As experts in photographic equipment, we have conducted more than 500 tests of different cameras over the past 11 years. And every day, the editors of Prophotos advise readers of the magazine the best models. Now is the time to update our annual selection of recommended cameras. Let's start with the most budget devices, the average cost of which does not exceed 10,000 rubles.
So-called “soap dishes” are suitable for those who do not need sophisticated devices with fine-tuning settings and image quality for large format printing. It's no secret that many people just want to turn on the camera and click on a couple of buttons, and then let the camera do everything by itself. Smartphones have almost completely occupied this niche, but even the simplest camera has several advantages over them. For example, slightly better image quality, the presence of optical zoom, with which mobile devices have certain problems. In addition, if your smartphone discharges at the most inopportune time (and when you shoot it does it pretty quickly), you can always continue shooting with the camera. Cameras from this segment stand as the most inexpensive smartphones, but with all their capabilities they will be the best choice not only for keeping a family record,
In our selection there is a camera equipped with a Wi-Fi module, which greatly facilitates the transfer of images to a smartphone and their publication on social networks. In addition, if you like to shoot not only photos, but also small clips, you will surely like cameras with the Full HD video shooting function. An attractive design will be an added bonus.
In large chain stores, the cost of models from our selection will sometimes be slightly higher than the market average. But buying a camera there, you can be sure that you are buying a new camera with an official manufacturer’s warranty.
Let's look at the most successful cameras in this category. We selected one of the most interesting cameras from Canon, Nikon and Sony. But we will start with the most unusual by modern standards camera from Fujifilm.
Fujifilm instax mini 90 NEO CLASSIC
This camera continues the tradition of the legendary Polaroids for instant photo printing. The main advantage of such cameras is the ability to get a photo print immediately after shooting. The value of such a picture is that it is unique and exists only in a single copy! I think you already guessed: there is no talk of megapixels and zoom - we have before us an “analog” or, if you want, a “film” camera!instax mini 90 uses special cartridges of 10 sheets of instax mini color photo paper with dimensions of 86x54 mm and photo prints of 62x46 mm. The device is equipped with a built-in lens, the viewing angle of which is equivalent to 60 mm in full frame. Three modes are provided for focusing: macro (0.3-0.6 m), normal (0.6-3 m) and landscape (3 m - infinity).
Canon IXUS 185
Buy Canon IXUS 185 What to choose for everyday shooting: a relatively inexpensive smartphone or a similar compact camera? Our professional team recommends the second option. Compared to a smartphone, a compact usually has an optical zoom that allows you to shoot distant objects, and a more powerful flash. Canon IXUS 185 - just such an option. This camera is convenient to use not only on holidays, but also every day. It weighs about 126 grams, it is slightly larger in size than a credit card and fits easily in your pocket. In it you will find everything you need for shooting, while it costs a little. Canon IXUS 185 is available in red, black and silver cases and is equipped with a 2.7-inch LCD screen, a 20-megapixel 1 / 2.3-inch CCD sensor and an 8x optical zoom with an equivalent focal length range of 28–224 mm. The camera has a ZoomPlus function, with which the zoom ratio can be increased up to 16x (or 448 mm in equiv.), And it is also possible to combine optical and digital zoom, obtaining a ratio of up to 32x. If you are one of those who want to get good pictures with the click of a button, we recommend using the Easy Auto mode, which itself will select all the necessary settings. For photographers who want a little more freedom, there is a Smart Auto mode. He knows how to select a program (one of 32) with the appropriate settings for the recognized plot. Unlike the first mode, this one allows you to control the flash, date the pictures and use the special function to crop the picture: only the face, waist and length portrait. There is no optical stabilizer in the IXUS 185, but there is a digital one, which is used only for photography. In addition, the camera has many creative modes and a face recognition function. A minimum focusing distance of less than 1 centimeter turns this baby into a convenient tool for amateur macro photography. The Canon IXUS 185 can also be used for video shooting, including using creative filters, although the maximum quality in which he can do this is only HD. There are no wireless interfaces in the camera, so if you need them, you can look at the Canon IXUS 190 with Wi-Fi and NFC modules and, in addition, an optical stabilizer. True, it costs a little more than 10,000 rubles.Nikon Coolpix W100
Buy Nikon Coolpix W100 The first thing that draws attention to the Nikon Coolpix W100 is its fun design with a control system like a handheld game console. It is intended primarily for children. Interestingly, no one except Nikon thought of making a camera aimed at the younger generation, although, as practice shows, children are very fond of taking pictures. But Nikon Coolpix W100 attracts not only with its bright appearance. This is the cheapest protected camera: its housing is shockproof, waterproof and frostproof. If you drop this camera from a height of up to 1.8 meters, immerse it in water to a depth of 10 meters or go with it on a photo walk at an air temperature of ?10 ° C, nothing will happen to it. The camera is equipped with large buttons that will be convenient for users of all ages, even grandmothers. In general, Nikon Coolpix W100 can be called a camera for the whole family. The camera has both a familiar adult menu and a children's menu, which allows you to shoot in a game form with the tips of animated characters on the screen. The taken pictures can even be decorated with bright stamps. Body colors - for every taste: silver, blue, pink, yellow or themed marine on a white background. For young photographers, additional accessories are provided - a floating belt and designer backpacks.The camera is equipped with a CMOS sensor with a resolution of 13.2 million pixels and a 3x NIKKOR zoom lens with electronic zoom up to 6x. This is enough to bring decent pictures from a vacation or capture a memorable event.
The Nikon Coolpix W100 has built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless modules that allow you to connect the camera to mobile devices. Thanks to Wi-Fi, you can remotely control the shooting in real time and view the footage, and thanks to the energy-saving Bluetooth, you can maintain constant communication and automatically upload photos to your smartphone or tablet right during shooting. All this is done through the Nikon SnapBridge app, available for devices with the Android and iOS operating systems. In addition, you can view photos and videos on the big screen by connecting a camera to it via HDMI. In general, you won’t get bored with the Nikon Coolpix W100.
Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-W830
Buy Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W830 In the arms race in the photographic market, there is a constant struggle, and the photographer is faced with the eternal question: which brand of camera do you prefer - Canon, Nikon, or maybe Sony? Each of the leading manufacturers has decent cameras with a wide variety of capabilities that can satisfy almost all the needs of the photographer, so often choosing a particular brand is a matter of personal preferences. The most interesting and available representatives of the first two companies at the moment we reviewed. Now let's take a look at the compact camera Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W830 . Meet on clothes: the camera has a strict and concise design with several color schemes (black, red, silver and violet), it is compact (22.5 mm thick, slightly larger than a credit card) and lightweight (120 g with battery).Thanks to the 8x ZEISS optical zoom lens with a focal length of 25-200 mm (equiv.) And a 20.1-megapixel CCD sensor, Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W830 can take any shooting situation: starting from urban landscapes with narrow streets and ending with far located objects. The second important advantage of the camera is the built-in optical image stabilization Optical SteadyShot, and few can boast of this in this price segment. Thanks to stabilization, you can shoot in low light and take sharp pictures.
