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In October Top 5 Digital Cameras debuted with models that cost less than $500. This time around we take on models costing $500 or more. With prices soaring to more than $1200, this group is definitely not for your "funny pictures of the dog" shots. But some offer the flexibility, better optics, and higher resolution typically found in 35mm single-lens reflex cameras. For businesses or individuals who need more than snapshot-quality photographs, one of these cameras should be what you're looking for.

These higher-end digital cameras are as diverse in their shapes, sizes, and features as they are in their prices. (Note: We call them "higher-end" because there is yet another class of truly high-end, professional-quality digital cameras that are too expensive and too niche for this review.) Most higher-end models let you override the automatic exposure and focus controls that come standard in today's cameras, thus returning to you the creative control lost in cheaper point-and-shoot models. Aperture-priority and shutter-priority exposure settings--and even totally manual control--are common, letting you compensate for difficult lighting conditions that may confuse a fully automatic camera. But beyond those features, higher-end cameras branch into many choices.

Take focal range: Nearly all higher-end digital cameras provide an optical zoom lens. However, some give you a relatively short zoom range, from around 28mm to 107mm (wide-angle to slightly telephoto), while others stretch up into fairly powerful telephoto ranges. The new Olympus Camedia C-2100 Ultra Zoom, for example, gives you 38mm to 380mm--a 10X zoom.

Storage is another area that requires you to pick from many choices. On one hand, you can get a camera with a simple 16MB SmartMedia or CompactFlash card that will hold 1 or 2 images at the best setting. At the other extreme you'll find models like the Casio QV-2300UXplus, which comes with a 340MB Microdrive that holds hundreds of images despite its being the size of a pack of matches. (Canon's new PowerShot G1, reviewed this month, offers the Microdrive as an option.) But the undisputed winner for unusual storage has to be Sony's new Mavica MVC-CD1000, which also came under review this month but failed to make the chart because of its budget-melting $1299 price tag. The MVC-CD1000 has a built-in CD-Recordable drive that holds 156MB of data; as you shoot, the camera writes your photos straight to the disc. A truly novel concept, it lets you pull out its custom 3.5-inch CD-R discs and hand a pile of shots to nearly anyone with a modern PC.

You must also consider whether you want to record sound or short video clips on your digital camera. Some cameras allow both, some limit you to sound, and some allow neither. Resolution is another consideration: Most people can stick with the cheaper and more common 2.1-megapixel resolution (fine for most business imaging), but you may want to move up to 3.1- or 3.3-megapixel resolution if you're planning for either big enlargements or severe cropping. Also, cameras' sizes and shapes vary significantly. The Olympus Camedia and the Sony Mavica both have the shape, feel, and heft of a 35mm SLR model. The Casio QV-2300UXplus, on the other hand, has the look and feel of a point-and-shoot, with the added flair of a rotating lens.

Best Buy for $500 or More

As we did in last month's review of digital cameras under $500 and in our December 2000 print-magazine story on digital cameras, "Sharp Shooters," we ranked the higher-end models based on the quality of the images they produced, as well as their price, features, ease of use, battery life, and technical support. Our Best Buy from "Sharp Shooters," Epson's $899 PhotoPC 3000Z, remains at the top because it delivers impressive images, is exceptionally easy to use, and tops it all off with battery life that can make the Energizer bunny turn green.

The newest camera to make our $500-plus chart is the $879 (street price) Olympus Camedia C-2100 Ultra Zoom, which landed at number three. Flexible, powerful, and easy to handle, the Camedia's high points included its 10X zoom lens and great battery life. However, its image quality in our tests rated in the middle of the pack overall. On-screen images looked considerably better than what we saw on photo paper.

Two other cameras we tested this month did not make the chart. The aforementioned Sony MVC-CD1000 is interesting, but costly for a 2.1-megapixel camera. Meanwhile, the 3.3-megapixel Canon PowerShot G1 is a sturdy-feeling camera with an unusually flexible LCD viewfinder. Unfortunately, we were not especially pleased with the controls, and its image quality was middling.

For write-ups on the other cameras that made this month's chart, see " Sharp Shooters." Next month we'll return with low-cost models.

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