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Digital
cameras
More
fun
and
features
for
less
T
his season, you'll
see
small
cameras
not
only in
sober
black
and
silver
but
also in
hues
such
as Wasabi
Green
and
Sunset
Orange.
You'll also find
even
modestly
priced
models
with
features
such
as image
sta-
bilization,
which
can
compensate
for
camera
shake
and
minimize blurring,
and
face detection,
which
aids in
portrait
shots.
The
touch-screen
technology
found
on
the
iPhone
and
other
smart
phones
is
showing
up on
the
LCD
screens
of
more
digital cameras,
and
those
screens
are getting bigger.
Prices
have
dropped,
too, especially
for compacts
and
SLRs. Two compacts
priced
at or
near
$200 are
among
the
CR
Best
Buys in
our
Ratings.
And
you
can
now
find
respectable
compacts
with
fa-
miliar
brand
names
for
less
than
$200.
There
are
also
more
digital SLRs
priced
under
$1,000, including two
head-to-
head
competitors
that
cost $600.
36
CONSUMER
REPORTS
0
NOVEMBER
2007
You can't always
depend
on salespeo-
ple
to
help
you choose
the
right camera.
Readers
indicate
that
the
quality of in-
store
help
is all
over
the
map.
Indeed,
when
our
reporter
shopped
at
mass
mer-
chand
isers, as
many
consumers
do,
one
salesperson
told
him
that
there
is no dif-
ference
between
digital
and
optical zoom
(optical is far
more
useful).
Another
couldn't
explain
the
differences
among
mechanicaL optical.
and
simulated image
stabilization (optical
and
mechanical
are
superior). A
third
suggested
that
our
re-
porter
go to a
competing
electronics
chain
for
answers
to his questions.
Here's
what
you
need
to know:
DON'T BUY TOO BIG OR TOO SMALL
Almost all
cameras
in
our
Ratings
took
decent
pictures.Your choice
will
de-
pend
a lot on
whether
you favor small
size or
extra
photographic
power
and
flexibility Compact cameras, too big for a
pocket
but
small
enough
to fit easily in a
bag,
remain
the
best
choice for most peo-
ple, especially if
your
budget
is tight.
A growing
proportion
of
cameras
now
are
subcompacts
that
fit in a pocket. They
cost a bit
more
for
the
same
capabilities
and
often
come
with
compromises:
shorter
battery
life,
smaller
controls, a
narrower
zoom range,
and
no viewfinder.
Small cameras continue to
shrink
and
REALITY C
HE
CK
Optical is better because it maintains
image quality by relying on the lens
itself. Digital elec
tr
onically magnifies
a section of the image from the
sensor, almost always resulting in a
degraded image.
grow sleeker,
and
many
have an LCD that
dominates
the
back
and
has
better
screen
resolution
than
ever.
Some
models
have
LCDs
that
swing
out from
the
camera
body
and
swivel,
helping
to
compensate
for
the
traditional
viewfinders
many
models
now
lack.
Other
features
trickling
down
from
large
models
to
quite
a few
small
ones
include
manual
controls
and
the
ability
to save images in
the
RAW
format
which
stores
the
captured
image
before
it
has
been
processed
and
converted
into
a
file by
the
camera's
built-in
software.
That
maximizes
your
ability to
control
characteristics
such
as
sharpness
and
color balance.
Consider
a
high-priced
compact
or
SLR-like
camera
if you
want
lots of con-
trol
over
exposure
and
composition
or
you
want
to
shoot
close-ups
of
distant
CR BEST BUY The Samsung L77,
$250,
offers 7-megapixel
resolution, an electronic image stabilizer, and a nonprotruding
7x optical
zoom-rare
in a camera less than an inch thick.
•
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