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TECH | For $450 or less, you can get high resolution in a small package. By Jeff Bertolucci
PHOTOGRAPHS BY MEREDITH HEUER
The latest digital cameras squeeze features once available only on top-of-the-line cameras into remarkably compact and reasonably priced packages. With a camera that costs $450 or less, you can get high-resolution images good for crisp 8x10s, first-rate optical zoom lenses and many shooting modes. And if you've already gone digital and you're ready to move up to Camera 2.0, the latest models are also worth a look.
BEST PACKAGES
We tested point-and-shoot models from major vendors with an eye toward minimum hassle and maximum utility. Which digital camera is best for casual photographers? In terms of photo quality, there wasn't a bad one in the bunch. But two models stood out: the 
Canon PowerShot A610 ($300) and the Kodak EasyShare V570 ($400).
The Canon and Kodak models appear strikingly different, but each takes clear photos and has easy-to-master controls. The Canon takes the best shots overall, with impressive color accuracy in still-life photos and clearly detailed outdoor shots. The Canon also takes the best action shots. Its sports photos were brighter and sharper than its competitors', and we found it very easy to change shutter speeds. The handy mode dial on the top of the Canon's case provided fast access to 20 shooting modes, including landscape and night-scene settings.
The Kodak V570 is the first digital camera to have two lenses: a 23-millimeter-equivalent lens for ultra-wide angles and one equivalent to a 5X optical zoom. We agree with Laura Whitby, Kodak's manager of corporate design and usability, who says, "the two lenses work hand in hand, almost in a relay fashion. You don't have to think about it."
The two-lens concept offers real advantages. For instance, the 23mm lens lets you capture a wide-angle shot without backing away from your subject--which is sometimes impossible or inadvisable, as in the case of those precipice shots at the Grand Canyon. And the dual-lens design allows 5X magnification in a smaller package. Unlike other 5X optical zoom cameras, the Kodak V570 doesn't use a lens that extends from the camera body. To see how the Canon, the Kodak and four other models measure up, we took a close look at their features, including size, optical zoom power and resolution (expressed in megapixels). We paid special attention to ease of use. The best models not only take great pictures, but they also have intuitive controls and menus.
THIN IS IN
Most point-and-shoot digital cameras are small--but small is a relative term. For us, a small camera is one that slides easily into a shirt pocket and has room to spare. Three models we liked--the Casio Exilim Card EX-S600 ($400), the Kodak V570 and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T9 ($450)--will do just that. The Casio and Sony models are thinner than a Hollywood starlet. Each measures about a half-inch thick and is no longer or wider than a business card. If you want a camera that's smaller than a cell phone, they're your best choice. Although it's a few millimeters larger, the Kodak is no behemoth either, and it looks just as chic with its retro black exterior, stainless-steel lens cover and etched graphics around its two lenses. But being small has its drawbacks, particularly where usability is concerned. The Sony's lens is positioned in the camera's upper right corner. This is an unfortunate triumph of form over function, as it's too easy for an overhanging finger to block the lens--a problem we encountered several times. Similarly, the Casio's power button is so diminutive that you must use a fingernail to turn on the camera.
The Canon PowerShot A610 won't fit in your shirt pocket, but being large has its advantages. For instance, the hooklike grip makes the camera easy to hold. And the larger size provides room for additional features. The PowerShot has an optical viewfinder, a boon for old-school shutterbugs who like to frame shots as their predecessors did. The mode dial makes switching shooting modes a snap. The other cameras offer shooting modes as well, but you need to navigate on-screen menus to switch from one to another, so they can take time to find. Two other cameras we tested have advantages of their own. The Hewlett-Packard Photosmart R817 and the Olympus Stylus 600 Digital, both $300, represent the middle ground: bigger than the super-slims but smaller than the Canon. They're twice as thick as the Sony or Casio, at a little more than an inch, but they're still far from bulky. For its price, the HP has an excellent 5X optical zoom lens. But we were more impressed with the Photosmart's well-organized screen instructions that explain digital photography basics to amateurs. For instance, its Image Quality screen briefly explains the pros and cons of 5- versus 3-megapixel photos. (Essentially, you get higher resolution but larger file sizes with 5 megapixels.)
The Olympus has a feature that outdoors enthusiasts will appreciate: It's an "all weather" camera that's sealed to resist rain, dust, sand and snow. (Don't take it scuba diving, though.)
PICK A CARD
No matter which camera you pick, you'll need a memory card. To cut costs, camera makers install minuscule amounts of memory--from a miserly 8.3 megabytes in the Casio EX-S600 to 58MB in the Sony DSC-T9. But to store dozens of photos--particularly at the highest resolutions--you'll need more memory. At its highest, 6-megapixel setting, the Sony with 64MB of memory stores only 21 photos; but with 512MB of memory, it saves 157 shots.
The good news is that memory-card prices have also come down. Online retailers charge as little as $58 for a 512MB SanDisk Ultra II Secure Digital card. But make sure you're buying the right memory card for your camera. For example, the Sony DSC-T9 requires a Sony Memory Stick Duo card.
MORE THAN MEGAPIXELS
Do more megapixels mean better photos? Basically, yes, but with some exceptions. A pixel is a tiny dot that, when combined with millions of other pixels, creates a digital image. The more megapixels, the higher the resolution, meaning the more detailed an image appears. The cameras we tested are either 5-megapixel (Canon, HP, Kodak) or 6-megapixel (Casio, Olympus, Sony) models. Each one is great for printing photos as large as 11-by-14 inches. But for even larger photos, including poster-size images, you'll want a 7- or 8-megapixel camera. These models used to be priced in the $1,000 range; now the 8-megapixel Olympus Stylus 800 Digital lists for $450. Out of the box, most digital cameras are set to take photos at their highest possible resolution. Why? "People normally want the highest resolution as the default," says Kodak's Whitby. This makes sense. A high-resolution image provides extra detail for cropping and printing photos. With a 5- or 6-megapixel image, you can crop half of a shot away and have plenty of detail for a sharp 4-by-6-inch print. A pretty picture is more than pixels, though. The quality of the camera lens plays a big role. If you're buying from a well-known manufacturer, such as the ones in this review, you'll get a quality optical zoom lens for everyday shots. But be wary of no-name cameras that promise high resolution at fire-sale prices, such as a 10-megapixel model for $200. Odds are a bargain-basement camera lacks an optical zoom and has a subpar lens that will produce fuzzy pictures. Such cameras often have limited options and confusing controls--which, again, compromise picture quality, no matter how many megapixels they sport. The greater the optical zoom range, the more versatile the camera. The HP Photosmart R817, for instance, has a 5X optical zoom--an excellent deal for a $300 camera. What does 5X mean? If you're standing 50 feet away from your subject, a 5X optical zoom will make it appear to be 10 feet away, or five times closer. The Kodak V570's two lenses together give it the equivalent of a 5X optical zoom. The Canon has a 4X lens, and the Casio, Olympus and Sony, a 3X. If you like taking sports shots across a soccer field or photographically mugging animals in the wild, you'll want a higher-power zoom. Sometimes makers talk about a camera's "total zoom" range. Kodak says the V570 has 20X total zoom, and Olympus touts the Stylus 600's 15X total zoom. But these numbers are misleading because they include the camera's digital zoom ability. With digital zoom, the camera uses software tricks to blow up the image, and the resulting picture is often too blurry for crisp prints. So mind the optical zoom specs--not the digital or total zoom numbers. For zoom ease-of-use, the Canon wins again. Its large zoom control is positioned on the edge of the camera grip, making it simple to use a forefinger to magnify a shot. The other cameras have smaller zoom buttons on the back, and they are easy to miss unless you know where to look.
Screen size and quality contribute greatly to a camera's usability as well. The Canon's 2-inch LCD isn't the biggest screen we tested--the Kodak, Olympus and Sony displays are a half-inch larger--but its flexibility and brightness make it our favorite. Unlike the other models, which house the LCD inside the camera case, the Canon has a screen that swivels away from the body, much like a camcorder's LCD. It also pivots up or down--great for holding the camera above your head to snap pictures at parades, graduations, pep rallies and ballgames.
SOME STUDY REQUIRED
No matter which camera you buy, you'll need to crack the manual before shooting. Otherwise, you'll be flummoxed by the cryptic icons that appear on the LCD screen (what does the flower icon mean?), not to mention the various buttons and dials on the camera's case.
Some cameras are easier to use than others. The Canon A610 deserves praise for its mode dial, easy-to-carry case and swivel LCD. We like the Kodak V570's design, too. The rear of the camera has a row of buttons for popular features, including Review (to look at the photos you've shot) and Delete. Here's where attention to detail makes a world of difference, particularly to recreational photographers: Kodak uses words, not icons, to describe each button's purpose, which saves another trip to the manual. Ease-of-use kudos also go to the HP R817, which has the best-organized on-screen menus. We could navigate through them immediately and change settings without any difficulty.
PICS PER CHARGE
Some digital cameras include docking/charging cradles for charging the battery and transferring photos to your computer. The Casio and HP cameras have cradles. With the Olympus and Sony models, you remove the battery from the camera and place it in a charger. The Kodak comes with both a cradle and a charger. The Canon uses four AA alkaline batteries--yes, the same ones you buy at the supermarket. (It uses rechargeable batteries, too, but you'll have to buy them separately, for about $20 to $30.) The Canon's larger size allows it to use AAs, which would never fit inside the slimmer, trimmer point-and-shoot models.
Battery life in our cameras was very good across the board. The Casio promises up to 300 shots between charges, a claim we found accurate. Which design is best? Each has its merits. Canon's use of run-of-the-mill AAs is great for outdoorsmen far from an AC outlet, as well as vacationers who don't have time to recharge a battery. A cradle is convenient if you use your camera mostly at home; when the battery dies, you simply plop the camera in. A battery charger--particularly Sony's compact unit that plugs directly into a wall socket--is ideal for travelers who'd rather not pack a bulky cradle.
My Research
