Digital Cameras to the Test | ABC30 Fresno

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By ABC30

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Fresno, CA Testers dropped it that distance a few times onto a concrete floor.

Elias Arias with Consumer Reports said, "The Tough 6000 still worked. Now we don't know how it would do in a lot of falls or harder falls, but if you're clumsy you may want to consider it."

This Olympus is just one of 77 digital cameras Consumer Reports tested, everything from subcompacts and compacts to super zooms and SLR's.

What's new? Some cameras now make it easier to wirelessly transfer photos or video directly to your computer, and there was another welcome finding.

Elias Arias with Consumer Reports said, "We were pleasantly surprised to find that several of these point and shoots did rather well in low light without a flash. And that's not the case with most point and shoots."

A child's birthday party is a classic challenge. Testers take photos of this standard test chart to help determine low light capability without a flash. This computer analyzes results.

When all the tests were done, the Nikon Coolpix S610 had the best low-light performance of point and shoots. It's a subcompact to it's very portable and costs $220-dollars.

But if low-light shooting isn't a priority, consider the Canon Powershot A590. It's a compact so it offers longer battery life. And it's a best buy you can purchase online at $110-dollars.