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Expert Recommendation
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Overview
Olympus E510 delivers good low light performance and fast response times to freeze that long jumper in flight. Its optical viewfinder makes it easier to follow fast-moving sports action and kids. With twin kit lenses (effectively covering 10.7x zoom) you will be able to capture panoramic view of landscapes and shoot that F1 car from safe distance. It’s image-stabilization feature will help in taking blur free shots of sunrise and sunsets. The camera also has an Auto Mode with lots of Scene Modes for easy operation by novice users.
My Best In Class Pick
Olympus EVOLT E-510 (with 14-42mm and 40-150mm Lenses)
All these cameras offer an Auto Mode plus a lot of Scene Modes for novice users. Experienced photographers will find the Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority manual modes useful.
The Sony H9 lags behind the other three on image quality as it uses excessive compression (typical image size 2.2MB to FZ18’s 3.5MB), smearing out fine details from images, especially at higher ISOs. Additionally, its images suffer from more frequent fringing problems (i.e. unnatural purple/red halos around high contrast edges).
The Panasonic FZ18 has tremendous reach (18x zoom) and has minimal distortion or fringing problems. The image quality is good especially if one shoots in RAW mode and converts them to JPGs using image-editing programs.
The Panasonic FZ18 is my top choice among non-DSLR cameras.
Nikon D40 is class apart with excellent performance (faster focusing & negligible shutter lag), an optical viewfinder, and much better image quality (especially at higher ISOs). Even ISO3200 setting yields usable images! With twin kit lens, it is a terrific value too.
Nevertheless Olympus E510 provides more value with its in-body image-stabilization feature (especially useful in shooting landscapes and in low light situations) and stupendous battery life. It scores over D40 with its dust reduction feature too. Olympus kit-lenses are smaller and a bit better than those coming with other entry level DSLRs.
Overall, the Olympus E510 is my “Top Pick”.
Where to buy
Olympus EVOLT E-510 (with 14-42mm and 40-150mm Lenses)
Specifications
- Zoom: 10.7x
- Image Stabilization: Yes
- Resolution: 10.0MP
- AF Shutter Lag: 0.4 sec
- Burst Speed: 3.1 fps
- Max ISO: 1600
- Size: 5.4 x 3.6 x 2.7 in.
- Battery Life: 650 shots
- Easy to Use: No
- Highly 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 | $999.95 | ||
| Size (W x H x D) | 5.4 x 3.6 x 2.7 in | 5.0 x 3.7 x 2.5 in. | 4.6 x 3.0 x 3.5 in. |
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Sensor Size
Most digital cameras, even most digital SLRs, have sensors that are smaller than a standard frame of 35 mm film (36 x 24 mm). These smaller sensors have a number of effects on the captured image and the use of the camera, including an increased depth of field, decreased light sensitivity, increased pixel noise, and increased degree of enlargement.
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17.3 x 13.0 mm | 23.7 x 15.6 mm | 5.8 x 4.3 mm |
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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 million pixels | 6.1 megapixels | 8.1 megapixels |
| Shutter Lag Time (pre-focused) | < 0.1 sec | < 0.1 sec | 0.1 sec |
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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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0.3 sec | 0.3 sec | 0.5 sec |
| Power to First Shot Time | 1.0 sec | 0.4 sec | 1.7 sec |
| Continuous Shooting Speed (single shot mode) | 1.5 frames/sec | - | 0.9 frames/sec |
| Max Shooting Speed (continuous) | 3.1 frames/sec | 2.5 frames/sec | 2.0 frames/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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28-300 mm | 27 mm | 28-504 mm |
| Optical Zoom | 10.7 x | 11.1x | 18.0x |
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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 (CCD-shift) | No | Yes |
| Auto Focus Assist Light Available | Yes (Flash strobe) | Yes | Yes |
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Max Aperture (tele-photo)
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 (tele-photo) is the largest possible size at the tele-photo 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/5.6 | f/5.6 | f/4.2 |
| Max ISO Setting | 1600 | 3200 | 1600 |
| Shutter Priority Mode Available | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder Type | Optical | Optical | Electronic |
| Battery Life | 650 shots | 470 shots | 400 shots |
| High ISO performance | Excellent | Excellent | Average (Raw mode helps) |
Nikon D40 (with 18-55mm and 55-200mm Lenses)
Yes, it is a DSLR. But there is no need to be intimidated as it also has an Auto Mode :-). You can always use it as a typical point-and-shoot camera with its kit lens mounted and in Auto Mode or a Scene Mode. The only relevant difference is that for DSLRs composing a shot is done using the optical viewfinder. The rear LCD is used for preview/playback and for changing camera settings (e.g. brightness, contrast, ISO, etc.) only and not for composing the shot (as is the case with point-and-shoot cameras). The optical viewfinder is also easier when framing in dim light (e.g. indoors).
DSLRs have a real advantage in image quality as they have much larger sensors (about 10-15 times the size) than prosumer cameras like the Panasonic FZ18. So each pixel is larger and therefore more sensitive to light. This translates into much lower noise at high ISO settings and better dynamic range (range of light-levels between darkest and brightest areas in a scene). So you will have less blown out areas in high contrast scenes.
The Nikon D40 has a 6.1 megapixel resolution sensor. Its first kit lens has 3x zoom (equivalent to 27-82.5 mm on a 35mm camera) and second one has 3.6x zoom (equivalent to 82.5-300mm on a 35mm camera). It has an auto-focus assist lamp (useful for focusing in low light when indoors). It also has full manual control options (e.g. aperture priority, shutter priority, raw mode, etc.). It has an Auto (Flash Off) mode (auto-boosting the ISO to take blur-free picture without flash). It runs on a proprietary battery that delivers approximately 470 shots/charge. It is one of the smallest DSLRs in the market.
Note - DSLRs presently don’t have a movie mode.
Where to buy
Nikon D40 (with 18-55mm and 55-200mm Lenses)
Specifications
- Zoom: 11.1x
- Image Stabilization: No
- Resolution: 6.1MP
- AF Shutter Lag: 0.3 sec
- Burst Speed: 2.5 fps
- Max ISO: 3200
- Size: 5.0 x 3.7 x 2.5 in.
- Battery Life: 470 shots
- Easy to Use: Yes
- Highly Recommended at DPReview.com
- Dave's Pick at Imaging-Resource.com
- Rated Very Good by CNET.com
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18
The latest superzoom from Panasonic, this camera packs class leading 18x zoom lens and 8.1 megapixel resolution sensor in a compact body. It has an Intelligent ISO Mode (auto-boosting the ISO to freeze action) and full manual control options (e.g. Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Raw Mode, etc.) for additional versatility. The camera has an Image Stabilization feature to help avoid blurry pictures because of camera shake. The life of the proprietary batteries is approximately 400 shots/charge.
Where to buy
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18
Specifications
- Zoom: 18.0x
- Image Stabilization: Yes
- Resolution: 8.1MP
- AF Shutter Lag: 0.4 - 0.5s
- Burst Speed: 3.0 fps
- Max ISO: 6400
- Size: 4.6 x 3.0 x 3.5 in.
- Battery Life: 400 shots
- Easy to Use: Yes
- Recommended at DPReview.com
- Dave's Pick at Imaging-Resource.com
- Rated Very Good by CNET.com
Sony Cybershot DSC-H9
This super zoom is the top-of-the-line camera from Sony. The camera has 8.1 megapixel resolution and 15x zoom lens (equivalent to 31-465mm on a 35mm camera). It also supports full manual modes (e.g. Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, etc.). Sony quotes a battery (proprietary) life of 280 shots per change.
Where to buy
Sony Cybershot DSC-H9
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Best Price:
$1349
See It »
Specifications
- Zoom: 15.0x
- Image Stabilization: Yes
- Resolution: 8.1MP
- AF Shutter Lag: 0.5 - 1.0s
- Burst Speed: 2.0 fps
- Max ISO: 3200
- Size: 4.3 x 3.3 x 3.4 in.
- Battery Life: 280 shots
- Easy to Use: Yes
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
