Best $400 Digital Cameras for Christmas

Last updated: Sunday, October 23rd, 2005

Eventhough DSLR with prices around 700 and up are booming lately, but still most people just don’t have that much camera budget. They want something that less expensive and able to take pretty good photos without worrying about buying expensive lenses.

If you’re shopping for a decent point-and-shoot digital camera for yourself or for your christmas presents, $400 may be the magic number. That amount will buy you a model that can capture good photos; offers a comfortable, attractive design; and doesn’t cut too many corners.

So, here’s the list of the best options around the $400 mark according to CNET:

Canon PowerShot S2 IS

Editors’ rating:
Very Good (7.7 out of 10)

Users’ Rating
Excellent (8.4 out of 10)

The good:
Excellent feature set; one-touch high-quality movie mode; decent performance and image quality.

The bad:
Average burst-shooting performance; some image artifacts.

Verdict:
An excellent feature set and improved performance make this megazoom camera even more attractive than its predecessor.

Specifications:

Casio Exilim Pro EX-P505

Editors’ rating:
Very Good (7.2 out of 10)

Users’ Rating
Spectacular (9.0 out of 10)

The good:
5X optical zoom; 22 Best Shot settings; automatic macro; zoom is fully functional during video recording; 5-second buffer for late-reaction video shots.

The bad:
Doesn’t perform well in low light; zoom is sometimes audible on video recordings; can be awkward for large hands to grasp.

Verdict:
This camera comes close to successfully combining high-quality photos with acceptable-quality video.

Specifications:

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ5S

Editors’ rating:
Very Good (7.2 out of 10)

Users’ Rating
Excellent (8.7 out of 10)

The good:
The good: 12X zoom; effective image stabilization; manual controls; generally decent image quality; versatile burst modes

The bad:
Clumsy lens-hood design; low-res movie mode; coarse, small EVF.

Verdict:
An SLR alternative with a stabilized 12X zoom lens that both enthusiasts and casual photographers can appreciate.

Specifications:

Sony Cyber Shot DSC-W7

Editors’ rating:
Very Good (7.0 out of 10)

Users’ Rating
Spectacular (9.2 out of 10)

The good:
Solid image quality; fairly quick and responsive; big 2.5-inch LCD; uses standard AA batteries.

The bad:
Limited manual control; minor vignetting and significant softness around the edge of the frame; poor optical viewfinder.

Verdict:
An appealing 7-megapixel model for snapshooters who like their prints and their cameras large.

Specifications:

Nikon Coolpix 5900

Editors’ rating:
Good (6.8 out of 10)

Users’ Rating
Excellent (8.1 out of 10)

The good:
Solid image quality; lots of scene modes; versatile burst mode; in-camera help; innovative shooting and processing aids.

The bad:
Few fully manual controls; tiny, inaccurate optical viewfinder; slow autofocus in dim light.

Verdict:
A few fun and useful features spice up this competent 5-megapixel point-and-shoot Nikon Coolpix 5900, aimed at snapshot photographers.

Specifications:

Kodak EasyShare V550

Editors’ rating:
Good (6.5 out of 10)

Users’ Rating
Very Good (7.7 out of 10)

The good:
Sleek, attractive design; bundled dock for easy image transfer; useful selection of scene modes; in-camera help; above-average continuous-shooting speed.

The bad:
A tendency to clip highlights; low battery life; mixed image quality.

Verdict:
This slick little camera (and its even slicker dock) makes short work of the entire picture-taking process but doesn’t soar above the crowd in image quality.

Specifications: