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Oh, Snap!

Not all pictures are worth a thousand words. In fact, some barely warrant an “ugh,” which is why the ever-irreverent digital camera has become the favored archivist for the vain, but not always fair, public. But with the plethora of quality point-and-shoots out there, whose picture is brightest?

Do you have a bad case of pixel envy? Photography expert Steve Reczkowski reports on the digital camera revolution.
digital cameras expert reczkowski steve

In 1900, Kodak released the Brownie, one of the first low-cost snapshot cameras constructed from cardboard and a meniscus lens that took two-and-one-quarter-inch square pictures on 117-roll film. The camera saw multiple iterations, upgrading from cardboard to a Bakelite exterior, but the basic idea remained the same—and its principles, while refined, guided the development of point-and-shoot photography for nearly a century. In 1996, Kodak released an early mass-market digital camera, the DC25. It was 1.3 megapixels, used a CompactFlash memory card, and retailed for a cool $500. And, as a quick eBay search shows, you can now purchase a Kodak DC25 for $13. Over the course of 15 years, the digital camera has depreciated 97.4 percent—even a nonfunctioning Brownie is worth more.

There is a certain ruthlessness to technological obsolescence, especially today. And with biannual updates and upgrades to our iPods and a spate of jazzy multidisciplinary phones, the camera has the unfortunate task of competing not only against itself, but also against a slew of electronics. Thus, yesterday’s megapixel is today’s minorpixel, and yes, your LCD screen is undoubtedly on the small side. In many cases, today’s digital cameras produce better-quality images than film, so much so that slow or fine-grained 35 mm films with speeds of ISO 50 to 100 have megapixel equivalents of 8 to 16 megapixels, and ISO 400 films come in at about 4 megapixels. And so the early digital camera goes the way of the typewriter, the VCR, and, begrudgingly, the boom box.

With all the major camera manufacturers in clear agreement that film is no longer the cash cow (Kodak drastically reduced production of traditional 35 mm film cameras in 2004, and Nikon and Canon swiftly followed suit in 2006), few can argue with the fact that, for a point-and-shoot camera, you’d have to be a dolt not to go digital. But with the market being as competitive as it is, one wonders if the consumer isn’t being hedged out of the bet. In order to make heads or tails of the options, we asked Steve Reczkowski, of the color-photo-processing lab Robyn Color, to help us rate the latest and greatest point and shoot models based on usability and image quality.

  • digital cameras sony cybershot dsct10_front

    Cyber-shot DSC-T10

    Expert Opinion: I would definitely choose this one on the basis of looks. I like the way the lens cover slides up [and down]. The functions are all clearly laid out, though it’s really small and compact and easy to hold. The only thing that bothers me about this one is that the zoom is a little sluggish.

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  • digital cameras nikon coolpix 57c front

    Coolpix S7c

    Expert Opinion: This one has the WiFi option so you can connect to your computer remotely, which is a pretty interesting feature. While the wheel feature allows you to browse rapidly, the plastic seems a little flimsy. The interface is simple and straightforward, though, making it easy to use.

    What We Think: Sure, cords are a problem—they’re currently sticking out of every orifice on our overwhelmed little laptop, but we’re not sure how often we’d utilize the WiFi function in a camera. The feel and look of this camera are quite nice, and the interface on the camera is pared down and is predominately operable from a wheel, which makes rapid review (and subsequent expunging) quite easy.

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  • digital cameras olympus stylus 720sw front

    Stylus 720SW

    Expert Opinion: The interesting feature on this one is that it’s shock- and waterproof. You don’t have to worry about taking it out in the rain or anything like that. This one is probably the thickest, which can be nice to hold. It’s kind of intermediate between stylish and compact and handleable.

    What We Think: We pondered over this ten-foot waterproof depth claim for some time, and we just couldn’t wrap our heads around it. It’s not encased in a plastic shell like those disposable underwater cameras that were all the rage in the ’90s, and there’s something wholly incongruous about something so literally electronic being able to plunge to Olympic-pool depths (can you say “scuba certification slideshow”?), but we also know that this claim cannot be false. So, for any avid snorkelers, this camera is for you!

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  • digital cameras panasonic lumix dmcfx50 front

    Lumix DMC-FX50

    Expert Opinion: I actually bought this one for my mother because it has a very user-friendly interface; it’s good for someone who wants a simple experience, someone who doesn’t want to get into changing a lot of settings. I don’t care for the zooming function [that operates from this] tiny little switch at the top of the camera. It’s not as convenient as the others.

    What We Think: While our first inclination is to bristle at the idea of simplifying what is already a relatively simple gadget, we were impressed with the camera’s sensibility when it flashed the message “back lit” when we tried to snap dusky glamour shots. This one may be simple, but sadly, it seems to be a smidge smarter than us. The camera operates mostly from a joysticklike button, and when the camera is on simple mode, with its huge graphics and straightforward instructions, it feels a bit like an Atari game.

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  • DW0307_RPTS_13DigitalCameras_Casio Exilim EXS770_BACK

    Exilim EX-S770

    Expert Opinion: This one is a little difficult to hold if you have large hands. It’s quite thin and rounded around the edges. It’s kind of nice to have all your options laid out on the screen—it’s helpful because the interface itself is not totally clear. These cameras all have very large screens, which is beneficial, but the problem with larger screens is that they can break rather easily.

    What We Think: This slick camera almost makes us forget that dog-barking sample we played over and over (to the delight of our family members) on our Casiotone keyboard. Casio has become an electronics sophisticate. While we agree that the rounded edges make the feel a bit slippery, the usability of this camera is impressive; all of the functions are easy to access and manipulate, and the image quality is strong. If only we’d had this camera back in ’87 to record our dance routine to the samba preset.

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