First things first: The best cheap digital cameras for under $100 are not going to be feature-rich models. They aren't going to take photos that will generate poster-sized prints.
The best cheap digital cameras can, however, yield photos of good quality for using on the Internet and for making small prints. Thanks to technological advancements, today's inexpensive digital cameras have more power than you might think. Here are the some of the best cheap digital cameras for less than $100, listed in alphabetical order.
PriceGrabberPerhaps the best compliment that can be paid to a sub-$100 digital camera is that it doesn't look or perform like a cheap, budget digital camera. The PowerShot A470 from Canon is one of the best sub-$100 cameras around. The unit's 7.1 megapixels of resolution are plenty for most beginners, and the A470 has a 3.4X optical zoom lens and a 2.5-inch LCD. It's an interesting-looking digital camera, too, available in blue, red, orange, and gray. (If you want a Canon camera, but you have a little more money to spend, try learning more about the
A480 or the
SD1200 IS.)
Digital BlueEven though the Digital Blue U-Turn Camera is a children's camera, parents might find themselves borrowing the U-Turn from time to time, just because it is such a fun camera to use. The U-Turn has a cool morphing feature, and its camera body can twist to allow easy self-portraits.
FujifilmFujifilm's FinePix A220 doesn't offer any high end features, and the company has aimed the FinePix A220 exclusively at beginner photographers. It's extremely easy to use, as my A220 review shows. If you can live with slightly below average performance and image quality, the A220's below average price is appealing.
GEFew cheap digital cameras can match the combination of easy-to-use features and good image quality you'll find with the A1250 camera from
GE. The A1250 includes 12.2 megapixels of resolution, which is impressive for a camera in this price range. The biggest drawbacks for the A1250 are a smaller-than-average LCD and a camera body that's a little bulkier than many point and shoot models. However, excellent
response times negate those minor problems.
Some prices on the A1250 have recently dropped below $100, so be sure to shop around to find the best prices.
PriceGrabberLook for the Samsung SL30 in pink, black, and silver, and this model measures just under 1 inch in thickness. It offers 10.2 megapixels of resolution, which should be plenty for a beginning photographer. To simplify things for beginners, the SL30 offers a "print shooting" mode, which makes it easy to make sure you're shooting at a resolution that's high enough for making quality prints. On the downside, the SL30 only has a 3X optical zoom lens and a 2.5-inch LCD screen, both of which are baseline specifications. However, the SL30 has a lot of good features for a sub-$100 digital camera.
