Digital cameras
Our tests include 6 CR Best Buys and 13 other top picks
This article appeared in 
Some simple-to-use cameras respond quickly enough to catch a fleeting smile on a child's face, our tests show. Others perform well in low light, minimizing blur or color distortion due to camera motion. And some have video quality good enough to avoid the cost and inconvenience of a separate camcorder. But only a select few perform well in two or more of those areas, we also discovered.
Our tests of these basic models also show that only a few offer a very good LCD. That's unfortunate, because a camera's LCD has become more important as fewer basic models have included an optical viewfinder (see Can't find a viewfinder? Here's why).
Our tests of advanced models turned up a surprise: Although most of the SLR and SLR-like cameras outperformed the less costly point-and-shoots overall, the Canon PowerShot G11, a $500 point-and-shoot, matched most of the SLRs and SLR-likes in image quality for regular photos. And the Casio Exilim EX-FH100, $350, reduced camera shake better than most SLRs and SLR-likes.
Our findings are based on expanded tests that we have adopted for our Ratings (see Basic cameras and Advanced cameras, which are both available to subscribers), conducted in partnership with International Consumer Research & Testing, a worldwide association of 46 consumer organizations of which Consumer Reports is a leading member. The tests better address the increased demands consumers place on digital cameras and the increased capabilities cameras have acquired over the past few years.
Two recent developments in cameras are also worth noting. On the heels of the introduction of 3D TVs and computers, Fujifilm introduced the first 3D digital camera, the FinePix Real W1, $600. Its 3D images are best viewed on a 3D TV, as we noted in July. And Panasonic and Sony just introduced SLR-like models with competitive features such as high-definition resolution video and swiveling touch-screen LCDs. Sony claims that its new models have larger image sensors in smaller bodies than earlier SLR-like models did.
