Best Rated Digital Cameras In (2012)

Panasonic DMC-FX90K 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom and Touchscreen (Black)

When I think of anything Panasonic, I always think of it being a quality product and the FX90 is no exception. Coming out in September 2011, it boasts some great features and packs an impressive punch.

Apart from being an overall top of the range product this camera has two of the new useful features, one, a touch screen, and two, connectivity.

There is a built in wireless for easy transfer of images to a laptop or smart phone which makes uploading to the web for Facebook, Twitter etc, straightforward and simple.

There is a 3inch touchscreen for accessing the menu and settings but I found that it does need you to apply some pressure and is not as responsive as a smart phone would be.

There is also a handy 3D mode to take pictures that can be then viewed on a 3D TV screen that will make any shot come to life. A fantastic facility to see a mountain view just as it looked to you on the day you took it.

Overall despite only average image quality it makes a great compact camera to slip into your pocket.

Fujifilm X10 12 MP EXR CMOS Digital Camera with f2.0-f2.8 4x Optical Zoom Lens and 2.8-Inch LCD

The Fugifilm X10 is a completely different prospect with it being in a higher price bracket, which may put you off unless you are a serious photographer.

It is a classically designed camera with the viewfinder being a useful size for framing your pictures properly, rather than using the image screen.

The automatic exposure is very accurate as is the picture quality with images being very sharp.

One of best things about Fuji cameras is the colour balance they all have a warmer feel to them than many other compacts.

There have been problems with photos' taken at night with flaring of lights but unless you take a lot of nighttime pictures,

Overall if you are just looking for a reliable compact without too much sophistication at a reasonable price , then maybe the FX10 is not for you. Check out some of the other new cameras

Nikon COOLPIX S4100 14 MP Digital Camera with 5x NIKKOR Wide-Angle Optical Zoom Lens and 3-Inch Touch-Panel LCD (Red)

When you talk about compact digital cameras then the amazing Nikon Coolpix is among the smallest while still performing all the tasks that the average person wants or needs.

Like the Panasonic it has a standard sized 3inch touch screen for picking the settings you need quickly and easily and its no problem to view it in bright sunshine unlike some others.

The picture quality is very good for a camera of this size and although not the absolute best, unless you are a professional then you would never notice. Resolution and balance of colors is good, you won't have any problems with getting the right lighting as this excellent too.

At a very competitive price the Nikon comes out as one the best to consider for the average person.

Olympus TG-310 Tough 14 MP Digital Camera , 3.6x Wide Optical Zoom (28mm), 2.7" LCD (Red)

Now here is something a bit different, although not brand new on the market, I have included this camera as by my friends customer findings it does something that no other camera can. That is simply to survive no matter what you do with it, if you are the type of person who is accident prone then this would be the perfect choice!

The 310 is billed as tough and my friend has had customers that have dropped it in sea water, bounced it down the stairs and it still comes up smelling of roses! It seems the Olympus lives up to it's name of being tough enough to cope with everyday life.

It While the images it produces are not the best by any means but having said that they are perfect for point and shoot general use, perhaps the only down side would be in low light conditions.

The zoom isn't as great as some and the rear screen is slightly smaller, but having said that overall you won't be disappointed with your purchase, it's an awesome camera.

Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-WX9 16.2 MP Exmor R CMOS Digital Still Camera with Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar 5x Wide-Angle Optical Zoom Lens and Full HD 1080/60i Video (Black)

When I took this camera out of the shop on trial I didn't know what to expect, but wow what a awesome compact it is. Very often the manufacturers claims are overrated and the specifications do not live up to scrutiny in real life, not the case here!

The quality of the pictures the Sony produces in any lighting conditions is impressive, especially lower light which is often a problem for automatics to handle. 16 million pixels comes in handy especially when cropping an image to blow up in size later.

I loved the 3D functions, they gave realistic pictures if you have a 3D TV handy and the panoramic 3D is equally fantastic. It can bring a panoramic view to life, most cameras fail on this this.

The size is neat too with a brilliantly lit rear screen and the resolution is awesome when zooming in for small details. SO viewing video's and pictures is a pleasure.

The only downside I guess is it's size, it maybe a little too small for some people and although the screen is brightly lit, it's a touch smaller than some others in it's class.

Overall I would say this is a great buy for most people who want a light, small easy to use compact that won't break the bank.

Samsung EC-ST65 Digital Camera with 14 MP and 5x Optical Zoom (Indigo Blue)

Some people, when it comes to buying things think more of reputations than the actual product sometimes. Take the Samsung, it has always been sen as a cheaper alternative and so lower in quality and performance, but that is not the case.

Yes it is the cheapest camera I tried out but that price does not reflect the total package as with a 16+million pixel resolution you get very sharp images to play with. The lens zooms well for closer shots and I like the beauty setting for smoothing out some of the wrinkles in portraits.

It's not so good at handling night shots but then many more expensive cameras have this problem too and how many night shots do you take anyway.

The rear screen is a bit smaller than some but does automatically vary the brightness depending on the conditions, so saves battery life.

There are not many downsides with the ST65, the flash takes a while to recharge for the next shot and some of the picture modes will never be used. Apart from these minor details you do get a lot of camera for your money and the average holiday and family get together snappers will be more than happy with their choice.