Expert Recommendation
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Overview
The Canon SD1100 IS is the best ultra compact and affordable digital camera for travel photos. It will delight you with great images that are rich in detail. It is one of the few ultra compacts with an optical viewfinder. It also has a great battery life.
My Best In Class Pick
Canon PowerShot SD1100 IS
Canon is the pioneer of the digital camera revolution and is the market leader. Canon SD1100IS is the image-stabilized version of the highly successful Canon SD1000. The optical image stabilization helps avoid the blurring of pictures from camera shaking. The camera produces images with minimal processing artifacts, rich colors and lot of details in auto mode. Its optical viewfinder (OVF) will help you in live tracking subjects and will also help in extending the battery life (i.e. one can switch off LCD). OVF also helps when shooting with a stable conventional posture. The camera comes with other useful features like Face detection” and “AF point zoom (enlarged view on LCD to confirm focus)”. This responsive camera starts up in less than a second and can keep shooting every second thereafter. The camera received a “Recommended” rating at DPREVIEW one of the most popular camera reviewing sites and has got rave reviews from others. In nutshell, SD1100IS produces good quality images, has great battery life (with LCD off) and is always ready for shooting on the go. Great camera for travel.
Comparison with Nikon Coolpix S520
The Canon PowerShot SD1100 IS delivers sharper images, is more responsive, has a higher resolution LCD screen, and has a greater battery life, in large part because of the availability of an optical viewfinder.
Comparison with Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W120
The Canon SD110 IS has better low light performance & image quality (better corner sharpness, more fine details in images), and better LCD (higher resolution).
Pros
- +Good corner to corner sharpness in images
- +Good image quality (good colors, minimal processing artifacts)
- +Above average low light performance (in its class)
- +Optical Image Stabilization
- +Optical view-finder
- +High Resolution LCD (230K pixels)
Cons
- -Pricey
- -Wide end of the lens could have been more wider
Where to buy
Canon PowerShot SD1100 IS
- Amazon.com : $156.95
- djpcstore : $151.00 (Best Price)
- Compare Prices : $151 - $349
- Recommended at DPReview.com
- Dave's Pick at Imaging-Resource.com
- Rated Very Good by CNET.com
Comparing My Best In Class Pick with Other Good Choices
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| Price | $151 - $349 | $131 - $186 | $148 - $219 | |
| Size (W x H x D) | 3.4 x 2.2 x 0.9 in. | 3.7 x 2.1 x 0.9 in. | 3.5 x 2.3 x 0.9 in. | |
| Easy to Use | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Max Image Resolution | 3264 x 2448 pixels | 3264 x 2448 pixels | 3072 x 2304 pixels | |
| Shutter Lag Time (including auto-focus time) | 0.4 - 0.8 sec | 0.7 sec | 0.5 - 1.0 sec | |
| Power to First Shot Time | 1.0 sec | 1.9 sec | 1.8 sec | |
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Min Focal Length (35 mm equivalent)
The 35 mm equivalent focal length is a measure that indicates the angle of view of a particular combination of a camera lens and the sensor size. The term originates from the time when the vast majority of photography was done with 35 mm film. On any 35 mm film camera, a 30 mm or less lens is considered a wide-angle lens.
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38 mm | 35 mm | 32 mm | |
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Max Focal Length (35 mm equivalent)
The 35 mm equivalent focal length is a measure that indicates the angle of view of a particular combination of a camera lens and the sensor size. The term originates from the time when the vast majority of photography was done with 35 mm film. Larger max focal lengths make distant objects appear more magnified.
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114 mm | 105 mm | 128 mm | |
| Optical Zoom | 3.0x | 3.0x | 4.0x | |
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Image Stabilization Available
Image stabilization features are designed to reduce the blur that results from normal, minute shaking of a lens due to hand-held shooting. However, image stabilization does not prevent motion blur caused by the movement of the subject or by extreme movements of the camera.
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Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Auto Focus Assist Light Available | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
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Max Aperture (wide-angle)
The aperture refers to the size of the opening in the lens that determines the amount of light falling onto the sensor. The maximum aperture (wide-angle) is the largest possible size at the wide-angle limit of the zoom lens. The lens aperture is usually specified as an f-number, the ratio of focal length to effective aperture diameter. A lower f-number denotes a greater aperture opening, which allows more light to reach the image sensor.
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f/2.8 | f/2.8 | f/2.8 | |
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Viewfinder Available
A viewfinder is a window that you look through to compose the picture. Some cameras do not have a viewfinder and instead use the LCD display. The LCD display may be difficult to see in bright light and may make it more difficult to capture fast-moving subjects because of the time required to update the display.
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Yes | No | Yes | |
| Battery Type | Proprietary Lithium Ion Rechargeable | Proprietary Lithium Ion Rechargeable | Proprietary Lithium Ion Rechargeable | |
| Battery Life | 240 shots | 180 shots | 420 shots | |
| Image Quality | ||||
| Low light (High ISO) Performance | Good | Good | Below Average | |
| Lens Quality (Sharpness) | Very Good | Good | Average | |
| Fine details | Good | Good | Average | |
Nikon Coolpix S520
Slowly Nikon has started making inroads in this class of cameras with the launch of S series (S200 & image stabilized S500) last year. This camera is the second incarnation of the initially launched S500. The camera starts up in less than a second and can keep shooting every second thereafter. Ironically this newer version has less resolution LCD than the previous one! The camera comes with useful features like Face-priority AF (i.e. Face Detection), In-Camera Red-Eye Fix, D-Lighting (to brighten up details in shadows). The camera produces images with lot of details and good colors. The build quality is good (metal body). But the average battery life, lack of an optical viewfinder and high close focus distance mars this otherwise excellent camera.
Comparison with Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W120
The Nikon Coolpix S520 has better low light performance & image quality.
Pros
- +Good image quality
- +Good resolution
- +Optical image stabilization
- +Well built
- +value for money
Cons
- -No Optical viewfinder
- -Lower resolution LCD (153K pixels)
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W120
Sony is one of the leading manufacturer of compact cameras. This is their entry level model in the W series of cameras, which come with optical viewfinders. The camera has lot of things going for it viz. 4x wider (than normal) angle zoom, fast operation, good build quality and good resolution. However the camera produces images with a slight blurring in the corners and applies high noise reduction, especially at higher ISOs (i.e. low light image quality is not that good.).
Comparison with Nikon Coolpix L15
The Sony DSC-W120 has better build quality, is smaller, is more responsive, and has a longer battery life as it has an optical viewfinder. However on image quality, the Nikon Coolpix L15 is a tad better, especially in low light.
Pros
- +wider angle 4x zoom (32-128mm)
- +Optical viewfinder
- +Image stabilization
- +Well built
Cons
- -Lacking corner sharpness
- -Excessive noise reduction at high ISOs.
Where to buy
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W120
- Amazon.com : $151.40
- WORLDTEI : $148.00 (Best Price)
- Compare Prices : $148 - $219
Nikon Coolpix L15
This image-stabilized ultra-compact from Nikon runs on AA batteries!!. This is a great feature to have while traveling as you can use off-the-shelf alkaline batteries to keep it running. The camera produces images with lot of details and good colors. However build quality is not that good (plasticky body).
Comparison with Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS5
The NIkon Coolpix L15 has better image quality (sharpness and fine details)
Pros
- +runs on AA batteries
- +good image quality
- +image stabilization
Cons
- -Plasticky body
- -No optical viewfinder (poor battery life)
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS5
Panasonic has been first digital camera manufacturer to introduce optical image stabilization in all of its cameras. It has recently started new FS series of digital camera to cater to budget conscious customers. The FS5 is equipped with a wide-angle 4x zoom lens and high resolution sensor (10 Megapixels). The rich feature set includes Face-Detection and Intelligent AUTO mode (It automatically sets the appropriate scene mode according to the picture you are about to take). However this new model disappoints on image quality. The images are not sharp and are devoid of fine details (probably due to high noise reduction applied even at base ISO).
Pros
- +Wide angle view
- +High resolution sensor
- +Bit more zoom (4x) than normally available in this class of cameras.
Cons
- -Poor image quality (lacking sharpness and fine details)
Where to buy
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS5
- Amazon.com : $159.59
- RitzCamera : $154.00 (Best Price)
- Compare Prices : $154 - $272
How It Works
Unbiased experts recommend the best digital camera for you based on the types of photographs you intend to take, your budget, and desired features.
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How to Pick Digital Cameras
- For Travel Photos
- For Photos of Children or Pets
- For Action or Sports Photos
- For Photos in Low Light
