mySimon Digital Cameras Shopping Picks

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.

The 8-megapixel Kodak EasyShare Z812 IS won't fit in your pocket, but it's got just about every other feature you want in a camera: Optical image stabilization, face detection, 12x optical zoom, a viewfinder, full manual exposure controls, fast click-to-capture, and lots of on-camera editing tools. And since it was released last year, it's also got a friendly under-$200 price tag. More Kodak cameras. More cameras with 8x - 12x zoom.

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.

Sony's spring cameras are starting to hit stores, including the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-W130, the compact 8-megapixel follow-up to last year's W90. The new camera has face detection and smile recognition technology, 4x optical zoom, a 2.5" LCD, an optical viewfinder, and a fast shutter. It's only got half as much built-in memory as its predecessor, but you'll want a memory card anyway. You can also edit photos on the W130 (removing red-eye, cropping, rotating, etc.) and display slide shows with MP3 soundtracks. More Sony cameras.

The new 8-megapixel Fuji Finepix Z100fd (the update to last year's Finepix Z5fd) has everything we want in an ultracompact camera: Lots of optical zoom (5x), dual image stabilization, face detection (up to 10 faces at once) with automatic red-eye correction, and a large 2.7" display. Also useful for Fuji and Olympus fans: A memory card slot that accepts both xD cards (from your old Fuji and Olympus cameras) and SD cards. Prices start at $215.

Check out the latest addition to Canon's line of budget cameras. The 8-megapixel Canon PowerShot A590 IS features 4x optical zoom, optical image stabilization, a large 2.5" LCD, and both manual and automatic shooting modes. You can also attach wide or telephoto converter lenses to it, if you feel like getting more creative. Not bad for just $179. More Canon cameras.

Coming soon from Sony: The Cyber-Shot DSC-T300, the 10-megapixel ultracompact successor to last year's popular 8-megapixel DSC-T200. Basic specs include 5x optical zoom, a gigantic 3.5" touchscreen LCD, optical image stabilization, and face detection technology. Like its predecessor, the DSC-T300 can actually detect smiles, but now it can detect multiple smiles and - get this - it can distinguish between adults and children. We're hoping next year's model will be able to detect fake smiles, as well as adults who act like children. The camera ships in a couple weeks, but you can preorder it now.

Thinking about making the leap to a digital SLR? Check out Sony's new entry-level ($700) model, the Sony Alpha DSLR-A200. The 10.2-megapixel camera has 3fps burst speed, several scene modes, in-camera image stabilization, anti-dust vibration, and a 2.7" LCD screen, on which you can see 4, 9, or 25 of your photos. (There's also an option to present automatic slide shows with fade-in/fade-out effects.) And it works with all Minolta a-mount lenses. $700 gets you the camera and an 18-70mm lens, or spend an extra $200 to get an additional 75-300mm lens. More digital SLR cameras.

If you've ever thought about buying a Polaroid instant camera, do it soon. Polaroid stopped making the cameras last year and there aren't too many left in stores. Also, Polaroid says it is only making enough instant camera film to last until next year, at which point it is hoping an outside company will license its technology to continue making film for instant camera fans.

Pocket-sized, feature-rich, and budget friendly. The 8-megapixel Kodak EasyShare M883 has everything we want in a camera. Its thin design means it fits comfortably in pockets and purses, while its big 3" LCD helps you frame shots more easily. Other features include 64MB of built-in memory, on-camera cropping and panorama stitching, digital image stabilization, and face detection technology, where the camera can locate up to 10 faces and automatically adjust the focus and exposure for the best shot. And you can connect the camera to your HDTV to see your vacation photos on the big screen. More Kodak cameras.