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In our latest tests, Olympus's $230 FE-120 surpassed more expensive models in image quality.

High-Quality Photos on Even a Meager Budget

Eric Butterfield


The 9-megapixel Fujifilm FinePix E900 camera takes extremely sharp pictures.

You don't have to drop a load of money for a camera to get great-looking photos. Of the three new models that made this month's chart, the least expensive camera delivered the best image quality.

The $230 Olympus FE-120 took very impressive shots. The trade-off is that it lacks some of the exposure controls that many other models offer; also, it lasted only 203 shots in our battery tests. In contrast, the ultraslim Casio Exilim EX-S600 took 415 shots.

The pricey Fujifilm FinePix E900 also earned high marks for its image quality. In particular, it received the best score for image sharpness.

Three Wi-Fi-enabled cameras missed our chart due in part to their steep prices and subpar battery life: the $500 Canon PowerShot SD430, the $500 Nikon Coolpix P1, and the $400 Nikon Coolpix P2.

Find the Very Latest Digital Camera Charts

Click on the links below for the latest online digital camera rankings or a comprehensive list of all digital cameras we've tested.

  • Most current Top Point-and-Shoot Digital Cameras chart
  • All Digital Cameras
  • Top Digital Cameras From the May 2006 Issue of PC World Magazine

    Top point and shoot cameras chart

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