December 8th, 2008
More top budget cameras: Best digital cameras under $150
Based on the traffic to my recent Holiday Gift Guide on the best digital cameras for under $200, there are lots of you out there shopping for a bargain this year (surprise, surprise). For some smart options on an even tighter budget, DPReview has posted a excellent roundup of nine compact digital cameras for under $150. This is great since the enthusiast’s site doesn’t usually review such low-end models, and the treatment is refreshing for folks who want an expert’s take without having to wade through the typical 20-page DPReview review. They didn’t bother with most of their studio-based tests, which is fine since they’d be overkill for entry-level cameras (and over the heads of most buyers of entry-level cameras). But they did put them through paces suited to what buyers of sub-$150 cameras need to know (e.g., image quality outdoors, in low light, and with flash), providing one-page reviews on each of the nine cameras with concise summaries and a “We like” and “We don’t like” list of pros and cons for each camera.
So which cameras came out on top? Their overall favorite was probably the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ8, which did well in all three image quality tests (outdoors/daylight, low light/high ISO, and flash) with the Canon A590IS a close runner up (but lost points for a “unacceptably long flash recycle time”). They were also impressed with the Sony Cyber-shot W120 (which was also on my list of favorite budget cameras), which they picked as their favorite among the simpler point-and-shoots (the Panasonic LZ8 being grouped among cameras with more photographic control).
Don’t-buy-it cameras? The Kodak EasyShare C1013, with the Fujifilm Z20fd being a close runner up.
Read the full round-up here or cut to the chase on the conclusions and ratings page.
Janice Chen has been covering technology for almost two decades. She got her hands on a Nikon Coolpix 900 back in 1998 and has been a digital camera enthusiast ever since. See her full profile and disclosure of her industry affiliations.
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