Welcome to Digital Camera Reviews, a part of infoSync Reviews. Here you'll find in-depth digital camera reviews ranging from DSLR cameras to point-and-shoot cameras. If you don't find what you're looking for here, please check out the following resources: Resource Center for Digital Cameras, Ask The Editors and Expert Guides.
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| Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 |
| Full review » Scoreboard » Features » Gallery » |
 The Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 is a bit of a mixed bag, but we feel that its impressive strengths outweigh its petulant flaws. We weren’t crazy about the Lumix DMC-ZS1’s interface or design, and features were not as extensive as we would have hoped for. However, the Lumix DMC-ZS1’s 12x optical zoom and 25mm wide-angle lens made us smile, especially since we weren’t forced to continuously back away into oblivion in order to fit an entire building into the frame. Image quality in bright light was some of the best we’ve seen from a compact in this class, but we struggled with exposure in low light. If only the Lumix DMC-ZS1’s Starry Sky Scene mode allowed us to adjust the shutter speed in smaller increments like Canon’s Long Shutter mode. For most casual shooters, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 seems to be a nice fit, though we’d strongly recommend exploring more of the sea before you drop your anchors. Release: May 2009. Price: $300.
Pros: Great bright light image quality. Easy to use menus. Excellent zoom and wide-angle lens combo.
Cons: Lame design. Difficult low light behavior. Poor Playback mode.
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| Olympus E-620 |
| Full review » Scoreboard » Features » Gallery » |
 Recently voted the #1 2009 Entry-Level DSLR by TIPA (Technical Image Press Association), the Olympus E-620 bears a lot of weight on its shoulders. It belongs to the Four Thirds revolution, initially created by Olympus and Kodak, so we knew we were dealing with a smaller sensor from the beginning. However, the E-620 exhibited a killer image performance in bright and low light that surpassed the Canon Eos 500D. The E-620 matched the Pentax K2000 in certain arenas, but we'd still stick with the trusty great white K2000 when it comes down to splitting hairs over image quality. The E-620 also ships with a single wide-angle kit lens while the K2000 includes two lenses in the box and retails for 100 bucks less. However, we loved the E-620's swivel LCD and bounty of buttons and controls. The interface was a bit antiquated, but its rapid functionality and excellent Playback mode made up for the Pac-Man graphics. Features were spewing from the E-620, and the level of advanced manual control was impressive. We also enjoyed shooting with a few of the Art filters. This was also one of the smallest DSLRs we've ever tested, thanks to the Four Thirds system. The Olympus E-620 is definitely a winner, and deserves its TIPA award. Release: May 2009. Price: $800.
Pros: Great overall image quality. Excellent features. Stellar design.
Cons: LCD resolution is weak. Consumer-oriented features are not as impressive.
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| Canon EOS 500D (Rebel T1i) |
| Full review » Scoreboard » Features » Gallery » |
_it00.jpg) After a few covert screenings of the Canon Eos 500D’s 1080p HD video last year, photographers and videographers were introduced to a revolutionary world where DSLRs appeared to rival certain top of the line HD camcorders. A DSLR that shoots progressive HD? That’s whack! After a thorough investigation, we’re here to tell you that it’s still safe to stick with that trusty old 60i camcorder unless you plan on shooting static subjects in bright light. That’s the only dimension the Eos 500D’s video mode excelled in, and when it did, it looked pretty guldarn good. As far as image quality was concerned, the Eos 500D performed very well, but couldn’t match the likes of the Pentax K2000. We loved he plethora of shooting features and bountiful external controls. The menus were top notch and the 3-inch Live View LCD rocked the block, but at $900, we have to wonder if the Eos 500D is a justifiable investment. If we strip away the Eos 500D’s 1080p and 720p video capability, it can’t hold a candle to the Pentax K2000. The K2000 also ships with two lenses and retails for 200 smackers less than the Eos 500D. And with our Nikon D5000 and Olympus E-620 reviews right around the corner, we implore you to wait this one out if you can’t get to the store anytime soon. Release: May 2009. Price: $900.
Pros: Great design. Excellent LCD with Live View. Very good overall image quality.
Cons: 1080p video is only equipped to handle a narrow field of shooting environments. Limited advanced features. Pricey compared to competition.
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| Canon PowerShot SX1 IS |
| Full review » Scoreboard » Features » Gallery » |
 We can definitely say that Canon's upgrade to last year's PowerShot SX10 IS was a step in the right direction. However, the 10-megapixel Canon PowerShot SX1 IS left us with a few sour tastes in our mouths, particularly due to a few basic imaging flaws and the camera's inability to transcend a one-second shutter speed in Manual mode. We had to use a Scene mode to reach 15 seconds, and that means we couldn't shoot in RAW. Oh yeah, the PowerShot SX1 IS can shoot in RAW and it's a definite improvement over the camera's JPEG quality. The 1080p video looked great in bright light but choked when the lux descended. We found the PowerShot SX1 IS to be one of the most feature-rich compacts on the market. It's a prime set of training wheels for an avid beginner. We loved the intuitive interface and the design was rugged enough to last throughout our rigorous photo safari. However, if you're a shooter looking for image quality over a widescreen swivel LCD and 20x optical zoom, we recommend playing the field. For $600 there are a lot of great deals online. But for a huge leap in image quality, these cameras are only a few Benjamins away. Release: May 2009. Price: $600.
Pros: Great design and interface. 20x optical zoom, swivel LCD and OIS are big bonuses. Great HD video quality in bright light.
Cons: Inconsistent still image quality. Terrible HD video low light performance. No shutter speed past one second unless you use a Scene mode.
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| Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 |
| Full review » Scoreboard » Features » Gallery » |
 Right now the rugged compact market is a sea of emerging models, each flaunting waterproof, shockproof, freezeproof, dustproof and eventually Earth proof. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 is one of the better choices out there, right alongside the Canon PowerShot D10. The Olympus Stylus Tough 8000 and Fujifilm Finepix Z33WP failed to impress us in our waterproof shootout, so that leaves the newly announced Pentax Optio W80, which has not been released. We were fans of the Lumix DMC-TS1’s AVCHD Lite video quality and overall still performance, though the compact was not really as ballsy as we thought it would be, and never quite acted the same after our shockproof test. The lack of a viewfinder was irksome, but the Lumix DMC-TS1 provided a great LCD and plenty of features to keep us happy underwater. In this exclusive class, we recommend checking out either the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 or Canon PowerShot D10 because they are the tops dogs at the bottom of the ocean. Release: May 2009. Price: $400.
Pros: Good overall still image and HD video quality, even underwater. Lots of juicy features.
Cons: Not as tough as we expected. No viewfinder. Pricey.
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