Camera Buying Guide
Best Overall Cameras
Nikon D800 (DSLR)
Nikon’s D800 boasts a 36.3 megapixel CMOS sensor and full 1080p HD video capabilities. The D800 is an excellent choice of camera for studio and landscape professionals, but should grab the attention of many Nikon enthusiasts, too. Whether you are looking to shoot photographs or video, the Nikon D800 will get the job done and then some. This camera has stunning image quality that is crisp, sharp, and very detailed, has excellent high ISO performance for both JPEG and RAW, and a great user interface with a slew of settings. While it’s definitely geared more towards professionals, if you have the cash and want an amazing camera, this is what you should get.
Pricing starts at $2796. Buy the Nikon D800.
Canon S110 (Point-and-Shoot)
If all you want is a really excellent point-and-shoot digital camera, the Canon S110 is exactly what you need. It’s sleek and stylish design comes in black and white and comes stock with a 12.1 megapixel CMOS sensor capable of 1080p HD video, and a 5x optical zoom with 24mm wide angle lens that makes it easy to get the entire picture. It also works really well in low light situations thanks to the f/2 lens and can even capture fast moving targets thanks to Canon’s High-Speed AF technology. The S110 has built-in WiFi, so you can easily transfer all your photos to a computer, social network, or smartphone without any messy cables.
Pricing starts at $339. Buy the Canon S110.
Best Value Cameras
Nikon D7000 (DSLR)
If you want to take photos like a pro, but don’t want to drop all that cash on the Nikon D800, the Nikon D7000 is for you. The Nikon D700 sports a 16.2 megapixel CMOS sensor, and can take super sharp and accurate pictures. It has a wide range of ISO settings which means less noise in your photos. The camera can also shoot 1080p HD video. Plus, with its twin SD card slots, you have a lot of accessibility and options when shooting video or taking photos such as sequential recording or recording JPEG photos to one card and RAW to another. For a high quality DSLR under $1000, the D7000 is going to be your best bet.
Pricing starts at $896. Buy the Nikon D7000.
Canon PowerShot A2300 (Point-and-Shoot)
The Canon PowerShot A2300 is a really inexpensive point-and-shoot camera that is great for quick photos at parties or informal gatherings with friends. It has a 16 megapixel image sensor and can shoot 720p HD video too. It also has 5x optical zoom and a 28mm wide angle lens to help ensure you get the whole picture. While we recommend this camera as a great value point-and-shoot, if you own an iPhone 4, 4S, or 5 you are probably better off using that as your camera over the PowerShot A2300.
Pricing starts at $72. Buy the Canon PowerShot A2300.