When it comes to choosing the best point and shoot camera the consumer has a difficult task as there is a bewildering range of models to choose from. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 10.1 megapixel camera certainly has a lot to offer in terms of its specification and is worth a closer look. To start with it has a lens made by Leica, the German manufacturer who has been making cameras for professional photographers for more than 70 years.  This lens is a wide angle 3.8x zoom which gives very sharp images. To help the user to get the best quality from the lens Panasonic have given the camera a 10.1 megapixel CCD, more than enough to obtain sharp poster size prints. Of course, users of point and shoot digital cameras want to leave the technical decisions to the camera when taking photographs and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 has 23 different shooting modes to cope with just about every type of situation including beach, snow, soft skin, baby1, baby2, portrait, party/indoor, self-portrait, fireworks, night scene, sports mode, sunset and many more. For the user who wants to shoot moving pictures as well as stills, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 makes it easy to get high quality results with its AVCHD Lite facility. Making use of this feature almost doubles the recording time in HD quality compared with the conventional Motion JPEG format. There is also Dolby Digital Creator to record high quality audio. We have found the best price for Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 10.1 MP Digital Camera at Amazon - click here to check it out.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 Features and Specification

• 10.1-megapixel CCD for detailed poster size prints
• 3.8x F2.0 ultra-wide-angle 24mm Leica DC Vario-Summicron lens
• 3.0-inch Intelligent LCD
• Record HD videos in AVCHD Lite, Creative Movie mode
• Venus Engine FHD image processor
• Hot shoe for adding accessories
• Capture images to SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)
• Venus Engine FHD featuring Intelligent Resolution Technology
• Intuitive Manual Control
• Expandability with Optional Accessories
• 23 shooting modes
• Width: 4.3 inches
• Depth: 1.7 inches
• Height: 2.6 inches
• Weight: 9.6 Ounces

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 Review

We found a lot of reviews for the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5, with most of the reviewers saying good things about the camera. Unusual for point and shoot camera reviews, a couple were from professional users who liked the ease of using this camera coupled with the high quality results they were able to obtain. Particularly well–liked is the lens with its sharpness and wide-angle capabilities. An important aspect of point and shoot digital cameras is their ease of handling and the Panasonic was given high ratings from users for this. It was said to be easy to change between different modes and there is enough choice of automatic options to suit almost every type of scene. Some reviewers were critical of the camera’s ability to take good pictures in low light conditions without flash. This is a problem that most digital cameras have, although in this case there other users who were happy with this aspect of the camera. Is this one of the best point and shoot cameras? Only the user can really answer this question as everyone has different expectations of a camera. Certainly the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 seems to be well-built and is capable of taking good photos without much input from the user. It isn’t the cheapest point and shoot camera you can buy but it offers good value for money considering the high specification that it has. We have found the best price for Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 Digital Camera at Amazon - click here to check it out.

Canon has established a reputation for producing top quality cameras for professional photographers and the Canon PowerShot SX130 IS aims to compete with the best point and shoot cameras. It has a canon 12x wide-angle optical zoom which offers excellent image quality. To help those who find it difficult to hold a camera steady when taking a photo Canon’s optical image stabilizer helps to prevent those blurry pictures caused by camera shake.

The camera is also capable of recording HD video at 720p together with stereo sound. Unlike some cameras the powerful zoom function can be used when recording videos. A useful feature is that this Canon is powered by ordinary AA batteries, available just about anywhere, so there is no need to worry about taking battery chargers with you wherever you go

Point and shoot digital cameras are all about ease of use and the Canon PowerShot SX130 IS makes it simple for even the most inexperienced camera user to take good pictures. It has no less than 28 pre-defined shooting situations where you can just let the camera worry about the technicalities whilst you get on with taking pictures. These include kids & pets, snow, landscape, portrait, fireworks, foliage and more. To aid picture making still further the Canon has a 3.0 inch high-resolution LCD screen. The screen is bright and clear and has a night display for shooting in low-light conditions.

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Canon PowerShot SX130 IS Features and Specification

• Shoot 720p HD video with stereo sound while using the optical zoom
• High-powered 12x wide-angle optical zoom with Optical Image Stabilizer
• Scene modes like Miniature Effect for Movie and Fisheye Effect; Advanced Smart AUTO
• DIGIC 4 Image Processor, with 12.1 megapixels; 3.0-inch wide LCD
• Capture images to SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards (not included)
• 12 special scene shooting modes
• Width: 4.5 inches
• Height: 2.9 inches
• Weight: 10.9 Ounces

Canon PowerShot SX130 IS Review

The Canon PowerShot SX130 IS has received a lot of reviews and most of them are favorable. Users were particularly impressed with the quality of the images remarking on their sharpness and depth of color. Many users liked the fact that the camera was slightly larger than many of the newer point and shoot cameras, making it easier to hold securely. A couple of reviews mentioned that the camera uses up standard AA batteries quite quickly and that it might be worthwhile a new owner buying a set of rechargeable batteries to save on battery cost.

It’s important when looking at point and shoot camera reviews to be able to distinguish between genuine faults in the camera design and issues which are more of a personal nature. For example some reviewers rated the Canon PowerShot SX130 IS poorly for not being able to us the camera’s zoom at 1080p when shooting video when this is quite clearly stated in the camera specifications.

One problem that cropped up quite a lot was the length of time taken for the flash to recycle. This may be just on certain mode settings as some people reported that the flash recharged at a normal rate after the first photo was taken.

The majority of reviewers said that they would recommend this camera to others, based on its excellent picture taking qualities and ease of use. It is also reasonably priced and represents a good buy for the money.

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Canon has equipped the Canon G12 model with their Digic 4 Image Processor along with giving it a 10 megapixel CCD to provide high quality images. It also has Canon’s image stabilizer system to minimize blurred pictures caused by camera movement at the time of taking the picture. For the more advanced user the Canon G12 can shoot pictures in RAW format which doesn’t compress the image as does jpeg, for example. This gives more control over image adjustments using computer software.

As you would expect from the Canon G12 it is in the running to be one of the best point and shoot cameras, the Canon has a number of pre-set shooting modes. These include portrait, fireworks, snow, sports and landscape, among others. For the non-technical user these pre-set functions are a boon, making good pictures an automatic action whatever the conditions.

Canon is a respected name when it comes to producing excellent quality lenses and the lens of the Canon G12 is no exception to this tradition. It has a 5x optical zoom lens with a very useful 28mm wide angle to capture group shots in small spaces.

An unusual feature to find on point and shoot digital cameras is an optical viewfinder. Most cameras of this type just have an LCD screen but those users who have a background in photography and are used to having a “normal” viewfinder will appreciate having a viewfinder to look through. The Canon also has an LCD screen which can be adjusted to a variety of different viewing angles.

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Canon G12 Features and Specification

• 10.0 Megapixel sensor combined with the DIGIC 4 Image Processor.
• Shoot great 720p HD video with stereo sound for play back on an HDTV.
• Utilizes Canon’s Hybrid IS to prevent camera shake during close-up shooting.
• Large, bright 2.8-inch Vari-angle LCD for shooting at a variety of angles as well as an optical viewfinder.
• A 28mm wide-angle, high-powered 5x Optical Zoom with Optical Image Stabilizer.

Canon G12 Review

We weren’t able to find many reviews for this camera but most of the ones we looked at spoke favourably of the camera’s performance. The lens quality, coupled with the 10 megapixel CCD, enable the user to produce pictures of very good quality. Most point and shoot camera reviews are interested in how easy a camera is to operate. The Canon was said to be a simple camera for the beginner to use but would give a more experienced photographer plenty of control when needed. A well-liked feature was the optical viewfinder although it was mentioned by one reviewer to be a little unsharp.

The camera was given the thumbs-up when it came to the operating controls. They were generally thought to be very intuitive and positive in feel. When left in one of its automatic shooting modes the G12 could be relied upon to give optimum results.

The Canon G12 is in the higher price bracket and is competing with the best point and shoot digital cameras but it offers users a high specification with full manual control if needed. As such it is likely to offer the serious user a good buy for the money.

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Nikon are, of course, extremely well-known as a maker of cameras and lenses for professional photographers. The Nikon Coolpix L110 is fitted with a Nikkor 15x zoom lens enabling close up shots of subjects that are located at a distance from the camera. The wide range of this zoom lens will make the problem of shooting everything from landscapes to large group shots simple. The Nikon Optical Vibration Reduction system helps to minimize the effects of camera shake when using a lens with such a powerful zoom feature.

Only the best point and shoot digital cameras have functions to match Nikon’s Smart Portrait System. This makes taking group shots straightforward as the camera can “detect” up to 12 faces in a shot and will optimize the exposure and focus for the faces it recognizes. It will also fire the shutter to take the picture when a subject is smiling. As if that wasn’t enough, the Nikon Coolpix L110 will give a warning when it detects that a subject might have blinked when the shot was taken.

For people who would like to take video shots the camera will record up to 7 hours of HD video at 720p, depending on the state of charge of the batteries. HDMI output to an HD TV is possible for the best in movie playback.

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Nikon Coolpix L110 Features and Specification

• 12.1 megapixels for stunning prints as large as 16 x 20 inches
• Incredible 15x wide-angle optical (28-420mm) Zoom-NIKKOR glass lens
• Bright 3.0-inch high-resolution HVGA (460k-dot) Clear Color Display
• HD Movie with HDMI output
• 5-way VR Image Stabilization System
• EXPEED Image Processing
• Smart Portrait System
• Width: 3.1 inches
• Height: 2.9 inches
• Weight: 0.93 pounds
• Macro shooting from as close as 1 cm (0.4 in.)
• 15 scene modes for optimized shooting in various settings
• Powered by widely available AA-size/R6 batteries

Nikon Coolpix L110 Reviews

Reviews for the Nikon Coolpix L110 coolpix were somewhat mixed although they were generally complimentary about the camera. Users were particularly impressed with the ease that good results can be obtained by just utilizing the camera’s automatic functions. Image quality in both still and video modes was said to be able to compete with the best point and shoot cameras. A useful feature is the option of choosing to take a smaller resolution picture when required by just the press of a button.

The excellent zoom range is another feature of the Nikon Coolpix L110 that attracted a lot of favourable comment. The image stabilization system impressed many people with its ability to reduce the effects of camera shake (easy to experience with such a large zoom), without the need to use a tripod.

A lot of point and shoot camera reviews report some difficulties in obtaining sharp images in lower lighting conditions. This can sometimes be a problem with cameras that have large zoom lenses as does the Nikon. One answer is to place the camera on a tripod for such lighting conditions.

Overall the Nikon Coolpix L110 was thought to be a well-made camera with excellent optical qualities and capable of giving very good images. It did have more people than we would have liked criticising its performance in some areas. Because of this it doesn’t get our outright recommendation but it is still considered to be worthwhile further investigation, particularly if you are looking for a powerful zoom lens.

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Fuji have been at the forefront of camera and film production for many years and have earned a good reputation amongst professional photographers for the quality and reliability of their products. Their Fujifilm FinePix XP30 camera continues that tradition with a fine specification.

The Fujifilm FinePix XP30 has been designed to withstand being abused by those who give their cameras a hard life. It can be dropped, frozen, dunked in water and covered with mud and it will emerge unharmed. An ideal choice for the outdoor sports or camping enthusiast.

In these days when sharing images is so popular the Fujifilm Finepix XP30’s facility for easy upload to Facebook and YouTube will be appreciated by users. Photos for sharing are simply marked when previewing and then, when they are transferred to a computer, the marked photos will be automatically uploaded to the two social media sites.

The Fujifilm FinePix XP30 also records quality movies in 720p with sound and high quality still photos at the touch of a button. The HD movies it takes can be played back on a computer and Fujifilm also has available as an optional extra a new HD player which allows users to play stills and movies on their HDTV.

As is common with the best point and shoot digital cameras, the Fujifilm FinePix XP30 has several pre-set shooting modes for subjects such as portraits, beach scenes, etc. When using any of these modes the fujifilm finepix will select the optimum exposure settings, leaving the user to concentrate on composing the picture.

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Fujifilm FinePix XP30 Features and Specification

• 14-megapixel resolution for large, photo-quality prints
• Waterproof to five metres,Shockproof up to 1.5 metres,Freezeproof to –10°C,Dust/Sandproof
• Fujinon 5x periscopic optical zoom lens with reinforced protective lens barrier
• GPS functionality
• Capture movies in 720p with sound
• Movie Editing Mode and Blog mode; Facebook/YouTube Automatic Upload function for photos
• 18 pre-set shooting modes
• Width: 5.5 inches
• Height: 2.8 inches
• Weight: 1.0 pounds

Fujifilm FinePix XP30 Review

Reviews for this camera are mixed. This happens frequently with point and shoot camera reviews as folks have their own opinions on what features are the most liked. The majority of people were happy with the quality of the images made possible by the combination of the Fujinon lens and the 12 megapixel CCD. The zoom range of the lens was also thought to be a useful feature. There were several reviewers who had problems with the waterproof housing, however, reporting that after a short time of use in wet conditions water was able to enter the camera. Another plus point for the camera is its large viewing screen which makes it very easy to achieve the best composition.

A minor niggle which was mentioned by a couple of reviewers was that the LCD screen dims quite quickly. This is a common problem with many point and shoot digital cameras and can be the cause of many missed shots, particularly in bright light conditions when it is more difficult to see most camera screens clearly and composition of a shot takes a little bit of time.

Whilst the Fujifilm Finepix XP30 might not be the best point and shoot digital camera, it also isn’t the most expensive. It received many positive comments regarding its rugged construction and for the performance of its lens. It does have some design features which might have been more of an issue in a more expensive camera but can be forgiven when one remembers the price of this model. It certainly should be on your short list of point and shoot digital cameras if you want a tough unit that can withstand a few knocks and bumps.

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