Top 10 compact digital cameras of 2011 (Holiday Gift Guide)

Summary: Check out our list of the top 10 compact digital cameras on the market (as of December 2011).

By Janice Chen | December 5, 2011 -- 06:59 GMT (22:59 PST)

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With camera vendors vying to capture every potential buyer with a perfectly suited camera, there's a constant glut of new models hitting the market. At last January's CES 2011 alone, manufacturers trotted out new cameras practically by the dozen, debuting a whopping 60 compact models. With new announcements coming every month throughout the rest of the year, the compact camera market has seen well over 130 new additions this year. The good news is that you're sure to find a perfect camera for absolutely anyone on your holiday shopping list this year. Check out our list of the Top 10 compact digital cameras on the market today (as of December 2011).

Canon PowerShot S100
This fall's Canon PowerShot S100 improved upon its wildly popular predecessors with a complete overhaul of the imaging system, though the super-compact body design remains very similar (save for the welcome addition of a small grip, as well as a new silver color option). The S100 sports a wider and longer 5x zoom lens and includes a built-in GPS receiver to enable automatic geotagging. The ability to zoom while shooting video is a nice addition too.

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6 comments

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RE: Top 10 compact digital cameras of 2011 (Holiday Gift Guide)

as usual nothing from Casio. they didn't make any new cameras this year?

oldshack2
5 December, 2011 19:28

Reply Vote
? ? ? + ?

Why are we forced to load a whole page,
which is 1000 lines of code,
JUST for the next pictured item???+?

fm-usa
6 December, 2011 08:50

Reply Vote
- I won't do slideshows
  
  @fm-usa: fully agree: slide shows provide marginal value-added compared to a photo-and-word story in a page or two. they DO ADD lots of wasted time waiting for downloads, so all I saw was the Canon on the front page, and I guess I didn't get slammed by multiple ads.
  
  common sense
  6 December, 2011 09:49
  
  Reply Vote
Summary? prices? Comparison chart?

It's hard to tell what value to place on this gift guide...
I'll go with...
VERY LITTLE VALUE

mal_cooper@...
6 December, 2011 09:39

Reply Vote
- The best way to get what you want is to go to the website of stores,
  
  such as those for CompUSA and for Target and for Wal-Mart and BestBuy and Costco, where you can evaluate the cameras, side by side, and click to get further details and prices. That's how I decided to purchase a camera yesterday, after browsing for the best prices for a camera with the features which I was seeking. I settled for a camera with 12.5 megapixels with a 30 optical zoom and with 1080p movie recording. Price was $199, but, it's selling for more at most other stores. Comparison shopping online, but, I ordered from the site of a brick-and-mortar store. Best of both worlds. BTW, the auction sites and the other online sites, had higher prices for what I wanted.
  
  Hint: the store that gave me the best price was the one with the name that means, a way to fasten sheets of paper together.
  
  adornoe
  6 December, 2011 13:16
  
  Reply Vote
- RE: Top 10 compact digital cameras of 2011 (Holiday Gift Guide)
  
  @mal_cooper@...
  Agree! Most valuable is a side-by-side comparison table of specs, price range, and added features distinguishing each camera.
  
  fredaa@...
  9 December, 2011 10:25
  
  Reply Vote