Bargain Cameras: Basic but Capable

Many of the latest digital cameras offer a wealth of sophisticated features, but may be pricey as a result. If all you can afford is an inexpensive backup camera, though, you'll be pleasantly surprised to find that the budget models we tested for this review tended to take attractive pictures. We surveyed the major camera makers for high-quality yet low-priced point-and-shoot units, and came away with five worthy contenders. The most expensive of the bare-bones models we tested are just $130.

You don't have to forgo all of the features found on pricier cameras, either. Among the units here you can find features such as image stabilization, facial recognition, custom white balance, in-camera panorama stitching, and high ISO settings for low-light shooting. Though no one model has all of these features, all offer at least one of them.

Better still, several of the cameras performed well in our image-quality tests. For example, the Kodak EasyShare C653 earned a mark of Very Good for its photo quality, and it costs just $130. The identically priced Canon Powershot A460, our Best Buy, was close behind, although its shots didn't look quite as sharp. In comparison, the average price of recently tested point-and-shoot cameras earning a Very Good for image quality is over $300.