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Expert Recommendation
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Overview
The Sony W180 is an affordable feature packed camera for taking pictures in all situations, but in low light conditions the W180 excels at capturing sharp photos of children and pets.
My Best In Class Pick
Sony Cybershot DSC-W180
The Sony W180 is an easy to use, affordable compact camera that takes sharp pictures of children and pets. Featuring Sony’s SteadyShot image stabilization, face detection technology, and superb 290 shot battery life, the W180 makes taking great pictures simple in any setting. However where this camera really excels is in taking pictures of fast moving subjects indoors. Most cameras cannot use a fast shutter speed indoors to stop the action of a quick moving child or pet, but in low light conditions the W180 defaults to a higher ISO sensitivity than its competitors ensuring a faster shutter speed to capture the moment. The camera is also one of the most responsive cameras in its class minimizing the time between when the shutter button is pressed and the camera takes the picture. The Sony W180 is ready to go when your family is and captures the moment in clear detail making it the best camera in class for photographing kids and pets.
Comparison with Nikon Coolpix S220
The Sony W180 has better low light capability and a much better battery life. They both have the same resolution for picture quality and the same amount of zoom. The Sony has a bigger LCD screen for viewing.
Comparison with Canon PowerShot A1100 IS
Because it uses a rechargeable long life battery, is more user friendly, and is more responsive, the W180 is a better value than the Canon A1100. The Canon does very well taking pictures in low light situations and is the only camera with an optical viewfinder.
Pros
- +Very fast response time
- +Super long battery life
- +Great low light performance
Where to buy
Sony Cybershot DSC-W180
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Best Price:
$132
See It »
- $132 - $174 Compare Prices »
Comparing My Best In Class Pick with Other Good Choices
| Product |
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| Customer Rating |
  
(from 37 reviews)
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(from 29 reviews)
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(from 194 reviews)
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| Price | $132 - $174 | $106 - $147 | $149 - $199 |
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LCD Screen Size
The LCD Screen Size is the length of the miniature LCD monitor measured diagonally.
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2.7 Inch | 2.5 Inch | 2.5 Inch |
| Max ISO Setting | 3200 | 2000 | 1600 |
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Shutter Lag Time (including auto-focus time)
This is the time from fully pressing the shutter button until the image is captured. Longer shutter lag times make it more difficult to capture the desired moment.
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Very Good | Very Good | Good |
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Face Detection Available
Face detection technology will try to set the focus, exposure, and color balance so that faces appear sharp, well-exposed, and with the proper color.
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Yes | Yes | Yes |
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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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No | No | Yes |
| Easy to Use | Very Good | Very Good | Good |
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Effective Sensor Resolution
The Effective Sensor Resolution tells you the total number of pixels that are recorded when you take a picture. The units are MP, which stands for megapixels or millions of pixels. For outstanding fine compression prints, 3MP is required for 5x7's, 7.1MP for 8x10's, and 10.9MP for 11x14's. The effective sensor resolution is only one of many important factors that will determine the quality of the photograph when displayed or printed at different sizes.
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10.1 MP | 10.0 MP | 12.1 MP |
| Optical Zoom | 3X | 3X | 4X |
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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 |
| Battery Type | Lithium-Ion Rechargeable | Lithium-Ion Rechargeable | AA |
| Battery Life | 290 Shots | 180 Shots | 140 Shots (Alkaline) |
Nikon Coolpix S220
The Nikon S220 is also a great choice as an inexpensive camera for taking pictures of children. The S220 features Nikon’s Face-Priority AF system, VR image stabilization, and a very compact design. This is an all around great camera which takes fantastic pictures in all situations.
Pros
- +Good low light performance
- +Great all around camera
Cons
- -Smaller LCD screen
- -Less battery life
Where to buy
Nikon Coolpix S220
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Best Price:
$106
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- $106 - $147 Compare Prices »
Canon PowerShot A1100 IS
Among the cameras which use AA size batteries this is my favorite. This camera is very compact and still features a 4x stabilized zoom lens, 2.5 inch LCD screen, and still has room for an optical view finder. This camera performs well under low light situations and does a very good job of taking clear pictures of moving subjects.
Pros
- +Optical viewfinder
- +12.1 MP
Cons
- -AA batteries
- -Smaller LCD screen
Where to buy
Canon PowerShot A1100 IS
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Best Price:
$149
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- $149 - $199 Compare Prices »
Specifications
- Zoom: 4.0x
- Image Stabilization: Yes
- Resolution: 12.1MP
- AF Shutter Lag: 0.6 - 0.8s
- Max ISO: 1600
Fujifilm FinePix J38
The Fuji J38 is the most compact and simplest to use of my recommended cameras. It features Fuji’s Face Detection technology, a 2.7 inch LCD screen, and a 12.2 MP sensor for fantastic image quality. The lack of any optical image stabilization keeps this camera from being in my top three picks.
Pros
- +12.2 MegaPixels
- +Ultra compact design
- +Simple menu layout
Cons
- -No optical image stabilization system
Where to buy
Fujifilm FinePix J38
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Best Price:
$99
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- $99 - $150 Compare Prices »
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LS85
The most affordable camera on this list, the Panasonic LS85 is a fantastic value. This camera has superb battery life for a AA camera and a great image stabilization system.
Pros
- +Most affordable
- +Good battery life
Cons
- -8.1 MP
- -AA batteries
- -Smaller LCD screen
Where to buy
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LS85
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Best Price:
$169
See It »
Specifications
- Zoom: 4.0x
- Image Stabilization: Yes
- Resolution: 8.1MP
- AF Shutter Lag: 0.5 sec
- Max ISO: 1600
How It Works
You tell us your budget, intended uses, and desired features. We show you personalized recommendations from unbiased experts to quickly identify the best digital camera for you.
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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
