If Aunt Maud is in need of a camera upgrade, this is the guide for you. We’re taking a snapshot of the Top Ten digital cameras on the market that will produce a great picture.

We’ve covered a range of price-ranges to make sure you get the camera you want but still have some pennies left over to buy Uncle Bill’s pressie as well.

So get the siblings together and chip in for one of these stocking fillers.

Fujifilm FinePix Z90
RRP: £129.99
Specs: 14 megapixels, 5x optical zoom
Key Feature: Upload pics straight to Facebook

Featuring a large touchscreen on the back, the Fujifilm FinePix Z90 will appeal to anyone not wanting to squint at tiny symbols to change picture settings. For the younger generation, this camera has the ability to upload pics directly to Facebook or YouTube.

The camera comes in six different colours so will quickly become a fashion accessory in your handbag. Tech-wise, the camera offers digital image stabilisation to prevent blurry action shots, and you can also touch-up pictures without having to download them to your computer first.

This is a great all-rounder camera that looks great and won’t break the bank.

Kodak EasyShare M575
RRP:  £90
Specs: 14 megapixels, 5x optical zoom
Key Feature: Easy to use, great pics

For a camera that won’t break the bank but will still take a good picture of it, the Kodak EasyShare M575 is a great option. It’s easy to use with its default “Smart Capture” mode which just means you can push the button and the camera will take care of everything else. In doing so, this camera provides quite impressive pictures considering its budget price tag.

Available in red, green and black (all metallic), the EasyShare M575 is perfectly themed for Christmas. There is also a video record function that will let you film High Def up to 720p, which isn’t top of the market but is definitely decent. Unfortunately you can’t zoom while filming your latest Spielberg moment with this camera.

The Kodak EasyShare M575 is a stocking stuffer that beats a pair of socks.

Nikon Coolpix L120
RRP: £249.99
Specs: 14 megapixels, 21x optical zoom
Key Feature: Extreme zoom capability

For something that looks a bit more serious at a relatively affordable price, the Nikon Coolpix L120 provides easy-to-use functionality in a serious camera casing. With an impressive 21x optical zoom, the Coolpix L120 will ace that hard-to-get-to shot. The camera also features a Vibration Reduction lens which provides an additional 4x digital zoom.

Seventeen dedicated scene modes will keep those with a basic understanding of photography happy, or there is also an easy to use auto function for those who prefer to point and click.

For the budding photographer, the Coolpix L120’s super zoom ability is bound to impress.

Canon PowerShot A800
RRP: £70
Specs: 10 megapixels, 3x optical zoom
Key Feature: Best cheap camera on the market

For a basic, no bells and whistles point and shoot, the Canon PowerShot A800 is hard to go past. It doesn’t have the best specs in the world with video resolution of 480p and limited zoom, but it does take surprisingly good photos and really represents value for money.

The PowerShot A800 is also good for travellers as it takes 2 AA batteries (remember them?) instead of having to be charged at a strange-looking international powerpoint. While it won’t max out your credit card, it doesn’t look cheap as it’s available in 4 metallic colours with a silver lens housing. There is no image stabiliser but there is face detect which goes a long way to helping you take great family portrait snaps.

At a bargain basement price the Canon PowerShot A800 punches well above its weight.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT3
RRP: £369.99
Specs: 12 megapixels, waterproof to 12m, shockproof to 2m, freeze-proof to -10° C, dust-proof
Key Feature: Will go to Everest with you

This camera is for the extreme adventurer in your life. It looks like a rugged piece of work because it is. With its own GPS system, the Lumix DMC-FT3 will make sure you never get lost in the Alps. It also packs a compass, altimeter and a barometer which will also read underwater depth. While you pay a bit more for this camera, you will get your money’s worth in terms of extra features.

The Lumix DMC-FT3 comes with full 1920×1080 HD video recording so your scuba diving movies will turn out a treat. There is also the now standard face detection focus as well as AF tracking and spot focusing.

For a tough camera to take on a snorkel adventure, the Lumix DMC-FT3 is exactly what you need in your wetsuit pocket.

Pentax Optio RS1500
RRP: £80
Specs: 14 megapixels, 4x optical zoom
Key Feature: Batman (or if you like, changeable skins)

The first thing you may notice about this camera is Superman. With a range of changeable skins, the Pentax Optio RS1500 can be personalised to express almost any personality. You can either choose from Pentax’s DC Comic range of skins, or pop on over to the Pentax site and upload images to create your own skin.

For a sub-£100 camera, the Optio RS1500 really does pack in the tech with video recording to 720p and advanced automatic features, such as automatic tracking and face detection. There are night, sport and portrait capture modes and also one for taking pictures of text documents, which might come in handy for the student in the family.

For someone’s first grown-up camera the Pentax Optio RS1500 is fun and will capture growing-up years in surprisingly good quality.

Samsung ST6500
RRP: £150
Specs: 16 megapixels, 5x optical zoom
Key Feature: A designer’s camera

This camera looks stylish with a wavy finish on top and large touchscreen on the back which lets you change settings by tapping of large icons.  Its slim design also means that this snapper will fit snugly in your pocket or even the smallest of handbags.

The Samsung ST6500 comes with plenty of artistic filters and setting to keep any creative entertained. You can “vignette” or “object highlight” your pics with ease before loading your artistic endeavours to Facebook. The standard picture quality is good too considering the price, with a hybrid image stabilisation that uses both optical and digital anti-shake techniques.

For a design camera with artistic photo features, the Samsung ST6500 is hard to top.

Casio Exilim EX-H15
RRP: £180
Specs: 14 megapixels, 10x optical zoom
Key Feature: Great zoom in a compact case

This compact camera packs a wicked 10x optical zoom. Combined with 720p HD video recording capability and an excellent battery life, the Casio Exilim EX-H15 makes it worth the extra few pounds for a performance digital camera.

The camera’s big screen isn’t touch-responsive but there aren’t many buttons to play with. You can access most of the camera’s features through an easy-to-use  on-screen menu and five-way pad system. One thing this camera lacks is an HDMI output, and video recording is limited to 29 minutes, but for most people that’s more than enough to claim their two minutes of fame on YouTube.

It’s pretty in pastels to match any clutch purse but it does feel a bit chunky in your hand, while you use it to take quality pics up close and personal.

Fujifilm Finepix X100
RRP: £999
Specs: 12 megapixels, 35mm fixed focal length
Key Feature: Manual control for the photo aficionado

For a super-stylish retro camera, the Fujifilm Finepix X100 will take you back to the days when photography was a real artform. This camera is unique with its extensive set of manual controls, uilt-in lens filters, a large DSLR-size sensor sans the bulky camera casing and a bright F2.0 aperture lens.

What you don’t get for your high-end £999 is optical zoom. The Finepix X100 does however provide a lens and sensor combo that is tailor made for each other with very fast power-on-to-first-shot time and no distortion that you can get with many other wide-angle, long-zoom lenses.

For its old-style charms this camera still shoots 720p HD video, and has been one of the most exciting cameras to have been released in 2011.

Samsung EX1
RRP: £399.99
Specs: 10 megapixels, 3x optical zoom
Key Feature: Full manual mode in a compact package

While the zoom on this camera isn’t exactly telescopic, the Samsung EX1 packs a large sensor, f/1.8 lens and a maximum ISO 3200 which is not to be blinked at. That’s a lot of camera speak for this camera can take pretty much any photo you want.

The Samsung EX1 has a full manual mode, HDR capability, can capture files in RAW and comes with a good range of filters to get your artistic side excited. If all of that is somewhat meaningless for you, the camera also comes with a fully automatic mode so that it does all the hard work for you.

This camera takes great low-light photos, making it perfect for capturing those embarrassing moments at the pub.

Top 10 Digital Cameras for Christmas 2011 is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7: This 12.1 MP camera is packed with features. It provides you with 12 X optical zoom, which coupled with 4 X digital zoom gives you the power of 48 times magnification. The camera has built in memory, which can be augmented by using SD Memory Card. The camera is especially good for people with butterfingers as it has built in optical image stabilization feature. Lumix DMC-ZS7 is currently priced at £229.

Nikon Coolpix P300: This Nikon camera also comes with 12 MP resolution and is capable of recording HD videos at 1080p resolution, along with stereo sound. It lets you take pictures from faraway with its powerful 4.2 X Optical zoom which is made even better with the company’s High Refractive Index Glass. P300 has four exposure modes including manual mode. However, it does not provide the feature of capturing images in raw format. You can also use this camera for high speed photography as it lets you capture 7 continuous shots at the rate of 8 frames per second. The camera will cost you £299.

Sony Cyber Shot DSC-HX9V: This plain looking camera from the House of Sony is pretty sophisticated when it comes to features. The camera’s obvious USP is its 3D technology. The camera has 16.2 MP resolution and provides 16 times optical zoom. It also has spacious 3.0 inch LCD screen which lets you compose your pictures. Apart from this, it has built in GPS for geotagging of your pictures. For 3D photo capturing, it has a dedicated button. This compact camera weighs only 215 grams and will cost you only £399.

Fujifilm FinePix F550 EXR: This 16MP camera comes with EXR CMOS sensor, which lets you adds more muscles to your photography prowess. It has plenty of zoom with 15 X of optical magnification. The camera is especially good for low light photography. It can capture videos at 1080p resolution at the speed of 30 frames per second. You can also use zoom feature while capturing videos. FinePix’s USP is its ability to capture images in JPEG and Raw format simultaneously. This gorgeous camera will set you back by £329.

Nikon Coolpix S9100: This camera has comparatively lower resolution at 12 MP, however, its 18 X zoom more than makes up for the lower resolution. Its 3.0 inch LCD screen comes with anti-reflection coating, and thus is pretty clear and sharp even in the direct light. The camera store pictures in JPEG format, so if you are looking to capture RAW images, you are going to be disappointed. Coolpix also has voice memo function. You can also choose from many preset scene modes such as Close Up, Beach, Back Light and Fireworks. Nikon camera comes with a very reasonable price tag of £299.

Top Travel Friendly Compact Digital Cameras is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

The masters of the camera have now got the world’s most comprehensive system of interchangeable lenses.

Their new EF lens range designed specifically for the EOS Digital SLR offers everything from 14mm ultra wide angle to 600mm super telephoto lenses.

With 60+ lenses, amateur and professional snappers alike can find something to suit all their traditional photographic needs. Plus, it gives them the tools to peruse a truly original and creative shot.

Some of the lenses in the EF range include-

Landscape EF lenses with a focal length between 17mm and 24mm are great for that classic landscape shot.

Portrait Wide angle EF lenses accentuate extremities such as the nose.

Sports/Wildlife Lenses such as the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM (below) with long reach, speed and built in image-stabilisers are the ones to use to capture once in a lifetime images like a falcon in flight.

The advanced optical technology at the core of Canon’s hardware such as image stabilisers, zoom, hybrid I.S etc makes their lenses the must have choice.

So which one would you be tempted by and what would you do with it?

Imagine transforming music photography with one of the Marco lenses?

Something like the Canon EF-S 60mm f2.8 Macro USM would be perfect, with Approx. 96mm focal length (35mm format), a compact and lightweight design, high corner-to-corner resolution, contrast and image quality, fast auto focus with near-silent USM, full-time manual focus override, Super Spectra coatings and a large aperture.

The Macro lens is designed to bring small things into full-sized view (with a shorter focal length of 50mm to 60mm) in order to uncover detail that would be difficult to detect by the human eye and thus give new perspective to extremely minute subjects.

Macro is traditionally used to take photos of things like insects or the petals of a small flower.

But imagine a full-sized photo of a rock-star’s hand in action. We’d see the wrinkles and the blisters, the time on the watch and the exact string the plectrum is plucking.

Being a huge music fan I like to take a few snaps at a gig to remember it by, but wouldn’t it be great to capture the artist at work, in detail rather than a shaky, blurry smartphone photo of the stage or the crowd. If I had a Canon SLR and a macro lens, I’d take it to a gig and capture my heros at work as they play in front of my eyes. The macro lens would give me the tool to get further into the stage and photograph minute details like the labels on FX pedals, the scratches on the guitars, the songs on the set-list etc which I usually wouldn’t see with my naked eyes and certainly wouldn’t be able to normally photograph.

Check out the video tutorial below of the Canon EF Lenses in action:

To read more about the Canon EF Lenses or to check out the other hardware on offer go to their website here

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Change Your Lens, Change Your Story With Canon is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

Panasonic Lumix TZ8

The TZ8 touts a 12x optical zoom and excellent 12 megapixel camera to ensure that you get some great show stopping shots.

Although the camera looks a little on the chunkier side compared to most compact cameras on the market, it makes up in the features department with a speedy autofocus, image stabilisation and a sharp bright screen. Also, what makes it even great is it’s value for money at just under £200 it is the cheapest out of the bunch.

Sony Cybershot WX5

When you think Sony you would think sleek and stylish and this camera certainly looks the part. As well as including a 12.2 megapixel camera and 5x optical zoom, it comes packed with an array of useful automodes, including the option to take 3D panoramic photos.

As we would expect most Sony products to hold a healthy price tag, this compact snapper is certainly part of that crowd, because if you’re thinking of buying then this will set you back a cool £300!

Canon Powershot S90

Last on our list is the S90. Compared to the TZ8 and WX5 the camera offers a 10 megapixel camera with only a 3.8x optical zoom. However, it does take exquisitely detailed shots, with manual modes for ISO, white balance and zoom, as well as DSLR style flash and Raw mode.

However with a price tag of around £300, it does seem pretty dear for a compact digital camera which specs could be better on the price.

Want to see more Christmas Gadget Gift Ideas?  Click here for more…

Top Compact Cameras for Christmas 2010 is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

The 10 megapixel Ixus 300 HS (which stands for ‘High Sensitivity’) features an f/2.0 28mm wide angle lens with 3.8x optical zoom, or 4x digital zoom.

This is the first camera to come with Canon’s new HS system which is aimed to perform outstandingly in dark light.

In tech-speak, it combines DIGIC 4 processing with a highly sensitive 10-megapixel CMOS sensor.

The ISO can also be boosted to 6400 for photos in the depths of night, though you will only be able to power up 2.5-megapixels at this setting.

Feature-wise, the Ixus 300 HS comes with image stabilisation, smile detection, smart auto and scene modes as well as the ability to take a photo by winking at the camera. Yes, you did read that correctly.

You can view your handiwork on a 3 inch LCD preview screen on the back of the camera.

If you fancy yourself a bit of a Spielberg, movie mode on the Ixus 300 HS is something to get excited about. Capturing video at 720p HD is enhanced with a slow motion movie capture mode recording 340×240 resolution at 240fps.

Once you’re done filming, you can hook up the camera to a big screen easily via HDMI connection. You can record 4GB of video or up to an hour’s worth- whichever comes first.

Available in silver, black, white or red, this latest snapper from Canon can match any outfit and will set you back £379.

Do you usually use your stills camera to record movies? Leave us a comment and let us know.

Canon Ixus 300 HS Digital Camera Unveiled is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

The findings are based on results of a study of failures covered by its warranty plans, and showed that Panasonic had a failure rate of just 5.3 per cent for cameras under US $300 (£195).

The next best camera to have in your backpack is one form Fujifilm which had a 6.1 per cent failure rate.

Olympus and Sony then fared equally well in the study with a fractionally higher failure rate of 6.2 per cent.

The two brands of lower-end cameras with the gretest chance of breaking down were Polaroid (11.9 per cent) and Casio (13 per cent).

SquareTrade did find that a camera’s failure rate will drop the more you fork out of your wallet.

A camera costing up to US $150 (£97) has about a 7.4 per cent chance of failing, compared to a 4 percent failure rate for cameras priced at over US $500 (£325).

Panasonic still topped the reliability ranks of higher-end models, with a failure rate of 1.9 per cent among models over the £325 price bracket.

Of these premium models, Canon posed the greatest risk of failure at 6.2 per cent.

Overall, SquareTrade predicts that 5.9 per cent of cameras will fail within the first year, with 2.4 per cent of those failures down to accidental damage.

By projecting the data over three years, 15.6 per cent of digital cameras will experience some sort of failure, whether it be accidental or by malfunction.

Considering the number of digital cameras out there, we’re actually quite impressed by the longevity of today’s devices, but then again these are gadgets that we tend to hold onto for a few years instead of upgrading every 24 months, as is the tendency with mobile phones.

The study concentrated on 60,000 digital cameras purchased since 2006.

Have you had to get your digital snapper fixed in the last few years? Leave us a comment and let us know.

Panasonic, Fujifilm Most Reliable Cameras Study Finds is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

The Kiss X3 will be Canon’s first entry-level model to offer full high-def video recording at a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels.

Unfortunately there is one drawback for having high-def quality on a budget and in this case it is the frame rate. When shooting in full HD-video mode the EOS Kiss X3 can only sustain 20fps rather than the normal 30fps. The result of this is that whilst the images will be super-fine they may appear a little twitchy. You can achieve 30fps but to do so the Canon needs to drop from 1080 mode to 720 mode, or below.

You might need to stock up on high performance SD cards as in full HD mode this camera will get through 4GB in about 12 minutes. Dropping into 720 mode extends this a little to about 18 minutes and switching to standard-definition 640 mode extends it further to around 24-minutes.

The ISO range is incremental from 100-3200, with two further stops at 6400 and 12800 and there’s a no-frills 3-inch VGA LCD screen to help you keep an eye on what’s going on at the business-end of the camera.

With photographic pedigree, full 1080 HD-video (albeit slightly hampered) and a 15.1-megapixel sensor the Kiss X3 will appeal to a huge number of people looking to whet their toes in the HD DSLR waters. All in all this looks like an interesting offering for the amateur market.

The Canon EOS Kiss X3 is looking set to launch in late April in Japan and just a few weeks later in the US where it will cost $800 body-only, or $900 with an 18-55mm zoom lens.

There’s no word on pricing or availability for our fine shores just yet but Canon says that it will be launching the entry-level DSLR in Europe and Asia too, we’ll let you know if we hear any more.

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Overview

The latest entry level digital SLR from Canon is the EOS 400D. Featuring a 10.1 Megapixel CMOS sensor, new EOS Integrated Cleaning System, larger and brighter 2.5� LCD and 9-point AF, the model is predicted to take the lead as the world�s most popular camera.

Review

Following in the footsteps of its predecessor EOS 350D, the Canon EOS 400D not only offers a bigger screen and better picture styles which was expected, it also a high resolution and new active dust removal system.

The design is very similar to the 350D as it�s compact and light which you sometimes don�t get with digital SLRs. However what makes the 400D stand out is the larger 2.5 inch display.

The picture quality is excellent consisting of superb detail and smoothness, especially at high sensitivities. It offers excellent control, taking up to 27 shots at 3fps, and auto mode handles well with different lighting.

The new active dust removal is something which many digital SLR (single lense-relex) buyers are crying out for and the camera does offer that. When it is switched on and off the vibrating filter try to shake off the unwanted particles, however it would seem that it is not as fool proof as it seems and some dust marks still remain on the shots.

Also one thing that is missing is the image stabilisation, in which its competitor the Sony Alpha A100 proves to be leader in that category.

Specification

Specification

Dimensions: 126.5 x 94.2 x 65 mm
Weight: 510g
Sensor Resolution (effective): 10.1 megapixels
Photodetectors (effective): 10.1 million
Optical Zoom: By Lens
Focusing: TTL secondary image registration, phase detection; 9-point AF
LCD size: 2.5-inch (230,000-pixel display)
Viewfinder type: Pentamirror
Type of flash: Pop-up
Connection: USB, PictBridge, CP Direct and Bubble Jet Direct
Battery type(s): Battery Pack NB-2LH
Storage type(s): CompactFlash Type I, CompactFlash Type II
Max. image resolution: 3888 x 2592

The Gaj-it Verdict

• Design: 8/10
• Usability: 7/10
• Features: 8/10

• Love: High Resolution and Good Quality Images
• Loathe: Anti-Dust Shake – not 100% fool proof

We say: Canon has delivered a worthy successor, offering excellent picture quality however it is up against some tough new rivals and if the Canon 400D is not careful, they could steal their potential customers from right under their noses!

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Canon EOS 400D is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com