Best Digital Cameras

What is the best Digital Camera? Which Digital Camera should I buy?

In an attempt to help people find the best digital camera I tend to answer them in three ways:

1. My personal Digital Camera Reviews and Recommendations

Point and Shoot Camera wise I tend to recommend the Fujifilm FinePix F30 (compare prices on the F30 here) for many users who want a nice compact camera for everyday shooting, particularly in low light. For a larger point and shoot with a larger zoom I'm partial to the Canon Powershot S3 IS which I really enjoyed using for a few weeks a couple of months back.

For DSLRs I'm generally recommending Canon's DSLR range which is all good ranging from the Get the latest price on the Canon Digital Rebel XT (350D) at the base end (I've heard good things about the Rebel XTi 10.1 (the 400D) through to the Canon EOS 30D (pictured) for an intermediate DSLR through to the Canon EOS 5D for very serious amateurs.

2. What Digital Cameras are Other Buying?

I am fortunate enough to get a list each month from Amazon with a summary of what digital cameras readers of my sites are buying. Here's the best/biggest sellers of the 3rd quarter of 2006 (July - September).

Canon PowerShot Pro Series S3 IS 6MP - a 6 megapixel camera with a nice long 12x Optical Zoom. Highly rated by many. Compare prices.
Canon EOS 30D Digital SLR - the upgrade of the popular 20D this DSLR is fast becoming one of the most popular cameras going around. I've tested this 8MP camera and am a big fan. Research best Prices on the 30D.
Canon PowerShot A530 - This 5MP camera features a 4x Optical Zoom (a nice extension on the many 3x zoom cameras available) and is one of the more affordable cameras going around (that retains quality). Compare prices on the A530.
Kodak EasyShare Z760 - A 6.1MP camera with a 3x Optical Zoom. Check best prices on the Z760.
Pentax Optio M10 6MP - another 6.1MP camera with 3x Optical Zoom. Fairly entry level and affordable. Find prices on the M10.
Olympus FE-115 - 5 megapixels, 2.8x optical Zoom and you can get it online for around $100 USD. Compare prices on the FE-115.
FujiFilm A340 4MP - another very entry level camera with 4MP and a 3x Optical Zoom. Compare prices on the A340.
Nikon D200 10.2MP Digital SLR - a very nice and critically acclaimed DSLR. It has 10.2 MP and a nice large LCD, built in flash and all the features you'd expect of a camera of this quality. Get best prices on the Nikon D200.
Canon Powershot S2 IS 5MP - The very popular camera that proceeded the S3 IS (above). Still popular in it's own right it has 5MP and a large 12x Optical Zoom (with image stabilization). Compare prices on the S2 IS.
Fujifilm Finepix S5200 5.1MP - another camera with a lovely long lens (10x Optical Zoom). Compare prices on the S5200.

3. What Digital Cameras are others Using?

Recently I came across an interesting list of the top cameras used by Flickr users here (Flickr is a photo sharing site).

The top 10 Cameras used by Flickr users are:

Canon Digital Rebel XT 8MP Digital SLR - entry level (but still high quality) DSLR with 8MP and some great features. Excellent camera if you're upgrading to a DSLR on a budget. Compare prices on the Canon Rebel XT (350D).
Nikon D50 6.1MP Digital SLR - another entry level DSLR from Nikon (get the best price on the Nikon D50).
Canon EOS 20D 8.2MP Digital SLR - my camera for the last couple of years. Still popular but really superseded by the 30D. It's still available though and a favorite of many. Get a price on the 20D.
Nikon D70S 6.1MP - 6MP DSLR with 2 inch LCD and built in flash. Nikon make some nice cameras including this one. Research prices on the D70s.
Canon EOS 30D 8.2MP Digital SLR - the upgrade of the popular 20D this DSLR is fast becoming one of the most popular cameras going around. I've tested this 8MP camera and am a big fan. Compare Prices on the 30D.
Nikon D200 10.2MP Digital SLR - a very nice and critically acclaimed DSLR. It has 10.2 MP and a nice large LCD, built in flash and all the features you'd expect of a camera of this quality. Compare prices on the Nikon D200.
Canon EOS 6.3MP Digital Rebel - another entry level DSLR from Canon. Replaced by the Rebel XT above though.
Canon Powershot S2 IS 5MP - The very popular camera that proceeded the S3 IS (above). Still popular in it's own right it has 5MP and a large 12x Optical Zoom (with image stabilization). Compare prices on the S2 IS.
Sony Cybershot DSC P200 - 7.2MP point and shoot with a 3x Optical Zoom lens.
Canon Powershot A620 - 7MPMP with a 4x Optical Zoom. A good solid performer. Compare A620 prices.

(note: duplicates were deleted from the original list as some cameras were listed twice under different model numbers).

Posted by Darren in our Tips category on December 26, 2006

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