10 Digital Cameras You Should Snap Up as Holiday Gifts

10 Digital Cameras You Should Snap Up as Holiday GiftsBy Nathan Eddy

This camera features optical image stabilization, smile mode and face detection technology as well as a compact design, which makes it easy to carry around everywhere. A 3-inch PureColor System LCD display helps you to see what you’re shooting and a panorama mode with stitch assist lets you create impressive panoramic scenes.

Available in a variety of standout colors (this one is cardinal red), the Optio shoots 12.1-megapixel photos, which allows for high-quality large printouts. A 2.5-inch LCD display with antireflective coating gives you great visibility in bright environments and movie mode captures up to 1280 by 720 widescreen high-definition video at 30 frames per second. The camera is also water-, shock- and cold-proof for rugged durability.

Featuring a slim design, dual image stabilization and face detection technology, this is a great camera for the holiday shopper on a budget. Smile Shot mode, one of 19 shooting modes, takes a photo automatically when the subject smiles. Other standard features include VGA movies mode, built-in auto-flash, iESP auto-focus with spot AF and face detection AF, and a panorama mode (with compatible xD-Picture Card).

This budget-priced digicam offers a 3x optical/4x digital zoom and high ISO sensitivity for shooting in low light conditions, as well as face detection technology. YouTube capture mode lets you share your images and videos on the Web by storing video in an iTunes-compatible video format, and the camera is also PictBridge-compatible, which allows you to print your photos without the use of a PC.

This offering from Panasonic includes a battery pack, charger, AC cable, USB 2.0 and A/V cables and features a Leica DC lens with 10 elements in eight groups, including two aspherical lenses and three aspherical surfaces for detailed long shots. 6400 ISO auto-high-sensitivity mode helps prevent motion blur due to low-light conditions and MEGA Optical Image Stabilization adjusts for hand shake. This digicam is also PictBridge-compatible.

Along with face capture technology, electronic image stabilization and red-eye removal, this product also features a touch screen LCD display with on-screen icons and a self-adjusting 3-inch LCD display for varying light conditions. Auto-scene detection automatically determines the appropriate scene type and optimizes exposure, while high-definition movie mode and pan-capture panorama mode expand your shooting options.

This advanced camera uses optical image stabilization and a 2.8-inch vari-angle LCD display with a real-image zoom viewfinder, as well as Smart Auto technology that detects and analyzes scene conditions and automatically adjusts camera settings for improved color and detail in a variety of scene conditions. The camera is both cold- and shock-resistant and supports a variety of storage media options, as well as PictBridge PC-less printing and special effects settings for creative images.

This budget-priced SLR from Sony offers a built-in Bionz image processor, dynamic range optimizer and SuperSteady image stabilization. Antidust technology eliminates dust and debris from the image sensor for clear image results, and the kit includes an SAL 1855 DT 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens with Smooth Automated Motor for enhanced picture detail. The range optimizer utilizes gamma curves to recover details in dark or bright areas and optimizes exposure settings for improved shadow detail and contrast and lifelike image quality.

Available in a variety of eye-catching colors, this SLR has sensor-shift Shake Reduction technology and a Pentax Prime II image processing engine. Other features include HDR Image Capture technology, which blends three bracketed images into a single picture with enhanced shadow, highlight and midrange detail, and a 2.7-inch color TFT-LCD monitor that features Live View with contrast and phase difference, as well as a Pentamirror viewfinder.

It’s pricey, but packed with high-quality features such as an SLR-type fixed eye-level pentaprism viewfinder with 96 percent frame coverage, 11-area auto-focus and an 18-105mm f/3.5 – f/5.6 DX Nikkor lens with 5.8x zoom and ED (extra-low dispersion) glass elements for clear image results. Fast continuous shooting mode at approx. 4.5 fps allows you to capture all the action, and the camera supports RAW, TIFF, JPEG and RAW + JPEG file formats to best suit your photography needs.