Image courtesy of Expansys
2011 has already seen the release of many new digital cameras from a range of manufacturers, including Canon, Pentax, Nikon, Olympus, Sony, Samsung and Sigma. The selection varies from entry-level devices for beginners through to complex models for the serious photographer. This March alone has seen the introduction of two new point-and-shoot cameras; the Pentax Optio RS1500 with interchangeable face plates and the cute little Pentax Optio S1. Olympus has also introduced some new models including the SZ-30MR and SZ-20 with superzoom features and the sporty weather-proof Olympus TG-810 with GPS.
So amidst this wealth of new technology, what is considered the best for serious photography? The Sony Alpha A55 is definitely a must-have camera for the enthusiast. The pictures are top quality with 16.2 megapixels and there’s also a full HD video. This camera has the ability to shoot ten frames in a single second, making it ideal to capture sports and other fast-action activities. The camera also displays a live view on an LCD screen of what is being shot, as opposed to just the resultant photo. For the landscape photographer, the camera has fantastic panoramic capabilities with its Sweep Panorama technology, allowing stunning scene capture with a single sweeping movement of the camera. The camera also has a geotagging function, which automatically records where the panoramic shot occurred.
Compact cameras have really taken off as many users love portability. The Canon Powershot S95 is up there, delivering great photos with an impressive 10 megapixels, 720p video capture and quirky creative extras such as miniaturization mode and the fisheye filter. For those with a smaller budget, Olympus has launched the VR-320 and VR-330 in their compact range. Both these have powerful optical zoom lenses, ideal for taking great wide-angled shots. The VR-330 has the ability to capture still 3D images and HD movies and boasts additional features such as dual image stabilisation and Shadow Adjustment Technology.
For users that want to readily share the data captured on their cameras, one of the best digital cameras for ‘sharing’ currently on the market is considered to be the Nikon Coolpix S1100 PJ Projector. This camera has a projector mounted to the front allowing slide shows of photos the moment they have been taken. Once connected to a laptop, it has the ability to beam presentations, spreadsheets, documents and so on in true projector-style. This makes the Nikon Coolpix perfect as an additional office tool.
3D movies and games are all the rage these days and now there’s the opportunity to capture 3D photos too! The Fuji Finepix Real 3D W1 is a gem of a camera and the first 3D digital camera to be released. As with the new Nintendo 3DS games console, this camera requires no 3D glasses and uses two lenses to take photos then merge them into a 3D picture. The 3D images can be viewed on the 3D LCD camera screen or a 3D TV. It doesn’t come cheap though, currently retailing at around £500.
For those looking for the best digital cameras on a budget, there are still plenty of great options. For up to £120, decent digital cameras can be purchased from all the top manufacturers including Nikon, Samsung, Canon, Fujifilm, Panasonic and Sony. Amongst those on offer is the Nikon Coolpix S3000, a sleek and compact camera featuring a 12MP sensor, Best Shot Selector and a 4x zoom lens. The Fujifilm Z70 is a popular ‘fashion camera’ with some great functions such as social networking, 5x optical zoom and movie mode. The Canon A495 might be cheap at around £100 but it produces excellent image quality with sound tone and range.
These examples represent just a few of the best digital cameras currently up for grabs. With around 20 new cameras released in February and March of 2011, the world is being inundated with exciting new features and functions and not to mention, outstanding image quality.