Top 10 Point-and-shoot Digital Cameras
Top 10 Digital Cameras
Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-T33 is easy to use.
Five megapixels or higher is now de rigueur for point-and-shoot digital cameras. Of the six models we tested this month, only one has a CCD less than 5 megapixels: Canon's 3.2-megapixel PowerShot A510. With a modest number of advanced controls and the ability to use optional lenses, this $200 model could be a great starter camera for cash-strapped shutterbugs. The A510's combination of power and price earns it Best Buy laurels.
HP's 6.2-megapixel Photosmart R717 performed the best in our image-quality tests. At its default settings, it took sharp, pleasing--though slightly oversaturated--images. Its image advice function weighs in on shots taken, making photo playback a photography lesson. Excellent for an entry-level user, the R717 is also the most affordable 6-megapixel model here.
Sony's pricey, 5.1-megapixel Cyber-shot DSC-T33 wedges a big, 2.5-inch LCD into a case less than 0.75 inch thick. Olympus's Stylus 500 matches the DSC-T33's LCD screen size but outdoes it in number of scene mode settings--whatever you're trying to shoot, the Stylus probably has an automatic setting for it.
The Casio QV-R62 is a pretty thing only slightly thicker than a pack of cards, but its overexposed shots and short battery life left us cold. Fujifilm's tiny FinePix F450--less than 3 inches in height and width--took adequate but slightly dark shots.