod, such as Pedco's Ultrapod II, for taking long exposures. Some photographers carry a small beanbag to set the camera on; this helps steady the camera on the back of a pew or on top of a table, railing, or banister. Even a monopod (a one-legged tripod) can improve your camera's stability, and certain models double as a walking or hiking stick when you're not shooting pictures.
Dave JohnsonStoring and Protecting Your Images
Photograph by Rick Rizner
These days, it's not unusual for a visitor touring a strange city to carry a camera that can hold hundreds of pictures on a single memory card. You don't want to take the chance of losing all those photos of a once-in-a-lifetime trip. To preserve them, you could lug a laptop along and transfer the pictures to its hard disk. If you can tolerate the weight, a laptop would offer a convenient way to view, edit, and prune your images while you're on the road. In addition, you could send photos home while sipping coffee at some remote Internet café.
A lighter option is a portable hard disk drive, like the Delkin PicturePad. This gadget is so small that it almost fits in your pocket; it has a slot that accepts most common memory cards, and it holds up to 60GB of data. Your only worries would be accidentally dropping and jarring the hard drive enough to damage it, and losing the drive or having it stolen. For greater security you can burn your photos onto disc with a portable CD-RW drive. Nixvue's Vizor is a battery-powered CD-RW drive that writes the data from your camera's memory card to a multisession CD. But to verify that the drive successfully copied your pictures to the CD, you have to put the disc into a computer and view its contents. For even more security, make two copies of each disc and mail one home. Or store your photos on an IPod: the Belkin Digital Camera Link connects the MP3 player to a digital camera's USB port; the Belkin Media Reader transfers files from memory cards.
Some folks worry that it's unsafe to run memory cards through airport security systems. The good news: Unlike traditional film, pictures on a flash memory card are in no danger of being damaged by X-rays.
Finally, to ensure good-quality photos, always shoot at your digital camera's highest resolution: You'll be able to print your pictures at any size. And avoid using an in-camera effect like sepia mode, because the effect is irreversible. You can always add it later on a PC--and you'll likely have more control and achieve better results.
Dave JohnsonKeep the Juice Flowing
We've revamped our digital camera battery tests this month, to reflect changes in digital cameras and in how they're used. Besides taking a series of shots with and without flash, we operated the optical zoom and switched the camera off and then back on.
According to PC World Test Center performance analyst Tony Leung, zooming and powering off and on use a lot of juice. Kodak's EasyShare DX7630, which uses a rechargeable lithium ion battery, earned top honors, with over 3 hours (355 shots) of battery life. The loser: Olympus's D-580 Zoom petered out after just over an hour (127 shots). (See the chart below for battery life specifics.)
On the other hand, the D-580 Zoom runs on AA batteries, which are available even in the backstreets of Bangkok. Don't let dead batteries kill a busy photo session: Swap weak cells for fresh ones whenever the action pauses.
If your camera requires a rechargeable battery, never travel with just one. And make sure that you have at least enough power to get you through a full day of shooting. You probably won't have time to plug in your charger except at night and when driving.
You need to ensure that the battery charger will plug into the power systems you'll encounter along the way. When you travel to a country that doesn't use 120-volt power (the standard in the%20United States), it's a good idea to pack a universal international power converter. For less than $50, you can carry a single gadget (such as the Maha World Adapter) that will keep you connected to juice no matter where you are. Another option is to charge your camera in your rental car. With a miniature power inverter like those made by Digipower, you can charge your camera--or any other electronic device that has a standard plug--while you go motoring down the highway.
Battery Life
Top Tips From a Pro
Photograph by Bill O'Connell
What's the best way to protect your gear from damage? I always try to use padded cases; I usually travel with a backpack. There are the Domke bags, which are not padded--I wouldn't recommend that for any of the digital cameras. I think the extra padding is so worth it. The other thing to look for, if you can afford it, is something water-resistant, not necessarily waterproof.
How about theft? The nice thing about the backpack I use is that people don't know for certain what's in it--it's a camera backpack. When you have a traditional camera bag, people know what's in it, so you have to be extra vigilant in watching it.
What works best for backing up your images? Get an external device that you can download the images to. Then keep that device in your hotel room so, if someone walks away with your camera bag, you have your images in two places. Bring enough cards (if you can) to hold all the images you will shoot on a particular trip, and keep your cards in the little plastic containers they come in so they're protected while you're traveling. You really should have two cards with you at all times, in case one malfunctions.
How many batteries should people carry? Bring three batteries. If you have just two, and leave one charging at the hotel, then you have only one in the field. If it goes dead while you're shooting, it's like, "uh-oh!" Or you forget which battery you've charged and bring the wrong one with you--and spend the whole day on a tour without your camera working.
What accessories are most valuable to you? The two most important accessories that I take with me are polarizer filters and a mini-tripod. It's a very small tripod, almost like a table tripod. Not only can you put it on the ground or hold it against the wall if you want to do a long shot, but you can also put it on the bottom of your camera and hold it against your chest--that's one of the coolest things I learned from another photographer. And I'll tell you, it's been just wonderful for so many applications where you want to keep something steady. I'd guess it will allow you to shoot approximately two stops slower.
Eric ButterfieldHow to Avoid Damage or Theft
When traveling, treat your camera like family. Checked baggage is often handled roughly (and may be searched when you're not around), so always carry your camera onto the plane. If your camera ends up in the overhead compartment, make sure it's well padded so that another passenger won't damage it by clumsily knocking it to the floor or carelessly crushing it with an overstuffed wheelie bag.
Unless your camera gear looks as though it has been around the world a few times already, consider bringing proof of ownership with you. No one wants to pay customs duty on a camera purchased back home, or to be accused of smuggling or theft.
In some locales, rental car break-ins are frequent. You may think you've secured your camera by putting it in the trunk, but in fact you might be saying goodbye to it forever.
Dave JohnsonWhat to Pack in the Bag
In the Bag
Photograph by Rick Rizner
Cokin Digital Creative Filter Kit $35Kit includes an A300 shoe and two filters (star and sunset). The A series has more than 180 filters that fit this shoe. Cokin Magne-Fix wide-angle lens $70 Attaches magnetically to a metallic ring that you affix to your camera's lens. Two sizes are available. CPM Delta 1 lens cleaning paper $1.35 Cleans smudges from camera lenses; comes in packs of 25 sheets that measure 4 inches by 5.5 inches. Contact CPM at 800/627-0252. Delkin EFilm PicturePad $49040GB portable hard drive reads CompactFlash cards and has USB and infrared ports; also available in 20GB and 60GB configurations. Hoodman H-DCR LCD hood $20Straps onto your camera to combat LCD glare from sunlight. The rubber hood fits over your camera's LCD, and includes a magnifying lens, like a viewfinder. It fits over 1.5-inch and 1.8-inch LCD screens. Hoodman FlashPack H-FP4 case $15Leather case has four pockets for storing memory cards, and has a belt clip. Hoodman HSK-2 Hoodskins $10Clear, adhesive sheets designed to protect your camera's LCD. They come in packs of 12, and fit 1.5-inch to 2-inch LCDs. L.L. Bean Aquapac camera bag $44 Protects cameras from water, and has a clear vinyl window so you can take pictures while the camera is inside the bag. Three clips seal the bag shut. Though not designed specifically for underwater use, the bag is waterproof to 15 feet, and will float. Lowepro D-Res 25AW digital camera pouch $20 Pouch designed for digital cameras with a zoom; has pockets for accessories, and a protective cover for inclement weather. Interior measures 3.5 by 2.5 by 6 inches. Lowepro Rover AW II backpack $115Bottom compartment of this backpack has removable padding for protecting camera gear. Backpack measures 13 by 8 by 21 inches. Pedco Ultrapod II mini tripod $15Small tripod stands just over 6 inches tall when open, and weighs 4 ounces; has a ball-and-socket camera mount, and includes a Velcro strap. Pedco Ultraclamp $24Camera mount clamps onto window sills and other fixtures; has a ball-and-socket camera mount and weighs 6.5 ounces. Promaster OpticClean cleaning fluid $2 Cleans fingerprints and smudges from camera lenses; comes in a 1-ounce squeeze bottle. REI Hiker Antishock Staff $58Serves as both a cushioned walking stick and a camera monopod. Unscrewing the cork knob reveals a screw mount for cameras. Visual Departures Steadybag Jr. SB-3 bean bag $16Nylon bag filled with polypropylene beads serves as an alternative to a tripod for steadying a camera. It weighs 8 ounces and is sized for point-and-shoot cameras.
Take Your Best Shots (cont'd)
Canon PowerShot S500 Digital Elph
Photograph by Rick Rizner
You don't get a lot of sophisticated scene modes or full manual settings options on the S500. Instead, it's designed to be carried everywhere and be ready to go the moment you spot something image-worthy. In the camera's automatic mode, you get the basic adjustments for image size, flash setting, continuous shooting, self-timer, macro focus, and infinity modes. The S500's Manual mode adds controls for exposure metering and compensation, white balance, and ISO sensitivity to help you get more out of more complicated shooting conditions.
Despite its simplicity, the S500 did well in our photo-quality lab tests. (To score image quality, the PC World Test Center sets all point-and-shoot digital cameras to their default, fully automatic mode.) We awarded the S500 high scores in both the flash and the outdoor tests, its main strengths being accurate exposure and color.
Like other recent Canon cameras, the S500 has a print/share button that glows blue when you connect to a PC or to a PictBridge-compatible printer and displays a menu of options. Pressing the button kicks off the printing or image transfer. This process feels less sophisticated than the method some other cameras use to share photos by e-mail or Web page, but it does simplify the most common tasks involved in getting your images out of the camera.
In our battery life test, the S500's tiny rechargeable lithium-ion battery lasted 1 hour and 37 minutes, or 178 shots. That's a subpar showing in this group, where the average battery life was 233 shots. But the battery charger is as compact as the camera--small enough to fit easily into an overstuffed travel bag--and it plugs straight into a power outlet, so there are no cables to deal with.
You may need a little time to get used to the S500's dual menu system (now standard on most Canon point-and-shoot digital cameras), but you should soon grow accustomed to their logical organization and find them easy to navigate. Our one quibble with the S500's controls involves the shooting mode dial, which is easy to bump to an unintended setting, especially when you're putting the camera into or pulling it out of the optional carrying case. The 1.5-inch LCD seems small by today's standards, where 1.8-inch and larger panels are common.
UPSHOT: Tough, sophisticated looking, and frill-free, the Canon PowerShot S500 should be most attractive to intermediate and advanced photographers who want a camera that's easy to take anywhere.
Canon PowerShot S1 IS
Photograph by Rick Rizner
The S1 IS has the traditional shape of an advanced model, with a solid hand-grip on the right side and the lens center-left. Like all long-zoom point-and-shoot digitals, the S1 IS comes with a small LCD for its eye-level viewfinder; and as often happens with cameras of this type, there is a slight but noticeable lag in the viewfinder's image as you pan the camera.
Aside from that shortcoming, the S1 IS is a pleasure to operate. A dial on top lets you select the shooting mode from among six scene-assist modes and one that holds your own custom settings. Alternatively, you can get down to business with full manual modes, including aperture- and shutter-priority settings. The back of the camera contains a set of buttons that you can reach easily with your right thumb, and a four-way selector works well for navigating the menus. Most digital cameras use the shutter release to start and stop recording video, so it took us a little while to get used to the S1 IS's separate record button.
The S1 IS scored slightly above average in our photo-quality tests, achieving correct exposures and excellent color accuracy, especially in our still-life shot under daylight-balanced lighting. Color accuracy and skin tones looked attractive in our flash tests, too. Though it faltered slightly in capturing sharpness and detail as compared to higher-resolution cameras, it was on a par with other 3.2-megapixel models.
A local car race coincided nicely with our informal field testing. The S1 IS's video of cars screaming by was fun to capture, but we rapidly ate up the 32MB, high-speed CompactFlash card that came with the camera. We had some trouble framing video and stills accurately, too, because the zoom control is so sensitive.
The S1 IS depleted its four AA batteries quickly. In our tests, we had to change them after only 144 shots (significantly below the 233-shot average for the 13 cameras we tested in this group). If you plan to shoot a lot of video, constantly zoom the lens, frame potential shots while holding the shutter button halfway down, or run the LCD screen for extended periods, you should invest in high-capacity, rechargeable batteries. One other quibble: The S1 IS has a cord to attach the lens cap to the included neck-strap. It's just as well--the cap fell off the lens with annoying frequency while we carried the camera around.
UPSHOT: Producing fine photos for a 3.2-megapixel camera and offering plenty of advanced features for a very reasonable price, the S1 IS makes a good choice for hobbyist photographers on a fairly tight budget.
Fujifilm FinePix A330
Photograph by Rick Rizner
An XD-Picture Card with a capacity of only 16MB comes with the A330, but you can shoot 320 by 240 movies if you buy a larger card. There's no microphone, however, so you'll have to settle for watching silent films. The manual is complete and helpful (though it lacks an index and ours came with two pages of corrections), but it covers both the A3330 and its bigger sibling, the A340.
The A330 has some usability flaws. The zoom control is a button that you rock up and down. It feels uncomfortable under your thumb and is difficult to adjust accurately. It also serves as a menu selector button, and for panning and zooming when you play back your photos. We weren't thrilled with the camera's power-off function, either. By default, the camera automatically turns itself off after 2 minutes of inactivity, to save power. You might expect the button marked 'on' to turn it back on, but instead you have to close and reopen the lens cover.
For a camera that costs $200, the A330 took surprisingly good photos. In our lab tests, its exposure and color balance stood up well to competitors priced twice as high. It earned very good scores in our flash-photo test, as well.
Using the A330 might frustrate photographers who like to cull their photos immediately. Took a shot that came out poorly? You'll have to work through at least five steps to delete it.
The camera does have a couple of advanced features that may prove useful. You can crop your images on the LCD screen--useful if you're connected directly to a printer. And if you're traveling, you can set up a temporary time-zone change; that way, when the images are downloaded to your PC, they'll be tagged with a meaningful time.
The A330 uses two AA batteries. But an optional cradle comes with rechargeable batteries and simplifies uploading the images to your PC.
UPSHOT: If you're looking for a simple camera to take quick snapshots of your family vacation, the FinePix A330 may be ideal. At $200 with a 3X optical zoom, it's a bargain.
Take Your Best Shots (cont'd)
HP Photosmart R707
Photograph by Rick Rizner
The Photosmart R707's menus are well designed, attractive, and easy to use. An innovative help menu offers tips on using the camera and explains its various features. Once you've taken a shot, you can get advice on problems that might arise in the image based on the camera settings you used. It might be better to get this information before you take the shot, but you can always take another and use what you've learned.
A button on top of the R707 lets you select among seven different scene modes, including panorama. The limited aperture-priority mode gives you a choice of two aperture values at each zoom level, but there is no shutter priority setting. The camera's My Mode lets you save and instantly recall a collection of favorite settings--very useful, once you figure out how to use it.
The zoom control, located on the upper-right back of the camera, sits in an indentation for your thumb, but we found it somewhat hard to use. Two dedicated buttons let you tag pictures for printing or e-mailing to a preassigned address the next time you connect the camera to your PC.
In our image quality tests, the R707 scored moderately well. It rated below the Canon S500 and nearly in a tie with Kodak's 6.1-megapixel EasyShare DX7630, both of which cost about $150 more. The R707 produced relatively sharp pictures with bright, accurate colors. It performed a little below average in the flash test, however: Our test photo had muted colors and overexposed skin tones.
The R707 seemed slow to process our shots. If you hold your finger down, you can capture a burst of three images; but the camera then takes about 20 seconds to write them to its 32MB of built-in memory before you can take another photo. We also temporarily encountered a problem where the camera crashed repeatedly when we tried to upload images to our PC (you don't often see a 'blue screen' on a camera.)
UPSHOT: The HP Photosmart R707 attractively combines low price, small size, and capable imaging, and throws in a few advanced extras. It's especially attractive for novice users, who will benefit from the built-in help.
Kodak EasyShare DX7630
Photograph by Rick Rizner
Though it looks a bit chunky, the EasyShare DX7630 fits snugly in your hand, which helps you take pictures easily. Our favorite feature: The camera's large 2-inch, high-resolution LCD screen is very easy to use, even in bright sunlight.
The DX7630 has almost too many buttons and controls from which to choose. The power switch is situated on the mode selection dial, and a lock prevents you from turning it on accidentally. You use a tiny, stubby joystick in the center of the dial to navigate menus and browse your shots--it works, but it's a little hard on the thumb. We generally liked the thumbwheel dial for adjusting the settings in the manual modes, but it serves no purpose when you use an automatic mode or when you review your photos; also, it seemed a bit too sensitive.
Sixteen scene modes help you with everything from studies of flowers to shots of scenery at night. For experienced photographers, the camera provides four advanced modes, including aperture- and shutter-priority, plus a custom mode for saving--and quickly recalling--your personalized settings separately from other modes.
As the camera's name suggests, it is well designed for sharing photos. When you press the bright amber glass 'share' button, the DX7630 presents you with a menu of ways to tag your photos for later e-mailing or printing. It can work with the included Kodak EasyShare software or print directly to a Kodak printer. On the other hand, it's the only camera in our roundup, that doesn't support the PictBridge standard, which would let you print directly to a non-Kodak printer.
Though the users' guide covers all the of camera's features in fewer than 60 pages, it looks like the cheapest paperback you can find on a supermarket shelf. The paper feels like newsprint and the booklet was already warped when we took it out of the box. It has a comprehensive index, but you have to hunt for the English version among the three languages provided. Fortunately, the camera is quite intuitive to use and we rarely had to refer to the manual.
UPSHOT: Its breadth of features, from point-and-shoot to full manual, gives the Kodak EasyShare DX7630 wide appeal. Aside from a few rough edges, it's a capable camera.
Konica Minolta DiMage Z2
Photograph by Rick Rizner
This is the only camera in our roundup that can record 800-by-600-pixel movies at 15 frames per second; if you drop down to 640 by 480 pixels, the frame rate doubles to 30 fps. Konica Minolta gave the Z2 a relatively small 1.5-inch LCD panel, but reading it in sunshine is easy enough. Interestingly, when you switch to using the optical viewfinder, a curtain slides over the LCD screen and the image is projected into the eyepiece.
Most of the Z2's higher-level exposure controls are located in the menu system, but it's neatly organized. Oddly, though you can set the instant photo review period to up to 10 seconds, you can't erase the image instantly. Instead, you have to wait until the camera has finished processing the image, and then switch to the quick-view mode before deleting it. In continuous mode you can take five consecutive shots, but a red light flashes for about 25 seconds while the camera writes all of the images to the memory card.
The Z2 complements its fully automatic capabilities with five scene modes, for portraits, sports, landscapes, sunsets, and nighttime portraits. It also has four manual modes that will appeal to more-experienced photographers. Aperture sizes and shutter speeds are easy to set with the left/right and up/down buttons. A live histogram display helps you to set the correct exposure. We see this option more and more frequently, but it remains the digital camera feature that photographers probably understand least.
The Z2 is one of two cameras (the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ10PP-S being the other) that has a shoe for external flash. But its design isn't standard, so a Konica Minolta flash is your only choice.
In our lab tests for image quality, the Z2 achieved mixed results. It was one of the best cameras in our flash test, producing natural-looking color and faithful skin tones with good overall exposure. In our still life shot, however, the Z2 turned out dull colors and lacked sharpness. Its shot of an outdoor scene was overexposed and somewhat fuzzy.
The Z2 did moderately well in our battery tests. It lasted for 2 hours, 18 minutes or 251 shots--but that's with four AA alkaline batteries.
We received a preproduction instruction manual with the Z2, but downloaded a final version in PDF format from the Konica Minolta Web site. Though it lacks an index, the manual provides thorough guidance on using the camera.
UPSHOT: The Z2 delivers a wealth of features for a $449 camera and turns out fairly nice photos. With a little practice, you should be able to get better images using its manual modes.
Take Your Best Shots (cont'd)
Nikon Coolpix 3200
Photograph by Rick Rizner
Though the 3200 has a slot for an SD memory card, the camera carries only 14.5MB of available internal memory (enough for about nine shots at the highest setting) is included in its $280 price. The good news is that you won't be left in the cold if you forget to pop in your SD card.
The 3200's menus take a little getting used to. At first we didn't know whether to enter its separate setup mode or just press the menu button for our current mode--but we soon got used to its quirks. The menus are not deeply nested, yet we sometimes felt as though we had scrolled a lot because there were only three options per page. The smallish 1.6-inch LCD screen was extremely difficult to use in bright sunlight. You can reduce the LCD's brightness, but that washes out the colors.
To complement its full-automatic setting, the 3200 offers 15 scene shooting modes to assist in capturing everything from sunsets to beaches to fireworks, plus a setting that lets you use Nikon's included image management software to stitch shots into a panorama. If you want anything more advanced, such as aperture- or shutter-priority automatic, you'll want to look elsewhere.
The 3200 lets you set gridlines on its LCD screen, to frame your shots more accurately. Other framing lines assist in positioning people in portraits, scenery in landscapes, and straight lines in shots of buildings.
A feature not shared by any other camera in our roundup is the Nikon's Best Shot Selector mode. By holding down the shutter release, you can take up to ten shots of the same subject. The camera decides which of the images is best and commits only the sharpest to memory. This might help you get a better photo when you're shooting in low light conditions, where slow shutter speeds and a shaky camera tend to yield blurry images--for instance, inside an art museum where using a flash is prohibited.
The 3200 earned high scores in our still life test, which is designed to test color accuracy, sharpness, and detail under daylight lighting. It wasn't as sharp as some of the higher-resolution cameras, but we saw remarkable exposure accuracy and color reproduction. Its shot of our outdoor San Francisco rooftop scene (with lots of blue sky) was somewhat less impressive, though not bad: Well exposed; modestly good detail in the shadows; noticeable speckling in the blue sky; and natural, albeit somewhat muted colors.
We took the 3200 along on a stroll through San Francisco's Embarcadero waterfront. Soon we had a nice variety of shots of tugboats working in the bay, skateboarders ignoring the 'no skateboarding' signs, and tourists on the terraces in front of the Ferry Building. It was a sunny day and all of our shots displayed bright, vibrant colors and good contrast.
Powered by two AA alkaline batteries, the 3200 lasted just over two hours or 220 shots--about average for the cameras in our roundup. Alternatively, it can take rechargeable AA batteries or a CR-V3 disposable lithium battery, which has an exceptionally long life.
UPSHOT: Easy to carry and easy to use, the Nikon Coolpix 3200 is an excellent choice for informal photographers who couldn't care less about fine-art imaging but who want to take great-looking snapshots.
Olympus D-580 Zoom
Photograph by Rick Rizner
The D-580's simple control buttons place the most common functions at your fingertips. The camera's more complex controls reside in menus that are fairly easy to navigate. Different menus appear depending on what mode you're in, and sometimes we had trouble remembering exactly where to find everything. You can select any of five simple scene modes from a novel graphical carousel displayed in the LCD; the carousel mimics the rotating dial found on many other cameras. Annoyingly, the display often disappeared before we had decided which mode we wanted to use.
After you take a shot, the result flashes on the screen, but you barely have time to review it before it's gone--and there's no way to lengthen the instant review period. If you don't like a shot, you must change to the 'quick view' playback mode and use the menu system to delete it. A total of six button presses are necessary to review a shot, delete it, and return to shooting. (Deleting a series of photos takes four steps for each photo.)
The zoom control is an oddly shaped rocker that sits next to the shutter release on top of the camera. We found stretching our finger to use it almost painful. It's all too easy to slide the lens cover accidentally, turning off the camera, as you grip it with your right hand. And the 1.8-inch LCD screen is a little difficult to see in bright sunlight.
You can record voice notes, either while the camera is processing your shot or after the fact. The D-580 can make a variety of beeps, but it has no proper speaker, so you can't review what you have said until you upload the photos to your PC. Similarly, though you can record 320-by-240-pixel or 160-by-120-pixel movies, you'll have to wait until you get home to hear the soundtrack.
The D-580 earned an average overall score in our image quality tests. Outdoor images showed realistic colors and plenty of detail in areas%20of shadow. Color accuracy and skin tone quality looked good in our still life test. Our flash portrait shot was somewhat overexposed, however, overhighlighting our model's skin tone. The lowest scores the D-580 received were for image sharpness--a deficiency likely to show up in cropped and enlarged images.
We achieved some nice results from our informal tests. Nevertheless, we were puzzled by how many of the shots came out sloping to the right. Perhaps it is difficult to judge when you are holding this model straight, because we noticed nothing obviously wrong with the camera.
Our biggest gripe with the D-580 relates to its battery life--the shortest in our roundup. Running on two AA alkaline cells, the D-580 lasted for only 127 shots, which translates into just over an hour. That's barely more than half the average battery life of the other 12 cameras tested. The D-580's saving grace is that it also takes CR-V3 lithium batteries that should last much longer.
The printed manual that comes in the box has a paltry 40 pages of content in English, sharing the little booklet with three other languages. The software CD contains a more complete reference manual in PDF format.
UPSHOT: A capable and reasonably priced point-and-click camera, the D-580 Zoom has a few usability blemishes. Its relatively puny battery life makes it a better choice for a now-and-then photographer than for a passionate snapshooter.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ10S
Photograph by Rick Rizner
Still, the Lumix has some design shortcomings. Its mode dial, for example, has a single setting for aperture-priority, shutter-priority, and full-manual shooting modes. You have to delve into the menus to select among the three. Most vendors dropped this arrangement two years ago. The Linux has an old-style hot shoe, too, with the most rudimentary connections--in other words, no through-the-lens metering with an external flash, and camera and external flash settings must be matched manually. Finally, if you use the zoom control frequently, it can be somewhat rough on your index finger.
The DMC-FZ10 has five automatic scene modes selectable from the mode dial, and it includes an unusual panning mode that lets you achieve a sense of motion by blurring the background as you track a moving subject, such as a racecar. We took the camera out onto the street on a sunny day to snap the passing cars, with somewhat disappointing results. The manual says that this feature works better out of bright sunlight.
We got better panning results when we used shutter priority at a slow speed. Once you've discovered the exposure button, you can adjust the aperture and shutter settings easily with the arrow buttons. We liked the Lumix's smooth manual focus ring, located on the lens. In a darkened setting, we had fun playing with low aperture settings at a high ISO sensitivity, with and without flash.
The DMC-FZ10 received the highest image quality scores of any camera in our roundup. We saw natural colors and good skin tones in flash photographs of our mannequin. In our resolution test, the Lumix compared favorably with 5-megapixel cameras, rendering easily readable small fonts and fine parallel lines. Colors and details looked accurate in the still life and in outdoor shots.
Battery life is quite impressive: We took 277 shots, half with flash, on a single charge. The charger for the camera's lithium ion battery is rather large, but it's still easy enough to stow in your bag. Unlike most cameras we've seen that have separate lens caps, the Lumix does not come equipped with a cord to attach the cap to the camera. Panasonic throws in a plastic lens hood to minimize lens flare and ghosting in sunlight or strong backlight. For $600, Panasonic could have provided more than a 16MB SD card.
We received a preproduction manual for the FZ10 that was obviously a work in process, but the PDF version we downloaded from Panasonic's Web site was complete and well-organized, with plenty of pictures, examples, and tips.
Our original Lumix unit developed a fault during testing in which both the LCD display and the electronic viewfinder acquired a magenta cast, though photos still came out fine. The replacement unit we received functioned perfectly.
UPSHOT: The Lumix's most attractive feature is its 12X optical zoom lens with image stabilization. It would make an ideal camera for low-cost sports photography.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T1
Photograph by Rick Rizner
We had two complaints about this camera. The first is design-related: The camera is so thin that it won't stand securely on its bottom edge, which means that it will spend most of its time resting either on its front or on its back. If the former, you'll probably scratch the lovely brushed-metal lens cover; if the latter, you might scratch the LCD. Sony should have provided a slipcase with the camera for protection. (One is available as a $30 extra.) Which brings us to our second complaint: $550 is extraordinarily high--even for Sony--for a point-and-shoot with few advanced features.
The LCD takes up about two-thirds of the camera's back panel, but Sony managed to fit very usable controls into the remaining space. There is even a specific spot to place your thumb while gripping the camera, though it's also where the camera's speaker is located, so you'll have to put your thumb elsewhere to replay audio recorded with movies or still shots. You can record voice notes only while taking a photo; there's no way to add them later.
In our lab tests, the DSC-T1 produced some impressive photos, though its overall scores were up-and-down. It earned top scores for image sharpness and detail, and it excelled in a still-life shot that uses daylight-balanced lighting and in our outdoor shot. In lower light conditions, however, the camera may suffer from its relatively small lens aperture: Its scores fell slightly below average in our flash tests. Still, after a little effort adjusting the camera's white-balance control or flash-power setting, you should be able to achieve pleasing results.
For informal testing, we took the DSC-T1 on a bike ride over the Golden Gate Bridge. We got some beautiful shots of fog streaming over the deck as we approached. But we had trouble getting good exposure of a companion standing in shade with the brightly lit bridge behind--even with fill-in flash. Otherwise, all of our photos looked crisp and sharp.
The DSC-T1 comes with a cradle for charging its lithium-ion battery and for downloading your images from its Memory Stick media. The cradle requires a separate power adapter that might prove cumbersome for travel. Though you can't download photos without the cradle, the power cable can plug straight into the camera. Whether you take just two or all three components with you, they should fit easily into a corner of your suitcase.
UPSHOT: The Cyber-shot DSC-T1 packs a lot of functionality into its tiny case, and the 2.5-inch LCD will give other digital camera owners display envy. The photos aren't bad, either.