Foreword:

A budget camera that delivers great image quality coupled with HD video capture? Look no further than Kodak’s EasyShare M1093 IS that sells direct for $159.95. With optical image stabilisation, a large LCD screen, and a decent user interface, the M1093 gets the job done with as little frills as possible.

With the dimensions of a deck of cards (2.25×3.25×0.78 inches HWD) the M1093 is very plain looking. But being a budget camera with an impressive list of features that does not matter much. The UI is intuitive and usable while the buttons, though not very comfortable, are all part of the great quality at cheap prices bargain.

+Ves:

• The quality of images from this compact camera is great. Little to no color fringing was present, and the camera excelled in extremely bright conditions, beating some costlier cameras at their game
• The images are sharp and there was very little noise all the way up to ISO 800 – a star performer.
• At the center, the camera captures 2482 lines per picture height that decreases by 28 percent as you move to the outer regions. This results in a crisp picture throughout.
• The optical image stabilization works like a charm and with a fair amount of shaking, takes decently sharp images.
• HD video output at 720p are stunning and are saved as .MOV files which can be uploaded to YouTube instantly. The camera also supports zooming while shooting that some other expensive cameras like Canon’s PowerShot SD970 IS do not allow – a killer deal.

-Ves:

• The speed of shooting is not an area where this camera excelled. Though initially the camera takes the industry average time of about 4.13 seconds from start up to first shot and the average 1.89 seconds between shots, after three shots in the memory’s buffer, shot time increased to 8.98 seconds. Shutter lag tests came out to 0.89 second between shutter press and imager capture – quite a bit if compared to its competitors.
• HDMI-out HDTV playback is not directly possible with this camera, with an optional cable with component video and RCA playback needed for a proper HDTV connectivity.
• A proprietary USB cable (included) is used to charge the batteries – a universal mini-USB cable would have helped, or one that is able to plug into a computer’s USB port and charge up the batteries.

Final Word:

Though not the speediest of cameras, the M1093 packs a solid punch with great and sharp image capture and cheap price. Its large display is something that is not found in costlier cameras, and that coupled with HD video capture should certainly be a good point to consider when buying a budget camera. Highly recommended!

Foreword:

Canon’s flagship PowerShot compact camera, the SD970 packs an amazing amount of punch in its metal-cased body with great image quality, HD video capture and an extremely intuitive user interface. At 2.24in×3.73in×1.04in and weighing in at 6.6 ounces, the SD970 is a mini compact camera is well designed with 5x optical zoom and a focal range of 6.6mm – 33.0mm

+Ves:

• The brilliant 3in screen allows for 461,000 dots resulting in a sharp, high contrast screen whose only competition within the compact camera industry is the Samsung TL320’s AMOLED screen or the Sony Cybershot DSC-T900’s ultra-high resolution screen.
• The UI is modern, attractive, speedy and a pleasure to use. Playback looks akin to iTunes’ Cover Flow. With large, easy-to-read fonts it is a great supplement to the images taken by the camera.
• HD video capture at 720p30 (1280×720 at 30 progressive frames per second) has been implemented amazingly in this compact camera. Though you cannot use optical zoom while shooting, the videos saved as .MOV files are definitely gorgeous when played back.
• The shooting itself is fast at an average shot to shot lag of 2.13 seconds. From off to shot takes about 0.03 seconds more. Shutter lag tests reported an excellent 0.46 second lag between shutter press and image capture.
• Shots are crisp and even low light conditions do not show up much noise. Even at high ISO levels (800 to 1600) the noise was reduced to a great extent.
• HDMI-out and mini HDMI-out present in the camera go a great deal in showing how well the video and image output of the camera is by allowing you to directly connect the camera to your HDTV with any standard HDMI-out cable.
• The center of the frame captured an impressive 2397 lines per picture height, though this dropped by 33 percent towards the edges – acceptable for the class of cameras that the SD970 belongs to.

-Ves:

• No manual shutter or aperture options (except in Night mode which allows you to set shutter speed up to a certain limit).
• At widest angle positions, the camera showed some barrel distortion.

Final Word:

Though the lack of manual controls and the high cost ($349) may deter many buyers, this camera is definitely one of the best compact point-and-shoots available in the market with a great LCD screen and top-notch performance. The resolution and the color capture are certainly the best around for the price and the 5x optical zoom is not bad either. If you have the money, and want a compact, this is the one to go for. The killer HD video capture is certain to have your video needs fulfilled as well as image capture needs.

Foreword:

The Rebel SX110 from Canon is a reasonably priced 9 Megapixel ultrazoom point-and-click camera that comes with a great set of features that appeal to both novices as well as veterans in a pocket-sized build. It also takes great pictures for its price.

With two AA batteries powering it, the compactness factor cannot be missed with 4.4in×2.8in×1.8in dimensions and 10.4ounces. It easily fits inside a jeans pocket and can be taken out without much awkwardness ensuing along the way.

+Ves:

• A 3.5in screen with a de-cluttered interface around it is a joy to work with. The buttons for PictBridge, face detection, and other buttons have been placed ergonomically around the navigational scroll instead of being below the LCD like its predecessor, the SX100.
• Though it takes a long time to shoot, the photo quality is very high, even with high ISO settings. Though noise shows up at ISO 400, ISO 800 pictures are slightly blotchy without the loss of much detail.
• The optically stabilised zoom lens is the heaviest part of the camera, but it works like a charm for the camera itself.
• Build quality is solid and sturdy.
• Excellent exposure and color with very minor drawbacks.

-Ves:

• The plastic covering the entire body is slippery.
• The LCD, though pretty bright, is hard to use in sunny conditions.
• Battery performance is not up to the mark – this camera eats batteries like a hog.
• Shot to shot time is an alarming 2.1 seconds, without flash and with it is a disappointing 5.1 seconds.
• A large amount of barrel distortion appears at high zoom and some pincushion effect is also present. Minor color distortion occurs at extreme contrast.
• Movie capture was disappointing.

Final Word:

Though this is not the best in line for ultrazooms, it certainly is a decent performer. The camera is targeted at novices and some point-and-click veterans, offering 10x optical zoom that is optically stabilised at a pretty low price. But for all its hoots and whistles, it does have several drawbacks which must be kept in mind before going in for it.

Canon PowerShot A1000 IS spec

Foreword:

Canon’s PowerShot line is chock full of point-and-click cameras with a variety of options. The A1000 IS is one in a long line of cameras that is neither as pretty nor as exciting as its cousins. However, with a 12 Megapixel sensor, optical Image Stabilisation, and of course the convenience of AA batteries to power it, this is a great camera to use especially because of its good Digic 4 processor and surprisingly good lens and sensor.

+Ves:

• The build quality is great – making the camera look far more expensive than it actually is. The body’s design makes a firm grip very easy, and it is small enough to slip into a pants pocket.
• The entire layout of this camera is the same as the other PowerShots with a jog dial circling through different options such as Program (P), Auto, Easy, and Movie added to Landscape, Portrait, Indoor and SCN modes. The buttons are well laid out, and their functions are intuitive as well as labeled.
• From off to first shot, this camera takes a decent 1.7 seconds, while the average shot-to-shot time is quite the same as its competitors at 2.5 seconds. The flash sucks in a lot of shooting time, resulting in 6.7 seconds between shots.
• Unlimited continuous shooting possible at 0.8 frames per second.
• The photo quality is great for its price, and the color, contrast and exposure are well laid out. The best pictures came out at ISO 200 or less in bright conditions.
• Automatic scene recognition and long shutter are other added features on this camera.

-Ves:

• There is no great customization with aperture and shutter priority or other manual options that exist in the A-series of Canon’s PowerShot line. The Program mode allows some manipulation of white balance, light metering and auto-focus type and some color effects.
• Some barrel distortion at the extremes from the lens, off-center subjects are soft.
• Grain is readily noticeable at ISO 400, and while this camera does claim ISO 1,600, it is best to use it with ISO 200 in bright conditions.

Final Word:

Made for casual photographers or novices, this camera is an excellent point-and-shoot device with a plethora of features that will keep keen users busy. Coupled with excellent picture quality for its price, this camera does what it takes to teach new users with the Easy mode, and does not look all that bad either. A great buy especially with its compatibility with AA batteries.

Foreword:

The Canon EOS Rebel T1i (also known as the 500D in other parts) is yet another Canon dSLR that manages to fit itself neatly between the 40D and the XSi and lands itself squarely in the beginner dSLR market. While it ships with the f3.5-5.5 18-55m Image Stabilisation (IS) lens, there is also a body-only version for those of you with lenses already. With 1.2lbs of (slightly cheap feeling) plastic outer case and delicate innards, this new digital camera will offer stiff competition to the Nikon D90 with its 15 Megapixel CMOS sensor and fast responsiveness. With the added benefit of a Creative Auto (CA) mode, this dSLR seems to be the best beginner model on offer in the $800 to $900 segment.

+Ves:

• For its class, the T1i is an extremely fast performer, starting up and ready to shoot in 0.2 second. Focusing and shooting in bright conditions is a speedy 0.3 second, while the same in dim conditions without the flash is a quick 0.6 second – even the costlier Nikon D90 cannot match the Rebel T1i’s speed. An average shot lag time of 0.4 second (both RAW and JPG formats) along with the flash-aided 0.7 second are healthy and work quite well for the conditions of the dSLR.
• The AF and continuous shooting speeds are at par with the industry’s competition, with the latter clocking at 3.3 frames per second.
• The 15 Megapixel sensor is probably the selling point of this dSLR, although its pixel-size is smaller at 4.7 microns than the 12 Megapixel XSi’s at 5.2 microns.
• The noise is well compensated by the processor (Digic 4 processor) and the shots themselves are fairly noise-free even at an atrocious ISO 1,600 setting. It can be taken to as high as ISO 3,200, however the noise might be visible to some. Recommended settings are ISO 800 or lower, but the extended sensitivity can be taken up to ISO 12,800.
• The exposure has been tweaked to settle for a much higher setting, resulting in better shadows and easier midtones.
• The color is saturated and bright without appearing to be too overbearing – the right combination.
• The Creative Auto is a boon for budding photographers for it can be thought of as an “advanced auto” mode – there are several settings to tweak around with and experiment without worrying overtly about other related settings.
• The buttons clustered on the right have a different feel to each one, and can easily be handled by one hand.
• 720p movie capture at 30 fps and mono audio – decent enough with its implementation.

-Ves:

• The viewfinder, while being the same as the industry-standard 95 percent coverage, has a lower magnification than some. This leads to a tiny, hard-to-notice focus points whose exact status is very difficult to discern.
• The ability of saving custom drive mode settings, white balance and metering and exposure has not been provided, which is a major letdown.
• The movie capture mode is activated by the dial, which can be very awkward at times.
• No in-body stabilisation. The image stabilisation is done by the lens itself – sometimes a very expensive solution.
• No wireless flash controller.

Final Word:

Though it is not as robust as most of its higher-end brethren, the T1i packs a solid punch when it comes to a beginner dSLR. With movie capture, Creative Auto, high resolution and great ISO sensitivity, this is the dSLR to go for in the $800 to $900 range.