Awesome Sub-$200 Point-and-Shoot Digital Cameras

With dozens of point-and-shoot cameras now selling for under $200, Senior Editor Tim Moynihan takes a look at four of the best deals from Panasonic, Pentax, Nikon, and Sony.

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At a Glance

Olympus FE-5010
The FE-5010 takes good pictures and is easy to use. If that's all you're looking for in a camera, you'll likely be satisfied.
Pros
- 5x optical zoom
- Backlight boost on excellent LCD
Cons
- Spartan feature set
- Proprietary USB cord and xD card
Generic Company Place Holder Pentax Optio P70 Compact Camera
The Optio P70 lacks a few frills, but it represents good value for a stylishly thin point-and-shoot.
Pros
- Wide-angle 4X optical zoom
- HD video capture
Cons
- Lacks optical image stabilization
- No HDMI connectivity
Generic Company Place Holder Nikon Coolpix L20 Compact Camera
For value, ease of use, looks, and image quality, the Coolpix L20 is one of the best bargain point-and-shoots we've seen.
Pros
- Great image quality for the price
- Extremely easy to use
Cons
- A bit bulky
- No manual ISO controls
Generic Company Place Holder Pentax Optio E70 Compact Camera
This solid entry-level camera has easy controls and good picture modes, but sharpness and portrait abilities are weak spots.
Pros
- Intuitive controls
- Flexible, useful in-camera modes
Cons
- Faces appear reddish in viewfinder
- Auto Picture function is hit-or-miss
Generic Company Place Holder Panasonic Lumix DMC-LS85 Compact Camera
For a bargain-bin camera, the Lumix DMC-LS85 offers nice stabilization, good images, a Leica lens, and great scene modes.
Pros
- Good stabilization and image quality
- Convenient Intelligent Auto mode button
Cons
- Hard to operate with one hand
- Plasticky build and flimsy doors
Generic Company Place Holder Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS25 Compact Camera
The Lumix DMC-FS25 serves up a wide-angle lens, fun features, a huge LCD screen, and great battery life for the price.
Pros
- 29mm wide-angle Leica lens
- Great picture quality and battery life
Cons
- Mini-joystick navigation is finicky
- Buttons are a bit small
Generic Company Place Holder Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W230 Compact Camera
The slick DSC-W230 has a great LCD and neat in-camera features, but its image quality and stabilization could be better.
Pros
- Excellent 3-inch LCD screen
- Fun UI and slideshow features
Cons
- Image stabilization not always effective
- Proprietary USB connector
Generic Company Place Holder Canon PowerShot A1100 IS Compact Camera
A great value for the price, with better image quality than more expensive cameras and a nice feature set.
Pros
- Very good image quality
- Sturdy design with simple interface
Cons
- Mediocre LCD screen
- Optical viewfinder shows 85% of scene
Generic Company Place Holder Canon PowerShot A480 Compact Camera
The super-entry-level PowerShot A480 does offer good image quality, but the lack of any stabilization is a major drawback.
Pros
- Good image quality
- Very easy to use
Cons
- No image stabilization whatsoever
- Very plasticky build
Generic Company Place Holder Fujifilm FinePix Z30 Compact Camera
The fashion-first Finepix Z30 backs up its looks with sharp images, but its design and rubber buttons won't please everyone.
Pros
- Surprisingly good image quality
- Very easy to use
Cons
- Rubberized controls are very basic
- No appeal unless you're a teenage girl

Olympus FE-5010

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Generic Company Place Holder Pentax Optio P70 Compact Camera

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Generic Company Place Holder Nikon Coolpix L20 Compact Camera

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Generic Company Place Holder Pentax Optio E70 Compact Camera

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Generic Company Place Holder Panasonic Lumix DMC-LS85 Compact Camera

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Generic Company Place Holder Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS25 Compact Camera

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Generic Company Place Holder Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W230 Compact Camera

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Generic Company Place Holder Canon PowerShot A1100 IS Compact Camera

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Generic Company Place Holder Canon PowerShot A480 Compact Camera

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Generic Company Place Holder Fujifilm FinePix Z30 Compact Camera

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Cons

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