Casio Exilim EX-Z90 Hello Kitty Edition Announced

AVING.net (via Engadget) has details of the new Hello Kitty version of the Casio Exilim Z90, the compact camera features a 12mp sensor, 3x optical zoom (35mm-105mm), 2.7" screen, 720p video at 24fps, and ISO1600. The normal Casio Exilim Z90 is available in numerous colours: gold, silver, pink, light pink, blue and black for £149.

"Jebsen Korea, an official dealer of Casio, launched its limited edition digital camera 'Hello Kitty Casio (model: EX-Z90)' in Korea market. Compact enough to fit in the palm of a hand, the Hello Kitty Casio digital camera comes in two different pink colors that appeal to sophisticated women, and is designed to feel like a fashion accessory."

Nokia N86 8mp Camera Phone Review

RecentlyReviewed.net has reviewed the new Nokia N86 8mp Camera Phone with lots of sample photos - the mobile phone features an 8 megapixel sensor, wide angle 28mm Carl Zeiss Tessar f2.4 auto-focus lens with variable aperture, a 2.6" OLED screen, face-detection (with new firmware), and VGA video recording. The camera phone is available for £238 Sim Free

"Photos outside, in good light, can be pretty good. By pretty good, I mean good for a camera phone (see the examples shown - these are some of the better photos taken with the camera). I still think even the cheapest branded digital camera from Kodak (see below), Fuji, etc would be better than the Nokia N86. The macro mode is fairly good, but often the photos look a little washed out."

Read more Nokia N86 8mp Reviews: DPExpert

Top 5 Digital Cameras - December 2009

The Fujifilm FinePix F70EXR is this months most popular camera reviewed on this site, and was the most read review on DigiCamReview this month. As Fuji's latest advanced compact camera it features a new 10 megapixel Super CCD EXR sensor, a wide angle 10x optical zoom lens, a 2.7" screen, wide dynamic range, and a VGA video mode. It also features Dual Image Stabilisation (anti-shake sensor), Face Detection 3.0 Technology, and ISO up to 12800 (at 3mp). It's available in silver or black for £173:

Read our Fujifilm FinePix F70EXR Review
View our Fujifilm FinePix F70EXR Sample Photo Gallery

Most popular cameras on DigiCamReview December 2009:

1. Fujifilm FinePix F70EXR, Pocket Zoom, 10mp, 10x zoom Review, £173
2. Panasonic Lumix TZ6, Pocket Zoom, 10mp, 12x zoom Review, £179
3. Canon Digital IXUS 980 IS, Compact, 14.7mp, 3.7x zoom Review, £329
4. Panasonic Lumix FX150, 14.7mp, 3.6x zoom, Review, £199
5. Pansonic Lumix FS7, Compact, 10mp, 4x zoom, Review, £107

Digital Cameras on Special Offer at Amazon UK

Amazon UK are selling the new Fujifilm FinePix J30, for only £69 it features a 3x optical zoom lens, a 12.2 megapixel sensor, 2.7" screen, SD card support, Panoramic Shooting Mode, rechargeable lithium ion battery, VGA video recording at 30fps, and a compact body available in Pink, Black and Silver. If that doesn't appeal to you, then here are some of the other best sellers on Amazon UK this week:

1 - Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS - 10mp, 3x zoom, 2.5", £125
2 - Panasonic Lumix TZ6 - 10mp, 12x zoom, 2.7", £179 (Review)
3 - Samsung ES55 - 10mp, 3x opt zoom, 2.5" screen, £66
4 - Panasonic Lumix FS15 - 12mp, 5x zoom, 2.7", £125
5 - Panasonic Lumix TZ7 - 10mp, 12x optical zoom, 3" screen, £237

Samsung CL80 14 Megapixel Compact Announced

Samsung has announced the new Samsung CL80 with WiFi, 14MP Sensor, 31mm Wide Angle Lens 7x Optical Zoom (with optical image stabilisation), 3.7" Wide VGA w/ Full Touch Screen Panel (Capacitive), Frame Guide, ISO3200, Smart Album, HD Video 1280x720(30/15fps), H.264 Compression, MicroSD Cards

"Samsung proudly introduces another in its line of leading edge digital camera technology with Wi-Fi capabilities. The Samsung CL80 lets you see every scene in a completely new and exciting way. A host of top-ranked features and technologies turns this camera into a true must-have. And the small, handheld size makes it easy to take it with you everywhere you go."

The Best Digital Cameras of 2009 - The Year in Review

This year has seen a large number of interesting new digital cameras appear - digital camera's had to innovate this year just to get noticed! And with that in mind I've added a new section to the "Top Digital Cameras Reviewed" section called "Best Tech" which is short for "Best New Technology" - in there you'll find some of my personal favourites, or most innovative new digital cameras, such as the Olympus PEN E-P1 which introduced a whole new category of camera, the Fujifilm FinePix F70EXR the world's smallest 10x optical zoom camera with Fujifilm EXR sensor, the Ricoh CX2 with 5fps shooting and an impressive high resolution 920k 3" screen, and the Casio Exilim FC100 with 30fps shooting and ultra high speed video (upto 1000fps shooting!).

Another great camera from this year is the Panasonic Lumix FS7, it's compact, stylish, takes great photos, and is also one of the cheapest cameras available, priced at £105, with real optical image stabilisation - which means that more of your shots should come out blur free!

Panasonic were on top form this year, with every new camera providing something new, innovative, or just great value for money, such as the Panasonic Lumix TZ6 (ZS1), it features a 25mm wide angle 12x optical zoom lens, image stabilisation, and 10 megapixel sensor, and proves that you don't have to buy a huge camera to get a lot of zoom!

This year saw the continuation of the megapixel race, however, this was mainly confined to the mobile phone world, where everybody seemed to race to 12 megapixel camera phones, with the introduction of the 12 megapixel Sony Ericsson Satio (and others), while the digital camera world realised less is better, and "downgraded" to 9 and 10 megapixel sensors. The 8 megapixel Sony Ericsson Cybershot C905 (reviewed here) showed that with some effort you can get some decent shots from camera phones.

Continue reading the Best Digital Cameras of 2009:

Highly Recommended:

Canon EOS 450D Rebel XSi DSLR - 9.2/10 - £497
Olympus EVOLT E-420 DSLR - 9.2/10 - £399
Panasonic Lumix TZ6 / ZS1 - 9/10 - £179
Panasonic Lumix FS7 - 9/10 - £105
Olympus PEN E-P1 Micro DSLR - 8.8/10 - £564
Canon Powershot SX110 IS - 8.8/10 - £229
Panasonic Lumix FX150 - 8.8/10 - £248
Fujifilm FinePix F70EXR - 8.6/10 - £173
Panasonic Lumix FX40 - 8.6/10 - £177
Canon Digital IXUS 980 IS - 8.6/10 - £329

Recommended:

Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR - 8.5/10 - £173
Ricoh CX2 - 8.5/10 - £275
Canon Powershot A590 - 8.5/10 - £89
Casio Exilim FC100 - 8.3/10 - £205
Ricoh CX1 - 8.3/10 - £214
Sony Cybershot W220 - 8/10 - £126

Camera Phones / Mobile Phones / Others:

Sony Ericsson Cybershot C905 - as mentioned earlier - this camera has a real flash which helps it take much better indoor photos than other camera phones - £239
Polaroid Pogo Mobile Printer - budget price makes this fun printer appealling - £23
Spyder 3 Pro Monitor Calibration - £102

Memory Cards:

Don't forget to buy a large memory card for your camera - I tend to buy Sandisk and have never had a problem with them! Have a look at our guide to memory cards for details on all the different kinds of memory cards, or for something more extreme, have a look at Samsung's new Waterproof Memory Cards.

While we're on the subject, hopefully next year will see the death of XD memory cards, with only Olympus still using them. If only Sony would stop using Sony Memory Sticks, although considering they use it in everything they make, I think it's quite a long way off yet. Some manufacturers, have switched to MicroSD cards in some of their products, such as the Samsung ST550, but am I the only one who thinks these cards are TOO small?

Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR S200EXR Cashback Offer

Fujifilm UK are offering £30 cashback on the Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR and £50 cashback on the S200EXR when bought between the 1st to the 31st of December.

The F200EXR is an update to the F100fd - it features a new 12 megapixel Super CCD EXR sensor that provides high resolution (at 12mp), high dynamic range (at 6mp), and high sensitivity with low noise (upto ISO6400 at 6mp). The camera features a wide angle 5x optical zoom lens, manual controls, anti shake sensor, 3" screen, SD/XD card support, and compact body available in silver or black in for £173.

Read our Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR Review
View our Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR Sample Photo Gallery
Click here to view the Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR video

Read more Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR Reviews: Cameras.co.uk, DigitalCameraInfo, LetsGoDigital, DPInterface, DPReview, Photoxels, DCResource, DPExpert, Luminous Landscape, NeoCamera, Trusted Reviews, TestFreaks, Previews: Read our Fuji F200EXR quick preview.

Samsung ST1000 CL65 Reviewed

Samsung Imaging has published two reviews (second one here) of the new Samsung ST1000 / CL65 - a compact 12 megapixel camera with built in GPS, WIFI, Bluetooth, a 5x optical zoom lens (35mm - 175mm), a 3.5" 1,152k pixel touch screen, 720p HD video recording, optical image stabilisation, and 18.9mm thin body, it is available now, priced at £229 - there is also a few reviews on Amazon.co.uk, with a review of the red model here:

"Ever onward, we find that the camera can get photos to the internet without the need to connect wires and exchange memory cards. This sounds too good to be true also - and indeed it is. The camera does indeed use your wireless network (broadband router/hub) to connect to the internet and automatically upload to facebook and picasa etc etc. This etcetera does not include Flickr unfortunately." (Amazon.co.uk)

Sony Ericsson Satio 12 Megapixel Sample Photos

We've uploaded sample photos from the new Sony Ericsson Satio - it features a 12.1 megapixel sensor, real xenon flash, 3.5" 16:9 touchscreen, microSD™ support, geo-tagging, face detection, and a 13mm thick body. The Sony Satio is available for £427 Sim Free from Amazon UK

View our Sony Ericsson Satio Sample Photo Gallery

Panasonic Lumix FP8 Review at Photography BLOG

Photography BLOG has reviewed the new Panasonic Lumix FP8 - the new ultra compact camera features a 28mm wide angle 4.6x optical zoom lens (28 - 128mm), and new Power Optical Image Stabilisation (O.I.S.), a 2.7" screen, HD 720p Video at 30fps, 12 megapixel sensor, ultra high-speed start-up of approx. 0.95 seconds, and LED Illumination Button. The camera is available in silver, black, and red for £189.

"The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP8 is a new 12.1 megapixel compact camera with a 28mm, 4.6x Leica DC lens. The FP8 is quite different to previous designs from Panasonic, featuring a futuristic flat body and retracting lens with folding optics and blue LED cursor buttons that light up when pressed. In addition to the radical look, the Panasonic FP8 also offers 27 scene modes, including the High Dynamic mode which helps to capture a scene with moderate exposure, plus HD movies recorded at 720p quality, Venus Engine V image processor, Intelligent Auto mode for hassle-free shooting, and Power O.I.S to help prevent camera-shake."

Read more Panasonic Lumix FP8 Reviews: Cameras.co.uk

Ricoh GXR Camera System Review

Photography BLOG has reviewed the new Ricoh GXR interchangeable unit camera system - the body accepts lens/sensor units with a 12.3mp CMOS sensor, 50mm f2.5 macro lens unit available as one option, and another 10mp CCD sensor, 24-72mm zoom lens unit also available. Future units are planned, and can be changed with the metal body staying the same - the body features a 3" 920k pixel screen, SDHC card support, DNG support, manual mode, function buttons, ISO3200, full press snap, digital level meter, and dynamic range expansion. The body will be available for £419, 12.3mp 50mm Macro lens unit £600, 10mp 24-72mm zoom lens unit £330 and will be available in December.

"The Ricoh GXR is a remarkably mature first-generation product in an intriguing new photographic system, with excellent handling and image quality that will instantly appeal to all photographers who want to take pictures first and talk about gear second. The initial offering of interchangeable camera units is a little puzzling, though, and certainly won't suit everyone - achieving the "right" combination of sensor and lens is crucial to the GXR's future success."

Ricoh GXR System Reviews: Wouter Photoblog, RicohForum (via 1001ncs), TechRadar, Previews: DCWatch, DPReview, Pocket-Lint First Look, Buy N Shoot, Trusted Reviews, DPNow Preview, Photography BLOG vs Panasonic GF1, AP Launch, AP First Look, AP News, PhotoRumours, Sample Photos: Ricoh, Photography BLOG

Fujifilm FinePix Z300fd Special Offer

Amazon UK are selling the Fujifilm FinePix Z300fd for only £124 this week in black - the camera is a compact 10 megapixel camera with 5x optical zoom lens and 3" touch screen, plus face detection, couple timer, dual image stabilisation, VGA, 30fps video and the camera takes XD/SD cards, you can view sample photos here, there are also two reviews on Amazon:

"I was looking for a high quality compact camera without an extending lens but still offering optical zoom. I considered various alternatives from pentax, sansung and olympus and even this cameras predecessor, the Z20fd. After much surfing I found this little gem on amazon."

This weeks best deals on Amazon UK

This week Amazon UK are selling the new Canon Powershot A480 for only £69 - the A480 replaces the A470 - and features a new more compact design, 3.3x optical zoom lens, 10 megapixel sensor, 2.5" screen, face detection, DIGIC III, 30fps VGA video mode and takes AA batters. The camera is available in silver, red, blue or black for £69.

If this doesn't appeal to you, then here are some of the other best sellers on Amazon UK this week:

1 - Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS - 10mp, 3x zoom, 2.5", £125
2 - Samsung ES55 - 10mp, 3x opt zoom, 2.5" screen, £66
3 - Panasonic Lumix FS15 - 12mp, 5x zoom, 2.7", £125
4 - Samsung ES15 - 10mp, 3x optical zoom, 2.5" screen, £59
5 - Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS (Pink) - - 10mp, 3x zoom, 2.5", £133

Canon Powershot A480 Reviews: Cameras.co.uk, DPInterface, Photography BLOG

Olympus PEN E-P1 M43 DSLR Review

The Online Photographer has published a three part review (Part 2, Part 3 here) of the Olympus PEN E-P1 Micro Four Thirds camera - The E-P1 is one of the world's smallest digital camera with changeable lens, it features the same size sensor as other Olympus Digital SLRs (meaning much better image quality with all the low-noise benefits of a DSLR), but with a camera body and lens size much more in like with a compact point and shoot. It is available for £579 (body only) or with a 17mm lens (34mm equivalent, with viewfinder £699), and 14-42mm 3x zoom lens (28 - 84mm equivalent, £579). It's also available with both lenses for £749.

December 2009 Offer: Olympus UK are offering a free flash when you buy the E-P1 in December.

Read our Olympus PEN E-P1 Review
View our Olympus PEN E-P1 Sample Photo Gallery
Olympus PEN E-P1 Unboxed at Recently Reviewed

Read more Olympus PEN E-P1 Reviews: PhotoZone, Photoxels, NeoCamera, Digital Photography School, The Digital Story (via 1001nc.com), LawrenceRipsher, DPExpert, Olympus PEN E-P1 Reviews

Nikon D3000 Digital SLR Review

DPReview has reviewed the new Nikon D3000 - an update to the D60 - it features a 10 megapixel sensor, 3fps shooting, 11 point focus, 3" LCD, SD support, new Guide mode, and ISO 100-1600. The Nikon D3000 is available for £389 with VR kit lens.

"As far as image quality is concerned, the D3000 is a thoroughly satisfying camera, without being exceptional. The white balance system doesn't cope all that well with artificial lighting, but the same is true of the D5000 and D90 as well, and it isn’t significantly worse than anything else in the entry-level sector."

Read Nikon D3000 Reviews: Imaging Resource, Cameralabs, Trusted Reviews, LetsGoDigital, Photocrati, ePhotoZine, KenRockwell Review | Guide, DigitalCameraInfo, DCResource, NeoCamera, Photography BLOG, Pocket-Lint, Previews: DPReview

Canon Powershot A1100 IS Review

Cameralabs has reviewed the new Canon Powershot A1100 IS - a 12 megapixel camera with a 4x optical zoom lens, 2.5" screen, optical image stabilisation, VGA video, it is available in blue, pink or silver for £120:

"The A1100 IS is, above all, a very affordable compact, but that doesn't mean it's short on features. It benefits from all of the new technologies brought in with Canon's DIGIC 4 processor including scene recognition and face detection, and can shoot 640x480 pixel movies at 30 frames per second."

Read more Canon Powershot A1100 IS Reviews: Cameras.co.uk, DPInterface

New Waterproof Samsung Memory Cards Announced

Samsung has announced a new range of SDHC, MicroSD, and Compact Flash Memory Cards that are high speed, waterproof, impact proof, and also magnet and x-ray proof. They are available from Amazon UK now, prices below:

"The SAMSUNG SDHC Plus Card is protected by securely assembled case and non-conductive polymer coating material. Beneath that first line of defense is SAMSUNG NAND Flash Memory. The NAND flash memory parts, which are core components, are once again protected by Molding Technology. By covering the surfaces of memories with EMC (Epoxy Molding Compound)."

Samsung SDHC Plus: 4GB - £12, 8GB - £22, 16GB - £39
Samsung MicroSDHC Plus: 4GB - £11, 8GB - £22
Samsung Compact Flash Plus: 4GB - £33, 8GB - £56

For more information on Memory Cards, have a look at our guide to digital camera memory cards.

Sony Ericsson Satio Eyes Wide Open Photos

Sony and Vodafone have teamed up with photographer Jillian Edelstein to demonstrate the photographic ability of the new Sony Ericsson Satio Camera Phone. The Sony Satio features a 12.1 megapixel sensor, real xenon flash, 3.5" 16:9 touchscreen, microSD™ support, geo-tagging, face detection, and a 13mm thick body. The Sony Satio is available for £435 sim free

"Jillian Edelstein, Sony Ericsson and Vodafone captured the eyes of the nation over 12.1 hours at the "Eyes Wide Open" event at Westfield shopping centre. Please feel free to browse our gallery and view some of the stunning images taken with the Sony Ericsson Satio™." (via DPNow)

* Photo above taken with the Ricoh CX2

Ricoh CX2 Review On-Line!

We've just published our review of the new Ricoh CX2 - an update to the CX1 - it features a new 10.7x optical zoom lens (28 - 300mm), 5fps shooting, 9 megapixel CMOS sensor, 3.0" 920k pixel screen, VGA 30fps video, 1cm macro mode, anti-shake sensor, level guage, dynamic range mode, and ISO1600. The Ricoh CX2 is available for £279

"The CX2 also has an impressive high resolution 3.0" 920k pixel screen, and provides an excellent user interface that is easy to use, and operates in much the same way as the more expensive Ricoh GR Digital III. The camera also adds new features (such as miniature scene mode), and features a lot of useful features for the photographer, such as electronic "spirit level", 1:1 aspect ratio photos, a 28mm wide angle 10.7x optical zoom lens."

Read our Ricoh CX2 Review
View our Ricoh CX2 Sample Photo Gallery

Read more Ricoh CX2 Reviews: Photography BLOG, Trusted Reviews, Buy N Shoot, DPExpert, Pocket-Lint

Ricoh CX2 Sample Photo Gallery Updated

We've added lots of new sample photos from the new Ricoh CX2 - an update to the CX1 - it features a new 10.7x optical zoom lens (28 - 300mm), 5fps shooting, 9 megapixel CMOS sensor, 3.0" 920k pixel screen, VGA 30fps video, 1cm macro mode, anti-shake sensor, level guage, dynamic range mode, and ISO1600. The Ricoh CX2 is available for £279

View our Ricoh CX2 Sample Photo Gallery

Read Ricoh CX2 Reviews: Trusted Reviews, Buy N Shoot, DPExpert, Pocket-Lint

This weeks best deals on Amazon UK

Amazon UK are selling the Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS, for only £115, it's available in silver, grey, pink and blue, it features a 3x optical zoom lens, a 10 megapixel sensor, 2.5" screen, SD card support, rechargeable lithium ion battery, VGA video recording at 30fps, and a compact metal body. They also have the Fujifilm FinePix Z35 available for only £79. If these doesn't appeal to you, then here are some of the other best sellers on Amazon UK this week:

1 - Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS - 10mp, 3x zoom, 2.5", £115
2 - Panasonic Lumix FS15 - 12mp, 5x zoom, 2.7", £125
3 - Samsung ES55 - 10mp, 3x opt zoom, 2.5" screen, £66
4 - Samsung ES15 - 10mp, 3x optical zoom, 2.5" screen, £59
5 - Fujifilm FinePix A170 - 10mp, 3x optical zoom, 2.7" screen, £57

This weeks best deals on Amazon UK

Amazon UK are selling the new Fujifilm FinePix J30, for only £69 (offer ends today, previously £79) it features a 3x optical zoom lens, a 12.2 megapixel sensor, 2.7" screen, SD card support, Panoramic Shooting Mode, rechargeable lithium ion battery, VGA video recording at 30fps, and a compact body available in silver, black or pink. If that doesn't appeal to you, then here are some of the other best sellers on Amazon UK this week:

1 - Fujifilm FinePix J30 - 12mp, 3x zoom, 2.7", £69 in Pink (in 1st), Black (2nd) and Silver (6th place)
3 - Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS - 10mp, 3x zoom, 2.5", £125
4 - Samsung ES55 - 10mp, 3x opt zoom, 2.5" screen, £66
5 - Panasonic Lumix FS15 - 12mp, 5x zoom, 2.7", £125
7 - Samsung ES15 - 10mp, 3x optical zoom, 2.5" screen, £59

Canon Powershot S90 Review

DPInterface has reviewed the new Canon Powershot S90, it features an f2.0 wide angle 3.8x optical zoom lens lens (28-105mm) with optical image stabilisation, 10 megapixel sensor, ISO3200, 3" 461k pixel screen, manual focus, control dial, VGA 30fps video, RAW support, and exposure bracketing. The camera is available for £369

"I’ll be straightforward here – I like the Canon PowerShot S90, I like it a LOT. Here’s why – it’s packed to the brim with features, yet is as small as an average compact camera. After four long years, the Canon S-series is finally back with the all new PowerShot S90. While the camera doesn’t look at all like any of its predecessors, it still continues the legacy of the S-series, packing a big punch in a relatively compact body."

Read more Canon Powershot S90 Reviews: NeutralDay, Trusted Reviews, NeoCamera, Pocket Lint, Enticing The Light - Part 1, Part 2, DigitalCameraReview, Luminous Landscape, Photography BLOG, DCI, DCWatch (via 1001nc.com)

Olympus PEN E-P2 M43 DSLR Review

The Online Photographer has reviewed the new Olympus PEN E-P2 - an update to the E-P1 (12.3mp, 3" live view, anti-shake sensor, 4fps) - it features a new expansion port supporting a new electronic viewfinder (VF-2, 1.44m pixels), audio input option, new art filters (Diorama / miniature and Cross process), i-Enhance, improved AF with AF-tracking, and a new body colour (silver, white and black). Movie mode is also enhanced with adjustable shutter and aperture settings. The camera will be available with 14-42mm kit lens and viewfinder for £850 Dec 2009 / Jan 2010.

"One of the objections to E-P1 was the lack of a proper viewfinder. E-P2 certainly remedies that with its electronic viewfinder, the VF-2. Specification-wise, the viewfinder has the resolution of 1.44 MP, a refresh rate of 60 fps and a magnification of 1.15x. To the eye, the viewfinder is as good as the viewfinder on my E-3. While the E-3 might not have as big a viewfinder as full-frame offerings from other manufacturers, its viewfinder is nice and bright, and good for manual focusing. It's exactly the same with the VF-2: Nice, bright and good for manual focusing."

Olympus E-P2 Previews: FourThirdsUser, TheDigitalStory, DPReview, DCResource, Imaging Resource, CNET Asia, DigitalCameraReview, Sample Photos: Olympus

The Worst Digital Cameras of 2009

Digital Camera HQ has brought to us another list, this time the Worst Digital Cameras of 2009, featuring mostly low-end budget digital cameras, with the Olympus FE-45 named as the worst - it features a 10 megapixel sensor, 3x optical zoom lens, and a 2.5" screen. It is available for £97, however, we think you would be much better off spending a little more on the Panasonic Lumix FS7.

"Last and definitely least is the Olympus FE-45. We can confidently say that this is the worst camera of the year. We haven't received enough user ratings to assign it a letter grade, but the reviews we have seen give it the lowest ranking of the 100 or so cameras we've added to DCHQ in the past year."

Best and Worst Digital Gadgets of 2009

It's that time of the year again, the time for hundred of lists that tell you what's the best, and what's the worst, this one from Business Week is quite entertaining, it names the Samsung ST550 (shown above), as one of the best digital cameras of the year, along with the Panasonic Lumix GF1. The Samsung ST550 is available for £212 from Amazon UK. They also name the Polaroid Two - Instant Digital Camera (shown below) as one of the worst:

At £149 the Polaroid Instant Digital Camera seems expensive as it only has a 5 megapixel camera (with no optical zoom and dubious image quality), and you'd probably be much better buying any budget camera, and buying the Poloroid Pogo Instant Printer instead, priced at only £23!

Pentax K-7 Digital SLR Review

Photocrati has reviewed the new Pentax K7 Digital SLR - the new weather resistant camera features a 14.6mp sensor with HD video recording at 720p, HDMI output, AF assist, electronic level, HDR mode, 5.2fps shooting and 3" live view screen. The camera is available from Amazon UK body only:

"The flagship of the Pentax DLSR series, the K-7 is an unusually rugged semi-professional 14.5 MP camera that’s built like a tank: with a splash-proof magnesium alloy body over a stainless steel chassis. While the 14.5 megapixel K20D is less pricey, the K-7 is even more desirable. This newer model retains all of the K20D’s best features but provides significant benefits: faster (5.2 fps) drive speed, larger 3″ LCD with 920,000 dot resolution, a viewfinder with 100% coverage, plus upgrades for the sensor, processor, autofocus system, built-in image stabilizer and evaluative metering (now with 77 zones)."

Read Pentax K7 DSLR Reviews: DPReview, DCResource, NeoCamera, DeMystifyingDigital, TOP Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, TOP Field Report, Trusted Reviews, Pocket Lint, Photography BLOG, InfoSyncWorld, PhotoReview (AU), DPReview Forums Intro, Part 1, Part 2 (via 1001noisycameras), Previews: DPReview

Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR S200EXR Cashback Offer

Fujifilm UK are offering £30 cashback on the Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR and £50 cashback on the S200EXR when bought between the 1st to the 31st of December. The F200EXR is an update to the F100fd - it features a new 12 megapixel Super CCD EXR sensor that provides high resolution (at 12mp), high dynamic range (at 6mp), and high sensitivity with low noise (upto ISO6400 at 6mp). The camera features a wide angle 5x optical zoom lens, manual controls, anti shake sensor, 3" screen, SD/XD card support, and compact body available in silver or black in for £175.

Read our Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR Review
View our Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR Sample Photo Gallery
Click here to view the Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR video

Read more Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR Reviews: Cameras.co.uk, DigitalCameraInfo, LetsGoDigital, DPInterface, DPReview, Photoxels, DCResource, DPExpert, Luminous Landscape, NeoCamera, Trusted Reviews, TestFreaks, Previews: Read our Fuji F200EXR quick preview.

Nikon Coolpix P90 Ultra Zoom Review

Imaging Resource has reviewed the new Nikon Coolpix P90 - an ultra zoom camera with a 26mm wide angle 24x optical zoom lens, 12 megapixel sensor, 3" swivel screen, sensor shift VR, and manual mode. The Nikon Coolpix P90 is available for £268, here's what they have to say about the camera:

"Unfortunately, there are quite a few image quality problems with the Nikon P90. Noise suppression is overactive at even the lowest ISO settings, obliterating fine detail. Color, too, is very odd overall, and a poorly tuned Auto White balance makes images overwhelmingly yellow much of the time, even in daylight and flash shots, which is unusual."

Read our Review of the Nikon Coolpix P90.
View our Nikon Coolpix P90 Sample Photo Gallery.
Click for our preview of the Nikon P90 at Focus.

Read more Nikon Coolpix P90 Reviews: Digital Photography School, DCI, DCResource, LetsGoDigital, Photography BLOG.

Fujifilm FinePix F70EXR Review

Trusted Reviews has reviewed the new Fujifilm FinePix F70EXR* - it features a wide angle 10x optical zoom lens (27-270mm), a 10 megapixel SuperCCD EXR sensor that provides high resolution, high sensitivity, and high dynamic range modes, an anti-shake sensor, 2.7" screen, SD card support, 5 Film Simulation Modes, and VGA video recording at 30fps. The Fujifilm FinePix F70EXR is available from Amazon for £175

"Without a doubt the most popular new format for digital cameras over the past couple of years has been the long-zoom compact camera, and especially those with wide-angle lenses. Ricoh started the trend, as it has with many others, back in 2005 with the launch of the Caplio R1V. It took the other manufacturers a while to catch up, but now almost all of the major brands have added long zoom compact models to their line-ups."

Read our Fujifilm FinePix F70EXR Review
View our Fujifilm FinePix F70EXR Sample Photo Gallery

Fujifilm FinePix F70EXR Reviews: DigitalCameraReview, Pocket Lint, Cameras.co.uk, BuyNShoot, Photography BLOG, ePhotoZine, DPExpert, Sample Photos: DigiCamReview, Fujifilm USA, * AKA F75EXR, and F72EXR