If you haven't shopped for a point and shoot digital camera lately, you're in for a surprise. You don't have to spend a lot of money find good digital cameras. The best budget digital cameras offer a nice mix of style, features, and value. They aren't typically going to offer top-of-the-line features, but most beginner photographers don't need them. Here are the best budget digital cameras for under $150, listed in alphabetical order.
1. Canon PowerShot A2200
Canon
Canon's PowerShot A2200 digital camera isn't going to provide features that will overly impress you, but it does have a nice set of basic features that compare well to other cameras in its price range. The A2200 includes several easy-to-use features, including what Canon calls "Smart Auto," which attempts to simplify photography, while improving the camera's accuracy in automatic mode.
With this camera, you'll find 14.1 megapixels of resolution, a 2.7-inch LCD, 720p HD video capabilities, and a 4X optical zoom lens. The PowerShot A2200 is available in four body colors: Blue, black, red, or silver.
2. Casio Exilim EX-S200
Casio
Using a simple design that includes a flat lens barrel and a curved edge on the camera body, Casio is now offering its Exilim EX-S200 digital camera. The S200 measures only 0.7 inches in thickness, making it a stylish option for beginning photographers.
The S200 includes 14.1 megapixels of resolution, a 4X optical zoom lens, a 2.7-inch LCD, and it can shoot HD video at 720p. The S200 is available in five colors: Dark blue, orange, black, silver, and pink. The S200 is fun to use, but it has some performance issues that you should be aware of.
(For a few slightly less expensive Casio ultra-compact cameras with similar feature sets to the S200, consider the EX-Z800, the EX-S12, or the EX-FS10.)
3. Fujifilm FinePix XP10
Fujifilm
Don't let the curved shape and the bright body colors (black, blue, green, pink, or silver) of the Fujifilm FinePix XP10 fool you, as this is a "tough" camera, designed as waterproof, shockproof, and weatherproof. The XP10's "tough" features aren't quite as powerful as some other "tough" cameras, but, with a sub-$150 price tag, the XP10 is much less expensive than those models. The XP10, which made my list of the best cameras for 2010, includes 12.2 megapixels of resolution, a 5X optical zoom lens, and a 2.7-inch LCD.
4. GE Create by Jason Wu
GE
You'll find some good and some bad in the stylish Jason Wu Create camera from General Imaging, the photography division of GE. With a maximum 12.2 megapixels of resolution, the Jason Wu Create camera shoots sharp and vibrant photos and is easy to use. If you want a sharp-looking camera that has an amazing number of cool accessories and interesting body colors, the Jason Wu Create will meet your needs. GE offers the camera in 10 different body colors, all of which are trimmed in silver. You'll find black, blue, gold, green, red, white, and yellow metal finish colors and black, gray, and white leather finish colors with this camera. You'll find versions with either 4GB or 2GB of built-in memory. The 2GB version costs a little less.
5. Kodak EasyShare M580
Kodak
Kodak's EasyShare M580 digital camera provides amazing image quality for a point and shoot camera in the sub-$200 price range. With 14.0 megapixels of resolution and an 8X optical zoom lens, the EasyShare M580 has some impressive features for its price range. Living up to its "EasyShare" name, Kodak has given the EasyShare M580 plenty of photo-management features, making it easy to sort photos before uploading. The M580's response times are a serious drawback, but, overall, this camera compares favorably to similarly priced models.
6. Kodak EasyShare Touch (M5370)
Kodak
Kodak is known for its easy-to-use cameras -- after all, they place "easy" in the name of their beginner-level cameras. But the touch-screen LCD Kodak has included with its recently announced EasyShare Touch digital camera potentially makes the Touch the easiest-to-use Kodak camera yet.
The Touch's 3.0-inch touch-screen LCD offers a higher resolution screen than most Kodak cameras. As with most Kodak cameras, the Touch makes it easy to upload your photos and videos to Facebook or YouTube.
In addition, the Touch offers 14 megapixels of resolution, a 5X optical zoom lens, and 720p HD video capabilities.
7. Nikon Coolpix S3100
Nikon
Nikon's Coolpix S3100 digital camera provides a solid set of features that will appeal to beginning photographers. The S3100 includes a 5X optical zoom lens, 14 megapixels of resolution, 720p HD video recording through a dedicated video button, and a 2.7-inch LCD screen.
The Coolpix S3100 is a nice looking camera as well, measuring only 0.8 inches in thickness and appearing in seven body colors: Black, blue, pink, purple, red, silver, and yellow.
8. Pentax Optio RS1500
Pentax`
With the Pentax Optio RS1500, you can change the look of the camera at any time with a new faceplate, a new lens ring, or a customizable skin, such as the skin shown here feating the Green Lantern.You'll find 14 megapixels of resolution, a 4X optical zoom lens, 720p HD video capability, and a 3-inch LCD screen with the Optio RS1500.
The RS1500 is an upgrade to the Optio RS1000, which was released late in 2010 and could accept various skins. Pentax designed the RS1500 to be easier to customize than its predecessor.
9. Pentax Optio RZ10
Pentax
With a 10X optical zoom lens, the Pentax Optio RZ10 digital camera provides something you don't find in many beginner-level digital cameras: A thin model that offers a large zoom capability.
Pentax has included a strong macro mode with the RZ10, too, giving this lens tremendous versatility. Additionally, Pentax has included dual IS with this model, which is important for a camera with such a large zoom lens. The RZ10 offers 14.1MP of resolution and a 2.7-inch LCD, and it can shoot HD video at 720p. Pentax offers this model in a variety of colors, including black, white, lime green, and violet.
10. Samsung PL200
Samsung
A couple of years ago, a slim, stylish camera, such as the Samsung PL200, would be just that -- slim and stylish -- without many desirable photography features.
However, times have changed.
The PL200 measures just 0.82 inches in thickness, it has a nice-looking curved body, and it's available in red, silver, and black. Samsung included plenty of nice photography features in the PL200, too, though. The PL200 has a 7X optical zoom lens, can shoot 720p HD video, and features dual IS technology. It also has a 3.0-inch LCD, and Samsung cameras typically offer high-quality LCD screens.
11. Samsung PL210
Samsung
The Samsung PL210 offers many impressive features, including a 10X optical zoom lens.
Few cameras in this price range offer such a large zoom lens. The PL210 also offers some slight wide angle capabilities, with a focal range of 27mm-270mm.
In addition, the Samsung PL210 has a 3.0-inch LCD screen, 14.2 megapixels of resolution, and 720p HD video capabilities. It also is a thin camera, measuring only 0.78 inches in thickness, and it's available in silver or black.
12. Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX9
Sony
The Cyber-shot WX9 includes a CMOS image sensor, which improves the camera's low-light performance. And, as I found in my WX9 review, this camera does a nice job in low light, with or without the flash.
Sony included limited wide angle capabilities in the WX9's 5X optical zoom lens. This camera can shoot 16.2MP still images and 1080i HD video. Look for the WX9 to be available in black, red, and silver.
