Well, I think we can come pretty close to what you聮re after. Most digital cameras nowadays are pretty good at handling different scenes and lighting, and are good at focusing. Nearly all 聯compact” cameras, however, do suffer from some shutter lag聴that interval between the time you take a picture and the time the camera actually leaps into action. That聮s a product of all the math the camera has to do before it can snap the shot. With larger cameras such as the G5, there is more brainpower to handle this task, hence less shutter lag.
Canon’s PowerShot SD630
PowerShot SD630
That said, you might look at Canon聮s PowerShot SD630 ($400, street price is lower; www.canon.com). It聮s a new camera that has some great features聴six-megapixel resolution, a huge viewing screen on the back of the camera, and the ability to shoot short movies as well as take stills. I聮m partial to Canons because the company understands photography so well. I聮ve always found their digital cameras to be intuitive to use, well-designed, and extremely functional. The SD630 has been out just a few months but is already getting raves from users.
Another good choice is the Olympus 710 Stylus ($300; www.olympus-global.com). It has an amazing 7.1-megapixel resolution, a 3:1 zoom lens, and water-resistant construction so a little rain won聮t hurt it. Like the Canon it has a very large rear screen, although also like the Canon, it lacks an old-style viewfinder. This is unfortunate聴I think people see and frame a picture much better by looking through a viewfinder, which cuts out extraneous visual clutter. But then, regular readers know that I first took pictures during the Cretaceous Era.
And, to hit the magic number three in suggestions, Nikon聮s CoolPix P2 ($400; www.nikon.com) has a nice set of features聴5.1-megapixel resolution, excellent Nikkor zoom lens, even WiFi so you can offload pictures wirelessly. The things they think of these days!
I聮d wander into a camera store and look at all three. See what feels best in your hand, seems to have the least shutter lag, and has the features you want. They聮ll all take great pictures; it聮ll be the little things that make the difference.
The votes are in: , including the year’s hottest camera.