Digital camera review: Review of 3 digital cameras

With the decline in price, the many new brands and added range of features, now is a good time to be in the market for a digital camera. Because there are so many models to choose from, it’s recommended to spend time researching cameras in your price range to find the right camera for you. For example, if you explore the digital camera models in the medium $200 to $400 price range, you will find diversity of features, looks, and quality. Let’s look at three cameras in this range: the Fuji FinePix S5200 / S5600, the Kodak EasyShare V550, and the Olympus Stylus 500 / µ 500.

The Fuji FinePix S5200 / S5600 is the largest of the three models discussed here. This camera has a solid build and ergonomic design. It has the look and feel of an SLR camera with a large handgrip, long extended non-removable lens, built-in pop-up flash and a sturdy black body. The FinePix S5200 has a width of 4.5”, a depth of 4.4”, height of 3.3”, LCD screen 1.8” wide, and weighs .82 lb. This nicely built camera has a 5.1 megapixel resolution, a 10x optical zoom, and a 5.7x digital zoom. The Fuji FinePix S5200 has Autofocus, Fixed Focus, and Manual Focus capability and can save images in video, compressed JPG and Raw formats. It uses 4 AA batteries, but these can be replaced with the rechargeable variety. This camera is a nice choice for photo buffs looking for more than a point and shoot model and can be purchased for as low as $292.

The Kodak EasyShare V550 is the most compact of the three models discussed here. Its most distinguishing feature is its docking station that is both a recharging station and image transfer unit. This camera is well-made with high quality materials, available in black or silver. Other features include side flash, large viewfinder and sturdy feel. The Kodak EasyShare V550 has a width of 3.7”, a depth 0.9”, height 2.2”, big LCD screen of 2.5”, and weighs .32 lb. This point and shoot camera has a 5.36 megapixel resolution, a 3x optical zoom, and a 4x digital zoom and a built-in 32 mb of memory. The Kodak EasyShare uses only Auto focus but produces a quality JPG compressed photo or video. It uses a proprietary lithium battery and can be found for a low as $271.

The Olympus Stylus 500 / µ 500 is a solid well-made compact model camera with retracting lens, tripod mount, pre-programmed scene modes, fast power-up and power-down functions and easy Point and Shoot workability. The Olympus Stylus 500 / µ 500 has the look of a compact hand-held camera with a width of 3.9”, a depth of 1.22”, height of 2.19 and weighs .36 lb. The Olympus Stylus has no viewfinder but has a generous 2.5” LCD screen and uses a proprietary lithium battery. This auto focus camera has a 5.4 megapixel resolution with a 3x optical zoom, a 4x digital zoom, and produces crisp quality images in compressed JPG and video format. The Olympus Stylus 500 / µ 5 camera has a few less features that the other two cameras discussed here, but it can be found for as low as $179.