Every photo website seems to do a "best picks" article when the Christmas season comes around, so why should this one be an exception! Listed below are what I'd consider to be some of the "best buys" available at the moment. Some items have rebates, some have low prices because a slightly newer and slightly better version has recently been released. Some are just great value even with discounts or special pricing. I've included a couple of DSLRs, a few lenses, a couple of mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras (MILCs) and a few compact digital cameras. Prices range from $100 to $1300. I don't own all of these items, but I do own quite a few of them and I've at least handled or reviewed the others. I hope this list gives you some ideas.
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Canon EOS 7D
The Canon EOS 7D is Canon's pro level crop sensor DSLR. With its 18MP sensor and advanced AF system it's capable of high resolution images and excellent AF tracking. Maybe not quite as good as the 1D series cameras, but still very good. The EOS 7D has just about all the bells and whistles any photographer could need (or want), plus it's an excellent platform for the budding videographer, really lacking only manual control of recorded audio level as a professional feature. The price has dropped significantly from the original $1700, plus there's a $100 instant rebate from Canon, making the EOS 7D pretty good value right now. I have a 7D myself and I'm very happy with it. |
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Canon EOS Digital Rebel T3i
If the 7D is more than you need, want or can afford, the T3i is also excellent value. With the same 18MP sensor as the 7D image quality is very good. The T3i doesn't have quite so many belles and whistles and the AF system is more basic than that of the EOS 7D, but for average amateur use it works very well. One feature that the T3i has that the EOS 7D doesn't is a tilt and swivel LCD which can make shooting video easier. It also makes shooting video or stills from a very low or very high angle easier since you can adjust the LCD angle to face you no matter what position the camera is in. At a price of around $715 including the surprisingly good EF-S 18-55/3.5-5.6 IS lens, the Canon EOS Digital Rebel T3i might well be the best "bang for the buck" in DSLRs. |
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Canon EF 50mm f1.8 II
While it may not be very pretty and it may not impress anyone with its build quality, the Canon EF 50/1.8 II just might be the best optical bargain in the whole Canon lens lineup. At a price of around $100 it's small, light, fast and surprisingly sharp. On a crop sensor DSLR like the Canon EOS 7D or Rebel T3i it makes an excellent portrait lens with an angle of view equal to that of a classic 80mm portrait lens on a full frame DSLR. It's slightly soft wide open, but tack sharp when stopped down a stop or two. Wide open the slight softness can actually enhance portraits. The lens body and mount are made of plastic and the AF motor makes a noise, but for $100 it's still a very good buy. I have the optically identical Mk I version myself and it's a lens I use quite a lot. |
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Tamron AF 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6
The Tamron AF 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 SP Di VC USD XLD to give it its full name is a very good telephoto zoom. It's optically stabilized (VC), uses an ultra-sonic AF drive motor (USD), has special low dispersion glass to improve image quality (XLD) and is optimized for digital applications and cover the full 35mm frame (Di). It's also rated as an "SP" lens by Tamron which implies higher than average build and optical quality. Priced at $399 it's a very good buy and right now there's a $50 mail in rebate making the final price $349 - and it comes with a lens hood and a 6 year warranty. You can't get a better telephoto zoom for the price. I have one myself! |
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Olympus PEN E-PL1
If you are looking for something with the flexibility and image quality of a DSLR but in a smaller and lighter package, the Olympus PEN E-PL1 should be high on your list. At under $400 with a 14-42 zoom lens (equivalent to a 28-84mm zoom on full frame 35mm) it's little more expensive than a higher end Compact P&S digital camera, yet it has a much larger sensor and hence much higher image quality. It's just about pocketable in a jacket with large pockets (I carry one in mine!) and unlike the earlier E-P1 and E-P2 models (and the later and current E-P3), the E-PL1 has a built in flash. It's almost infinitely customizable if you dig deep enough into its complex menus, but simple enough that you can use it as a "point and shoot" if you want to. You can also adapt just about any 35mm SLR lens ever made to the E-PL1 (though of course you have to focus and set the aperture manually). It's an excellent buy right now. In fact I bought one! |
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Nikon 1 J1
The Nikon 1 J1 is Nikon's entry into the mirrorless interchangeable lens camera (MILC) market. It uses a mid size sensor, smaller than the Olympus PEN line but bigger than that used in compact P&S digital cameras. However it's real claim to fame is that it is fast. Very fast. In fact it's Nikon's fastest focusing camera and it even focuses faster than Nikon's top of the line DSLR. Unlike most MILC cameras, in good light the J1 uses phase detection AF, just like full size DSLRs do. When the light level drops it switches to contrast detection AF which slows things down a bit. The J1 can also shoot at 10 frames/sec with AF tracking -ideal for sports and action shooting. In fact it can even shoot at 60 frames/sec, though with limits on AF and buffer size. Of course it also shoots 1080HD video. If you want an easy to use camera for shooting active children and sports, the Nikon 1 J1 is probably the best camera available for that purpose. Works pretty good for everything else too! The J1 is supplied with a lens that's equivalent to a 27-82mm zoom on a full frame camera. |
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Canon Powershot S95
Though the S95 has technically been replaced by the S100, it's still widely available new and at a very good price (under $300). What sets the S95 apart from most other compact digital cameras is its size (it's very small) and it's power. Though it's tiny, it shares a sensor with Canon's top of the line compact camera, the Powershot G12. The S95 is also capable of recording images in RAW modes as well as JPEG and the lens (28-105/2.0-4.9) is unusually fast at f2.0 (at least at the wide angle end of its range). It will also record 720p HD video with stereo sound. The S95 will probably give you the highest image quality in the smallest package at a price under $300. |
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Nikon Coolpix P7000
With the release of the Nikon P7100, the P7000 has stepped down to the #2 position in Nikon's compact digital camera lineup, but the price has stepped down too! For under $280 you can now get the P7000 which is a high end compact camera with a 28-200/2.8-5.6 (equivalent) lens. It will also shoot 720p HD video and even has the capability for an external stereo microphone to be attached. Image quality is very high. At it's current sub-$280 price, the Nikon Coolpix P7000 has to be a best buy |
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Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS
It's hard to see how you can go wrong with the ELPH 300 HS. It's under $130 and it's one of the best selling compact digital cameras available today. It's very thin and has an impressive 24-120mm lens squeezed into a body that's only 19.5mm thick. It's optically stabilized and can shoot 1080p video with stereo sound and with optical zooming. In high speed burst mode it can capture 3MP images at up to 8 fps. Image quality is excellent. If you want a small, simple P&S digital camera with good image quality, this is it.
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Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3
And now for something completely different...Does your camera have GPS built in? Does it have a built in barometer and altimeter? Does it have a compass? Can you drop it from 6ft without damage? Can you take it 40ft underwater? Can it take 3D images? Well the Lumix DMC-TS3 has all these features, plus it's a regular 12 MP digital camera with an optically stabilized 28-128 Leica lens. And in case you live in a cold climate, it rated for use down to -10°C. It also shoots 1080p HD video. It's the ultimate tough camera, ideal for a winter hiking trip in the wilderness or snorkeling in the Florida Keys. You could even let the kids use it on the beach without fear of damage. For under $250 it seems like a pretty good deal to me.
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