« Return to: Top 10 Digital Cameras Under $500
| Rank | CAMERA: UNDER $500 | Street price (5/17/02) | Overall rating | Image quality | Ease of use | Battery life/shots | Comments1 |
| 1 | Best Buy Toshiba PDR-M71 | $399 | 80 | Good | Good | Good/329 | FEATURES: 3.1-megapixel resolution, 8MB SmartMedia card, 35-98mm focal range; USB and video output; 12.1 ounces. SUMMARY: The PDR-M71 offers long battery life and more versatility than most sub-$500 cameras, but it underexposed some of our test shots. (  Feb 02) |
| 2 | Best Buy Nikon Coolpix 2500 | $349 | 78 | Good | Good | Good/284 | FEATURES: 2-megapixel resolution, 16MB CompactFlash media, 37-111mm focal range; USB output; 7.5 ounces. SUMMARY: Great-looking, compact point-and-shoot has a novel design that protects the lens during storage; it captures video but not sound, and has no optical viewfinder. ( June 02) |
| 3 | Olympus Camedia C-3020 Zoom | $499 | 78 | Very good | Good | Fair/270 | FEATURES: 3.2-megapixel resolution, 16MB SmartMedia card, 32-96mm focal range; USB output; 14.2 ounces. SUMMARY: Bulky camera has a fast lens and many controls that photo hobbyists desire, but you'll have to be content with making silent movies. ( June 02) |
| 4 | New Olympus Camedia D-380 | $199 | 77 | Fair | Good | Outstanding/541 | FEATURES: 2-megapixel resolution, 8MB SmartMedia card, 35mm focal length; USB output; 9.5 ounces. SUMMARY: This point-and-shoot has simple controls, as well as the lowest price and the longest battery life in the Top 10; but with mediocre photo quality and few extras, it's as basic as digital cameras come. (  ) |
| 5 | Toshiba PDR-M25 | $249 | 77 | Good | Good | Fair/220 | FEATURES: 2.2-megapixel resolution, 8MB SmartMedia card, 38-114mm focal range; USB and video output; 12 ounces. SUMMARY: This inexpensive model has a sturdy body and is simple to use, but it provides only the most basic controls. It takes sharp photographs with accurate colors. ( Apr 02) |
| 6 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P71 | $399 | 76 | Good | Good | Very good/334 | FEATURES: 3.2-megapixel resolution, 16MB Memory Stick media, 39-117mm focal range; USB and video output; 10 ounces. SUMMARY: A relatively compact and easy-to-use point-and-shoot camera, the Cyber-shot DSC-P71 includes rechargeable AA batteries for flexible power options. ( June 02) |
| 7 | Fujifilm FinePix 2600 Zoom | $279 | 76 | Fair | Fair | Good/286 | FEATURES: 2-megapixel resolution, 16MB SmartMedia card, 38-114mm focal range; USB and video output; 9 ounces. SUMMARY: This simple point-and-shoot model comes with a relatively large storage card, but its controls are rudimentary and its photos looked unimpressive in our tests. ( Feb 02) |
| 8 | Nikon Coolpix 885 | $499 | 76 | Fair | Fair | Very good/373 | FEATURES: 3.2-megapixel resolution, 16MB CompactFlash media, 38-114mm focal range; USB and video output; 10 ounces. SUMMARY: You get a wealth of exposure and navigation controls with the Coolpix 885, but image quality is a mixed bag and the menus are daunting at first. ( Mar 02) |
| 9 | New Canon PowerShot S200 | $349 | 75 | Good | Fair | Fair/180 | FEATURES: 2-megapixel resolution, 8MB CompactFlash media, 35-70mm focal range; USB and video output; 7.7 ounces. SUMMARY: Style tweaks, reworked menus, and new navigation buttons are the only ways the S200 updates its predecessor, the S110. Has an attractive stainless-steel body and a tiny travel charger. ( ) |
| 10 | New Kodak DX4900 Zoom | $399 | 74 | Good | Fair | Good/315 | FEATURES: 4-megapixel resolution, 16MB CompactFlash media, 35-70mm focal range; USB and video output; 10.4 ounces. SUMMARY: This 4-megapixel camera offers high resolution for a great price and includes a docking station for easy photo uploads. However, its controls are jerky and slow to react. ( ) |
HOW WE TEST: Overall rating is based on price (30 percent), picture quality (20 percent), ease of use (15 percent), features (15 percent), battery life (10 percent), and support (10 percent). For all ratings, higher is better. To gauge picture quality, we take a series of shots, with and without flash, at 640 by 480 resolution and at the camera's highest resolution. We photograph a complex still life and a mannequin to see how well each camera captures details and subtle colorings such as skin tones. A panel of judges reviews the on-screen and printed photos and assigns image-quality scores, which we average. Camera weights include batteries. Data based on tests designed and conducted by the PC World Test Center. All rights reserved. For more details, see "A Guide to PC World's Star Ratings".1 Resolutions are expressed in effective pixels; focal range is identified as 35mm equivalent.