These are everyday cameras that are small, light and in many cases, relatively inexpensive. The ones shown in the comparison below are the top end of this range so they are mostly in the $300 - $400 range. These are very capable cameras so the price is justified. Most people use them on the 'Auto' setting and get results that are quite satisfactory. We'll be adding a new category for budget point and shoot cameras in the near future and that will focus on the less expensive options.
Panasonic - Best Compact Point and Shoot
There are a few standouts in this category and in our opinion, the Panasonic Lumix ZS10 is still the best choice in this group. Camera specs keep improving and new features are regularly added so newer models are often the best deal. In this case, they are all new so the competition is tough. These cameras all have a high megapixel count and (with the exception of the Sony TX10) they also have very high zoom factors. You get a lot of camera for the price with every one of these cameras. More
JQuery Tablify - Demo
Canon
Powershot
SX230HS
Nikon
Coolpix
S9100
Sony
TX10
Panasonic
Lumix
ZS10
Olympus
SZ-30MR
Pentax
Optio
RZ10
Price
$349
$329
$330
$399
$399 est
$154
Megapixels
12.1
12.1
15.9
14.1
15.9
14.1
Zoom
14
18
4
16
24
10
Wide Angle
28 mm
25 mm
25 mm
24 mm
25 mm
28 mm
ISO Max
3200
3200
3200
6400
6400
6400
5 mp max at higher settings
Sensor
1/2.3"
1/2.5"
1/2.5"
1/2.5"
1/2.5"
1/2.33"
Video Mode
(highest)
1920x1080
24 fps
1920x1080
30 fps
No 24 fps
1920x1080
60 fps
No 24 fps
1920x1080
60 fps
No 24 fps
1920x1080
30 fps
No 24 fps
1280x720
30 fps
Viewfinder
none
none
none
none
none
none
LCD
3" (100%)
461K dots
Touchscreen
3"
921K dots
5 lvl brightness
adj
3"
921K dots
Touchscreen
3"
460K dots
Touchscreen
3"
460K dots
2.7"
230K dots
Battery Life
CIPA Test (shots)
210
(Canon est)
271
Video 80 min
(Nikon est)
260
200 shots
250
Image
Stabilization
Yes (in lens)
(4 stops)
Yes
(sensor shift)
Yes
(in Lens)
Yes
(in lens)
Yes
(sensor shift)
Yes
(sensor shift)
Image Types
JPEG
JPEG
AVCHD
Video Format
MOV
AVCHD
AVCHD, JPEG
Shutter speed
(max)
1/3200
1/2000
1/1600
1/4000
1/1700
1/2000
Burst Mode
(full res)
8.1 fps
5 fps
10 fps
10 fps
9 fps
1 fps
9.1 fps (but only at 5 mp)
Time Exp
15 sec
1 sec
2 sec
60 sec
4 sec
4 sec
Customer Rating
(From Amazon)
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Not avail on Amazon
2.3
(3 reviews)
Weight
223 g
with batt &
mem card
214 g
133 g
219 g
with batt &
mem card
211 g
with batt
178 g
with batt & mem card
Released
(Announced)
(Feb 2011)
(Feb 2011)
(Feb 2011)
(Jan 2011)
(Mar 2011)
Extra Features
GPS enabled
Improved noise reduction. Movie Digest and Iframe Video.*
Improved noise reduction. Low light modes combine several shots. Panorama mode and special effects. Avl in black silver and red.
Waterproof. Panorama mode.
GPS-enabled. 3D mode, IA (intelligent auto mode), stereo mic,
Multi-recording: can capture full HD and video at the same time. 3D capable. Can record in two different video modes at the same time.Panorama Mode. Intelligent auto mode.
Panorama mode. Avail in a few different colors.
Warranty
1 Year
1 Year
(2 yrs in Canada)
1 Year
1 Year
1 year International
warranty.
1 year International warranty.1 additional year in Canada.
Comment
In pre-order
as of Mar 11.
Movie Digest takes 4 sec video before a still shot. Iframe is Apple 960x540 format at 30fps.
Sony WX9 is equivalent and much cheaper but lacks the waterproof and touch screen.
A great compact camera.
A new model with very competitive and unique features.
Noisy even at low ISO settings.Has a very good macro mode. Its key selling features are size, weight and low price.
