The best point and shoot digital camera is the camera that mostly closely fits your needs. That said, some models and might all-in-all be touted as the best point and shoot camera based on the list of features, photo quality, and cost.

Usually, when traveling, considerations that don’t matter as much with DSLR such as size and weight come into play in choosing the best point and shoot digital camera. Other considerations for me are things such as optical zoom, since those make it easy to capture such a complete range of images - from wide angle panoramic to close ups of the late afternoon sky, when the sky is dripping in all the colors that show up upon zooming on particular regions.

Are you ready to learn about the best point and shoot digital cameras, as I see it? There are two models that are close competitors. The Sony Cyber-shot HX5 and, very closely behind , the Panasonic Lumix ZS7. They normal cost around $219-$349, but I’ll show you where you can buy them for cheap, and with great extras included, and with low-cost shipping. But first, we should discus why these digital cameras are the best point and shoots.

The Sony Cyber-shot has more features (except for the 10x zoom versus the 12 times zoom) and is smaller and lighter, but the Panasonic Lumix is about25% less costly and is still the very best point and shoot digital camera alongside the Sony Cyber-shot HX5.

The Panasonic Lumix, still, does also have GPS, the low-light, features that mirror, and in some cases are better than the Sony Cyber-shot HX5.

The final word is that both of these cameras are great. I personally have both and am having a difficult time choosing which camera to take on my adventures acrossaround the world. I’m most likely going to take my Sony Cyber-shot HX5, but I would not be sad if I needed to use the Panasonic Lumix. They are both the best point and shoot cameras, with their different costs. But, if you can afford a bit extra money, buy the Sony Cyber-shot.

The best point and shoot digital camera at low prices

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Are you in the market for a new digital camera? If so, it’s easy to get confused by the wide variety of makes, models, and features available on today’s modern digital cameras. But don’t worry! There are really only a few things to consider when buying a camera. Keep these requirements in mind while shopping and you’ll end up with a camera that will give you years of quality service.

1. Camera Type. The first question you need to ask yourself is “What type of photography will I be taking?” For basic photography, the simple “point and shoot” cameras are the best option for you. On the other hand, professional photographers typically use an SLR (single lens reflex) camera because they are more feature-rich and provide the user with more creative and quality control.

Here’s the general price range for digital cameras ranging from entry-level to professional grade:

- Easy-to-use “point and shoot” cameras (subcompacts and compacts) - between $100 - $300

- Advanced point-and-shoot” cameras - $350 - $600

- SLR-like cameras - $450 - $1,300

- Professional grade SLR cameras - $500 - $7,000.

2. Shape, Weight, and Size. Although point-and-shoot cameras will be smaller in size and weight, the heavier and bulkier digital SLR cameras will take much higher quality pictures.

You should be able to grip the camera comfortably. A smaller camera body is more difficult to grip properly, and all-too-many point-and-shoot cameras don’t have a grip at all. If they do, it should just fill the inside curve of your fingers to fit properly.

3. User Controls. If you’re buying a basic point-and-shoot camera, look for one that’s easy to use. Controls for setting the picture resolution, flash mode, macro mode, and exposure should be easy to find and use, and most cameras provide a fully-automatic setting. More experienced photographers, though, like to be able to manually adjust the camera’s shutter speed and aperture to blur the image background or capture fast-moving objects clearly. Unless you’re a serious photographer who frequently needs to tweak manual settings, this may not be so critical to you.

4. How Many Megapixels? A digital camera’s megapixel rating determines the amount of fine detail that can be captured in a shot. Today’s cameras can range anywhere between 2 - 12 megapixels. At the lower end, a 2 megapixel snapshot would suffice for an email or web posting. However, if you’re planning on shooting photographs that may later be printed and will need to show a lot of detail, you’ll probably want to move up to at least a 5 megapixel camera. At the high end, a difference of a couple of megapixels either way won’t make much of a noticeable difference.

5. Optics and Responsiveness. Don’t obsess over megapixels, though. There are still other important issues to consider like lens quality and the responsiveness of the camera. Make sure you buy a name-brand camera with quality optics in it, like Zeiss or Sigma. It’s the combination of the lens’ quality and megapixel rating that primarily determines the quality of the image.

Better digital cameras have little-to-no lag time between when you press the “shoot” button and when the image is actually captured. If you’re going to be taking “action” pictures like kid activities or sporting events, this will be something to consider. Live action shots require a minimum continuous frame rate of five (i.e., 5 images captured when holding down the “shoot” button). If you purchase a camera with a slower frame rate, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to take quality action shots.

6. Zoom lens. There are different types of zoom lens - digital and optical. The digital zoom feature essentially magnifies and averages the center of the picture electronically, frequently resulting in a less than satisfactory picture. Optical zoom, on the other hand, is the best method of zoom available, as it physically moves the lens in or out to capture a particular subject. Camera buyers should try to get a camera with the highest optical zoom that they can afford.

7. Memory Card Format. The SD (secure digital) storage card is the most popular card format used today, and you can easily find them with a capacity as large as 32GB for most point-and-shoot digital cameras. The more expensive SLR digital cameras typically use the Compact Flash memory card; you can also find them in increments up to 32GB. Since the price for memory cards keeps dropping, be sure to buy some extras.

8. Battery - Type and Life. Check out what kind of battery your chosen camera uses. Some cameras use their own proprietary type of battery instead of standard AA batteries. All batteries will stop holding a charge eventually, so be sure to keep a fully charged backup battery with you at all times.

Some cameras tend to “eat” batteries; other cameras take much longer to drain them. Make sure you choose a camera that has a higher total picture count per battery charge.

9. And Don’t Forget the Accessories. Check out the accessories that generally come with all digital camera kits. If they’re not included, get an extra set of batteries and a charger. You may also want to buy a card reader for your camera’s memory cards. Color printers used to print your photographs are also a common add-on item.

Hemante Garces is a photography enthusiast who has spent a lot of time and money coming up with solid requirements for a digital camera purchase. He put this digital camera best to buy list together to assist other buyers also in the market for a digital camera.

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