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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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The Olympus XZ-1 is the first high-end compact point-and-shoot to be released by Olympus in almost a decade. Though not quite as tiny as Canon's S100, it’s still relatively trim. The bright 4x zoom lens (28-112mm equivalent) has a maximum aperture of f/1.8 at the wide angle and f/2.5 at telephoto, and a dedicated low-light mode automatically adjusts ISO sensitivity up to ISO 3200. The camera's high-resolution 610,000-dot, 3-inch OLED display is also a standout.

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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