Best Digital Camera Bargains for 2009

I have a love-hate relationship with digital cameras. Having owned several, including my current Nikon D-70 that I got for Father's Day a few years ago, I speak from experience when I say that when it comes to getting that critical family shot, what can go wrong, will go wrong. Just this week I messed up pictures of homecoming for our son and daughter. Part of the problem is that I need a camera with a larger screen on the back so I can tell if the picture is in focus. So I've been in the market for a new camera, and in the process came across the best picks for digital camera bargains according to a CNN report. So I thought I'd share those picks with you.

Canon PowerShot SD780IS

CNN describes the Canon PowerShot SD780IS as ideal for the casual photographer who always carries a camera. The camera is ultracompact, but with a large 2.5 inch LCD II view screen to check out your shots. Although the camera may be small, it packs 12.1 megapixels, a 3X optical zoom, and image stabilization, all for under $200 on Amazon. You can even record video with the Canon PowerShot.

On Amazon the camera has about a 4 1/2 out of 5 star rating based on user reviews.

Sony Cyber-Shot

The Sony Cybershot is ideal for those that want the features of a SLR camera, but don't want to carry around a bunch of lenses. With a 20X optical zoom, the camera has a lot of built in flexibility. On top of that, you can set the camera to manual controls for even more flexibility. With 9.1 megapixels, this digital camera will offer sharp pictures that can easily be enlarged without losing significant resolution.

The camera can shoot up to 10 frames per second. And when set to manual mode, you can set the aperture, shutter speed, and white balance. One of the things I like best about this camera is the 3 inch display.

The Sony Cybershot normally sells for $499.99, but is regularly on sale at Amazon.

Panasonic Lumix

In many ways the Panasonic Lumix is a standard digital camera with features you've come to expect on a point-and-shoot model. The Lumix is compact, takes pictures in up to 10.1 megapixels, and sports a 12X optical zoom. But the one extra nice feature of this camera is that it can shoot an ultrawide 25mm, making it great for family or group pictures.

The other nice features is the 3 inch LCD display, which is a nice tough on such a compact device. The camera retails for about $350, but you can check out Amazon sales by clicking here.

Nikon D3000

Last, but certainly not least, is the Nikon D3000. As a digital SLR, this camera features 10.2 megapixels and a 3X optical zoom with a standard 18-55mm Zoom-Nikkor VR Image Stabilization lens. Of course, the big advantage here is the flexibility of purchasing additional lenses.

One of the really cool fetures of the D3000 that I don't have on the older D70 is in-camera image editing. You can actually edit the picture without the need for a computer. The Retouch Menu offers 13 editing functions, including trim, red-eye correction and soft filter. The D3000 is available from Amazon for about $530.

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