mySimon Digital Cameras Shopping Picks

Whoever came up with this idea is a genius. Target now sells a gift card - for as little as $75 or as much as $1000 - that is also a functioning 1.2-megapixel digital camera. Or else it's a digital camera that's also a gift card. OK so that's not much resolution, but it might come in handy when trying to decide what to buy (at Target, of course). The card even comes with 40 free prints from the Target photo lab. The perfect holiday gift for the gadget lover on your list.

PC World includes the 10-megapixel Canon PowerShot SD880 IS on its list of top 10 point-and-shoot cameras, and CNET calls it a "worthy successor" to the PowerShot SD870 IS, saying it is "capable of producing truly excellent pictures for a camera of its size." The ultracompact camera offers optical image stabilization, face detection, 4x zoom, and a 3" LCD. Choose silver or gold. More Canon cameras.

The 10-megapixel Kodak EasyShare M1033 has almost everything we want in an ultracompact, easy-to-use digital camera: Good photos. Slim design. Huge screen. Face detection. 22 scene modes. And a budget price tag. We wish it had more than 3x zoom, but that's the standard for cameras you can fit in your pocket. This one makes up for it, we guess, by letting you shoot movies in HD. Choose from 5 colors. More ultracompact cameras.

The Canon EOS 50D is now shipping. The 15-megapixel successor to the 10-megapixel EOS 40D, the new camera has a faster DIGIC 4 processor, 6.3 frames-per-second shooting, expandable ISO up to 12800, and a 3" LCD with Live View mode. Photographers can choose from 3 types of autofocus (Quick AF, Live AF, and Face Detection), and connect to a PC for remote shooting. The 50D also has an integrated cleaning system that reduces, repels, and removes dust from the sensor. See all digital SLR cameras.

How does a 10-megapixel camera - with image stabilization, face detection, a 2.5" LCD, and 4x optical zoom - for less than $200 sound? The Canon PowerShot A1000 IS is the latest addition to the company's "A" series of affordable point-and-shoot cameras. And it comes in 5 "two-tone" colors. For an extra $50 you can get the Canon PowerShot A2000 IS, which has a 3" display and 6x optical zoom.

New from Nikon: The D90, a 12.3-megapixel digital SLR camera, a successor to the popular Nikon D80 and the first dSLR that can create HD movie clips at 720p. A reviewer on the Digital Camera Resource site raves about the camera's image quality, full manual controls, long battery life, and more, saying "I came into this review expecting to like the Nikon D90, and I ended up loving it." The camera has a 3" LCD with Live View mode, 11-point auto focus with scene recognition and face detection, 4.5 frames-per-second shooting, and minimal shutter lag - just 65ms. There's also a socket for a GPS attachment, which Nikon will release in November.

Fuji's fall lineup is now availble, including the 10-megapixel FinePix S2000HD. The "HD" is for "High Definition" - the camera can record movies in HD (1280 x 720) and convert both movies and still images into an HDTV signal output compatible with 1080i and 720p HDTVs. Other features include dual image stabilization, 15x optical zoom, face detection with automatic red eye removal, automatic and manual controls, and an "auction mode," which combines multiple photos into a single image for easy upload to eBay. More high-zoom cameras.

New from Sony: The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H50, a full-featured 9-megapixel camera with 15X optical zoom, a 3" tilting LCD, and all kinds of settings that will appeal to point-and-shoot users and experimenters alike. The camera recognizes both faces and smiles, and offers optical image stabilization, an advanced sports shooting mode, and even a NightShot infrared system that lets you take photos in the dark without a flash. More megazoom cameras.

Coming soon from Sony: The 10-megapixel Cyber-shot T700, an ultracompact camera with a huge 3.5" touch-screen, 4x optical zoom, and 4GB of internal memory, so you don't have to worry about filling up (or losing) memory cards, although there is also a slot for an additional memory card, should you want to use one. The camera not only recognizes smiles, it also recognizes blinking - if someone blinks while you're taking a picture, the camera automatically takes a second one. The T700 will be available in silver, red, pink, gray, and gold.

CNET recently gave the Nikon D3 an Editors' Choice award, saying the D3 is "a camera that reaches new heights in imaging with extremely low noise at astronomical ISO sensitivities, while maintaining the pro-level control and body design Nikonians have come to expect in the company's flagship cameras." Designed for professional sports photographers and photojournalists, the D3 has a 12-megapixel full-frame sensor, 2 live view modes (one for when you're holding it, one for when you're using a tripod), a 3" LCD, continuous shooting at up to 9fps, 51-point auto focus, and low shutter lag. We wish there was a way we could write this one off our taxes. More Nikon digital SLRs.

Introducing Canon's lightest and most compact digital SLR so far: The Canon Digital Rebel XS, a 10-megapixel, $700 camera that Canon claims is "a beginner's dream come true." Features include a DIGIC III processing chip, a 2.5" LCD with Live View function, 3 frames-per-second continuous shooting, automatic lighting optimization, and image stabilization. The camera uses SD and SDHC memory cards and works with 60+ Canon EF/EF-S lenses. See all Canon digital SLR cameras.

Take your camera to the beach or the pool and not worry about destroying it. The Pentx Optio W60 is a compact, 10-megapixel, dust- and sand-proof camera that is waterproof in up to 13 feet of water for up to 2 hours. So you can conduct photo shoots in the deep end of the pool, document your snorkeling vacation, or bore your friends with more photos of baby in the bathtub. Other features include 5x optical zoom, face recognition, smile capture, and blink detection. Though we're not sure how well those last 3 work when photographing fish. More weatherproof cameras.

The July issue of PC Magazine calls the Canon PowerShot SD790 IS, which earned an Editors' Choice award, "the greatest Elph of all" because of its "top-notch image quality" and wealth of features. The compact 10-megapixel camera has optical image stabilization and both face- and motion-detection technology, where the camera automatically adjusts its settings to capture people's faces and reduce image blur. The large 3" LCD and new-and-improved control wheel round out the package. More Canon cameras.

Nikon claims its new 10-megapixel Coolpix P80 is the world's most compact camera with 18x optical zoom. The full-featured camera features optical image stabilization, a 2.7" LCD with electronic viewfinder, continuous shooting up to 13 frames per second, the ability to recognize up to 12 faces (and focus accordingly), and manual, aperture-priority, shutter-priority, and program-exposure modes. More cameras with high optical zoom.

New from Fuji: The Fuji Finepix S1000fd, a 10-megapixel camera for "passionate or professional digital photographers." The camera has 12x optical zoom, a 2.7" LCD, face detection, picture stabilization, and several useful shooting modes. The "Super Macro" mode lets you get as close as 2cm to your subject and the panorama mode will take 3 consecutive shots and save them as a single panoramic picture. The camera uses AA batteries and xD, SD, or SDHC memory cards. More Fuji cameras.

If you're looking for a compact digital camera that takes amazing photos and isn't too expensive, look no further than the Canon PowerShot SD1100 IS. The successor to last year's popular SD1000 (which now costs less than $160), this 8-megapixel camera offers great image quality, optical image stabilization, face detection, fast performance, and minimal shutter lag. It's got a 2.5" LCD display, an optical viewfinder, and comes in 5 different colors. More Canon cameras.

The Canon EOS Rebel XSi, first announced back in January, has finally hit stores. The $900 entry-level dSLR is the fastest Rebel to date, with 3.5 frames-per-second shooting for up to 53 JPEGs. Other specs include a 12.2-megapixel sensor, a 9-point user-selectable autofocus system, a 3" display, and, according to the CNET review, better image quality than both the (more affordable) Sony Alpha DSLR-A200 and the Nikon D60. See all digital SLR cameras.

Nikon's latest batch of S (for "style") series cameras has hit stores. Tagged as "brilliance made beautiful," these cameras offer more controls than basic point-and-shoots, but still have an ultra-slim design. The top of the line is the Nikon Coolpix S600, a 10-megapixel camera which, the company claims, has the fastest startup in its class. Other features include 4x optical wide-angle zoom, a 2.7" LCD, optical image stabilization, face detection technology, and in-camera red-eye fix. More Nikon cameras.

Nikon's latest digital SLR camera, the D60, is now available. Designed for both enthusiasts and digital SLR newbies, the 10.2-megapixel camera is an upgrade to the Nikon D40, with Nikon's new Expeed processor, sensitivity up to ISO 3200, optical image stabilization, and an Air Control system that helps with dust reduction. Other features include 3fps continuous shooting, a host of in-camera editing options, and Eye-Fi memory card functionality.