Best Digital Cameras Under a $300 Budget

Finding a good-looking, compact camera with a large zoom lens isn't always easy, but Canon's recently announced PowerShot SX230 HS camera looks to fit in this area of the market.

With the SX230, you'll find a 14X optical zoom lens, a 3-inch LCD, full 1080p video capabilities, and a 12.1MP CMOS image sensor. Additionally, the PowerShot SX230 is part of Canon's "high sensitivity" system (HS), which aims to improve low light performance. The TIPA award-winning SX230 also has a popup flash unit. It's available in black, red, or blue.

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The sharp-edged design of the Canon PowerShot ELPH 520 HS gives it an interesting look for a point and shoot camera. And it has some good photographic features to match its cool design.

The ELPH 520 HS includes a 12X optical zoom lens, which Canon claims makes the 520 HS the world's thinnest 12X zoom camera. The ELPH 520 HS measures 0.76 inches in thickness.

In addition, the ELPH 520 HS uses a 10.1MP CMOS image sensor, which should improve low light photography results. It has a high-resolution 3.0-inch LCD and full HD video capabilities. The ELPH 520 HS is available in blue, red, silver, and black camera bodies, depending on your location in the world.

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Nikon has included what it calls its fastest lens ever placed into a Coolpix camera with the award-winning Nikon Coolpix P300.

The P300 makes use of a 4.2X optical zoom Nikkor lens with a maximum aperture of F1.8, which gives with camera strong low light performance.

Additionally, the P300 has a 12.2 megapixel CMOS image sensor, which further enhances its low light performance. You'll find a high-resolution 3.0-inch LCD with the P300, and it can shoot full 1080p HD video.

Nikon is introducing its second generation of point and shoot cameras that offer a built-in projector, with the Coolpix S1100pj camera. The S1100pj's internal projector offers 14 lumens of light and can project an image from up to 7 feet away, which is an upgrade to what was available with the Coolpix S1000pj, announced in 2009.

The S1100pj includes a 3-inch, high-resolution, touch screen LCD; a 5X optical zoom lens with limited wide angle capabilities; 720p HD video recording; and 14.1 megapixels of resolution.

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Nikon has paired style with a powerful zoom lens in the Coolpix S9100 point and shoot camera.

You'll find a 12.1-megapixel CMOS image sensor with the S9100. In addition, this camera carries an 18X optical zoom lens, which is a feature rarely found in a camera measuring only 1.4 inches in thickness. The S9100's 3.0-inch high-resolution LCD screen is impressive, and this camera can shoot full 1080p HD video.

Nikon is offering the S9100 in three colors -- black, silver, or pink/red -- although a gold-colored S9100 is available in some parts of the world.

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Panasonic has paired a wide-angle, high-quality lens with Wi-Fi capabilities in the Lumix DMC-FX90. This camera allows photographers to upload photos immediately to social networks, thanks to its Wi-Fi connection (which works with the 802.11g, 802.11b, and 802.11n standards).

Additionally, the FX90 features a high-resolution, 3.0-inch LCD, a 12.1MP CCD sensor, full 1080p HD video, and a 5X optical zoom lens, which includes good wide-angle capabilities. The F2.5 lens should yield very good image quality.

The Lumix FX90 is available in black only.

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The Lumix DMC-FZ40 from Panasonic 14.1 features a 24X optical zoom lens. It has 14.1 megapixels of resolution, a lens with some wide angle options, and a 3.0-inch LCD. It has an AVCHD Lite HD video option (720p), and the FZ40 includes a fast start-up option, so you won't miss spontaneous photos waiting for the camera to be ready to shoot.

If you have a little more money to spend and want a similar camera, Panasonic has also introduced the Lumix DMC-FZ100, which also includes a 24X zoom lens with even more speed.

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The "tough" features found in the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3, when coupled with the stylish look, will give users looking for a rugged model some interesting options.

The Lumix TS3 is waterproof up to about 40 feet, can survive a fall up to 6.6 feet, and will work in temperatures as low as 14 degrees Fahrenheit.

This camera carries 12.1 megapixels of resolution, full 1080p HD video capabilities, a 2.7-inch LCD screen, and a 4.6X optical zoom lens. Finally, the TIPA award-winning TS3 includes Panasonic's "3D Photo" mode, through which the camera shoots 20 consecutive photos and then creates a 3D image from the two best images. Look for the Lumix TS3 to be available in orange, red, blue, or silver.

Pentax is proving a rugged camera can be stylish, too, with its WG-1 digital camera. The Pentax Optio WG-1, which is available in purple or black, includes a macro stand and a carabiner strap.

The WG-1 can be used in up to 33 feet of water depth, can survive a fall of 5 feet, can withstand 100 kilograms of force, and works in temperatures as cold as 14 degrees Fahrenheit. Additionally, the Optio WG-1 offers 14 megapixels of resolution, a 2.7-inch LCD, 720p HD video capabilities with an HDMI port, and a 5X optical zoom lens.

Samsung's TL320 is another strong model worth consideration in the sub-$300 price range. The TL320 includes a very easy-to-use menu structure that offers several "help" features, which is great for beginning photographers. The camera's shooting features are nice, too, with 12.2 megapixels, a 5X optical zoom lens with limited wide angle capabilities, and a 3.0-inch AMOLED screen, which provides brighter images and better power management than LCD screens. The TL320 includes gauges (shown here) -- that look like old-time gas gauges in vehicles -- with a needle that reveals the amount of battery power and storage space remaining.

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Ultra compact cameras have been around for a while. But pairing a strong zoom lens with the thin cameras is a fairly new phenomenon, and Samsung is among the leaders with its WB700 camera.

The WB700 includes an 18X optical zoom lens in a camera that only measures 0.85 inches in thickness. The lens has an equivalent measurement of 24-432mm, giving it some wide angle capabilities, too. Additionally, the WB700 has a 14-megapixel CCD image sensor and can shoot 720p HD video. The WB700 will be available in black only.

The first thing you'll notice about the Sony Cyber-shot T90 digital camera is that it doesn't look like any other sub-$300 camera. The front panel of the T90 is almost all a solid color (black, light blue, pink, bronze, or silver), only marked by a small 4X optical zoom lens in the corner that does not extend beyond the camera body. It is an ultra compact model and measures only 0.59 inches in thickness. With 12.1 megapixels of resolution, it can create very large prints. Finally, the T90's 3.0-inch, touch-screen LCD is a great feature.

Despite being a slightly older unit, this camera is definitely one of the coolest models out there in this price range, and it made my list of the best cameras of 2009.

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