The rest were closely matched, but we liked the pictures coming from Samsung's SL820 most consistently. This was a surprise, as it's not the marque we'd have guessed would come out on top before we started testing The Samsung SL820 has the most solid feel here, and the most heft too. Slip this cam into a tube sock and you'd have a particularly effective weapon that could then be used to document the resultant crime scene. It features two standout specs, first and most important being a true 720p video mode, making it the cheapest cam in our test to break into the high-definition range. It also sports another sky-high ISO setting of 3200, and like the S630 you get a cropped resolution if you want to use it, but even then it sports far more grain than the Nikon.

1. Link : http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/19/engadget-labs-the-best-point-and-shoot-camera-for-under-
400/
Engadget Labs: The best point-and-shoot camera
for under $400
by Tim Stevens, posted May 19th 2009 at 1:30PM
The summer looms, and so too does the summer vacation season. Despite the economy there are
visions of great trips brewing in the backs of peoples' minds, visions that will soon turn into (hopefully)
great memories -- and (hopefully) great pictures. Some folks wouldn't dream of going on those trips
without an SLR slung 'round their neck or hanging at the hip, but then there are plenty of others who'd
much prefer something a little more pocketable. Even for aspiring photographers there are times
when lugging around five pounds of glass just isn't going to work.
There are dozens and dozens of cameras intended for casual shooters all the time or serious
shooters some of the time, with models suitable for pockets of every shape and size -- and for wallets
of equally varying dimensions. So, let's take a look at some of this summer's greatest, and see which
comes out ahead, shall we?
Gallery: Engadget compact cam summer shootout

2. The Goal
We can't test every compact cam that's currently on the market, as we do have a site to run here, but
we took a break from exchanging witticisms over tea for a moment to determine which of the latest
cams were going to be the hottest this summer, setting a hard cap of $400 and then going down from
there -- way down, as it turned out. We then set about trying to get a good selection of those players,
and, while some of the ones we most wanted to test (like Panasonic's DMC-TZ7) were sadly
unavailable, the group of nine we ultimately received cover a broad spectrum of designs, features,
and prices, ranging from $125 up to that $400 maximum, with an average price of just over $240.
So, without further ado, let's introduce the players.
Cameras
Canon Casio Kodak
PowerShot Exilim EasyShare
A1100 IS EX-FC100 M380
Kodak Nikon Nikon
EasyShare Coolpix Coolpix
Z915 S220 S630
Panasonic Panasonic
Samsung
Lumix Lumix
SL820
DMC-TS1 DMC-FS25
Sections
The big chart How we tested Wrap-up
Nikon Coolpix S220 - The most compact
Photo res: 10 megapixels
Video res: 640 x 480
Zoom:
Stabilized 3x, 35 - 105mm equivalent
ISO: 80 - 2000
Aperture: 3.1 - 5.9
LCD size: 2.5-inches
Battery size: 740 mAh
Street Price: $125
The Coolpix S220 from Nikon is the cheapest of the bunch, readily available for $125 or less if you
shop around. For that price you get a lot of modern tech -- at least on paper. 10 megapixels are on tap,
but video maxes out at a very VGA 640 x 480. Maximum aperture for the 3x optical zoom lens is an
average 3.1, though there is optical stabilization in there. Maximum ISO is 2000, but with considerable
noise appearing at anything over 400 it's clear this is a camera best-suited for outdoor shooting.
First impressions are of a simple, small, but by no means cheap feeling camera. Even the packing
materials in the box feel like much higher-quality stuff than that found in the more expensive options --
not that it matters after the initial frantic unpacking. The metal body feels cool and solid in the hand,
but the lens motor sounds sickly, not inspiring much confidence about this camera's internal durability.
Gallery: Nikon Coolpix S220 unboxing

3. Kodak EasyShare M380 - Kodak's value proposition
Photo res: 10.2 megapixels
Video res: 640 x 480
Zoom: Stabilized 5x, 38 - 190mm
equivalent
ISO: 80 - 1600
Aperture: 3.1 - 5.6
LCD size: 3-inches
Battery size: 1020 mAh
Street Price: $180
Kodak's EasyShare M380 is next up in order of cheapest, with an MSRP and street price of $180. For
$50 more than the S220 you get a bigger camera with a bigger LCD and a bigger zoom. Maximum
aperture again is 3.1, with a max ISO of 1600, but again ISO 400 is the realistic max if you hate grain
as much as we do.
Out of the box the M380 feels a little lower end than the S220, with its plasticy body and slightly
squishy buttons, but the mode-selector wheel on the top makes tweaking the camera quick and easy
(even if we kept confusing it for the shutter release) and a dedicated button on top for disabling the
flash is a nice touch, too. Also nice is the USB charger, which would mean one fewer AC adapter to
pack.
Gallery: Kodak EasyShare M380 unboxing
Canon PowerShot A1100 IS - Bulging with batteries
Photo res: 12.1 megapixels
Video res: 640 x 480
Zoom: Stabilized 4x, 35 - 140mm
equivalent
ISO: 80 - 1600
Aperture: 2.7 - 5.6
LCD size: 2.5-inches
Battery size: 2x AA
Street Price: $190
Canon's PowerShot A1100 IS comes in at around $190 at most online retailers, and for $10 more than
the Kodak you get a few more megapixels, a less powerful zoom, and a slightly wider aperture. ISO
range is identical to the above, but 800 here is actually borderline acceptable.
In terms of aesthetics the A1100 is one of the cheaper feeling cameras in the group, its two-tone

4. plastic body not turning any heads and that plastic shell feeling flimsy in the hand -- you can hear it
creaking and rattling when recording videos. But, it is comfortable to hold, and has room for two AA
batteries, making replacement in the field cheap and easy. That battery bulge does leave it looking a
little... expectant, however.
Gallery: Canon PowerShot A1100 IS unboxing
Kodak EasyShare Z915 - The big boy
Photo res: 10 megapixel
Video res: 640 x 480
Zoom: Stabilized 10x, 35 - 350mm
equivalent
ISO: 100 - 1600
Aperture: 3.5 - 8.3
LCD size: 2.5-inch
Battery size: 2x AA
Street Price: $190
Remember how we said the A1100 was one of the cheaper feeling cams? Kodak's EasyShare Z915 is
the winner in that unfortunate classification. The camera has a solid hefty to it, and the zoom lens
extends and retracts with smooth, reassuring efficiency, but the grip is covered by this hard, textured
plastic that makes it feel more like a toy than something you just dropped two Benjamins on. Add
some cramped ergonomics to the mix and this is definitely not something that falls to hand
comfortably.
If you can get past that, you get specs comparable to the same-priced Canon, but with more than
twice the zoom and effective stabilization that makes even the 350mm end of that lens quite usable
freehand. It lets in a little less light than the Canon, but again ISO 800 is okay if you don't mind a hint
of grain. This one is also packing AA power, and has the hump to prove it.
Gallery: Kodak EasyShare Z915 unboxing

5. Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS25 - Big screen sophistication
Photo res: 12.1 megapixels
Video res: 848 x 480
Zoom: Stabilized 5x, 29 - 145mm
equivalent
ISO: 80 - 1600
Aperture: 3.3 - 5.9
LCD size: 3-inch
Battery size: 940 mAh
Street Price: $250
It's something of a price jump moving up to the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS25, and for that you get...
basically the same specs as the Canon. There's a bit more on the top end of the zoom, and a bump
up to WVGA for videos, but in terms of specs that's about it. When it comes to feel, however, the
FS25 feels light-years ahead, solid and with a pleasant heft, and the extra half-inch boost on the LCD
size making a big difference. However, that bigger screen on this compact body smooshes the
controls over to the right, making menu navigation a bit clumsy. This Panasonic is also stuck with the
most annoying battery door in the group, featuring a tiny latch that must be manually unlocked and
then re-locked every time.
Gallery: Panasonic Lumix FS25 unboxing
Nikon Coolpix S630 - Pretty in pink
Photo res: 12 megapixels
Video res: 640 x 480
Zoom: Stabilized 7x, 37 - 260mm
equivalent
ISO: 64 - 1600
Aperture: 3.5 - 5.3
LCD size: 2.7-inch
Battery size: 1050 mAh
Street Price: $250
Nikon's COOLPIX S630 is perhaps the most interesting looking cam here -- and not just because of
its striking (and arguably good looking) color. It has a shape that sweeps back slightly, with a
comfortable and secure-feeling indentation for your thumb on the upper-right. Its four-way d-pad also
doubles as a scroll wheel, which you'll be using to crank the ISO all the way up to its maximum setting
of 6400. To get that value the cam drops down to a 3 megapixel resolution (same for ISO 3200), and
while the pictures taken at that setting are hardly gallery-worthy, if you don't mind losing some pixels
this cam actually looks better at ISO 6400 than most of the competition does at 1200. However, as
with the rest, grain-free pictures are only achieved below ISO 800.
Gallery: Nikon Coolpix S630 unboxing

6. Samsung SL820 - The high-def heavyweight
Photo res: 12.2 megapixels
Video res: 1,280 x 720
Zoom: Stabilized 5x, 28 - 140mm
equivalent
ISO: 80 - 3200
Aperture: 3.4 - 5.8
LCD size: 3-inch
Battery size: 1050 mAh
Street Price: $250
The Samsung SL820 has the most solid feel here, and the most heft too. Slip this cam into a tube
sock and you'd have a particularly effective weapon that could then be used to document the resultant
crime scene. It features two standout specs, first and most important being a true 720p video mode,
making it the cheapest cam in our test to break into the high-definition range. It also sports another
sky-high ISO setting of 3200, and like the S630 you get a cropped resolution if you want to use it, but
even then it sports far more grain than the Nikon.
Like the solidity of the chassis, the controls are also quite reassuring, with the mode wheel
conveniently placed on the back and some very clean looking menus that, while slow, make it easy to
find whatever you're looking for. Its up/down zoom control is a bit odd, and while the battery door here
is similarly adorned with a manual latch like the FS25, this one is much easier to operate and is
partially made up for with a USB-based charger like the M380.
Gallery: Samsung SL820 unboxing
Casio Exilim EX-FC100 - Mr. Slow-Mo
Photo res: 9.1 megapixel
Video res: 1,280 x 720
Zoom: Stabilized 5x, 37 - 185mm
equivalent
ISO: 100 - 1600
Aperture: 3.6 - 4.5
LCD size: 2.7-inch
Battery size: 1,300 mAh
Street Price: $310
You hate to call it gimmicky, but Casio's Exilim EX-FC100 is definitely best known for its ridiculous
1,000 fps capture mode. Nothing else in the competition offers anything like this, but if you want to
capture the laws of physics at work at that speed you'll need to make do with a paltry 224 x 64

7. resolution, and will need to provide an awful lot of ambient light to boot. Moving down to 400 fps gives
you 224 x 168 pixels, which is presentable, but still a long way from VGA. 720p at 30 fps is certainly
nice to have, but the SL820 offers that for cheaper if that's all you want. A beefy battery should make
this one good for longer days of high-speed antics.
Gallery: Casio Exilim EX-FC100 unboxing
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 - Military-grade
Photo res: 12.1 megapixel
Video res: 1,280 x 720
Zoom: Stabilized 4.6x, 28 - 128mm
equivalent
ISO: 80 - 1600
Aperture: 3.3 - 5.9
LCD size: 2.7-inch
Battery size: 940 mAh
Street Price: $400
The final contender, and the sturdiest, is the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1. Its MSRP is $400 and so far
seems to be selling right at that asking price. Specs are not dissimilar to the other, cheaper cameras,
including an unrealistic ISO 1600 maximum (even 400 shows a good bit of grain), but again offering
720p video capture like the last two. The main draw here is the waterproof and shockproof
construction, enabling this one to survive at up to 10 feet under water, or handle a 5-foot drop without
damage. In other words: it's no coincidence that this one was painted olive-drab. Because of this
cam's go-anywhere construction we were expecting a poor performer when it came to image quality,
but we were surprised at how well it compared in many situations.
Gallery: Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 unboxing

8. The big chart Return to top
Photo Video Zoom ISO Aperture LCD Battery Price
Canon 12.1MP 640 x 480 4X 80 - 1600 2.7 - 5.6 2.5 in. 2x AA $190
A110 IS
Casio 9.1MP 720p 5X 100 - 1600 3.6 - 4.5 2.7 in. 1300 $310
EX-FC100 mAh
Kodak 10.2MP 640 x 480 5X 80 - 1600 3.1 - 5.6 3 in. 1020 $180
M380 mAh
Kodak 10MP 640 x 480 10X 100 - 1600 3.5 - 8.3 2.5 in. 2x AA $190
Z915
Nikon 10MP 640 x 480 3X 80 - 2000 3.1 - 5.9 2.5 in. 740 $125
S220 mAh
Nikon 12MP 640 x 480 7X 64 - 1600 3.5 - 5.3 2.7 in. 1050 $250
S630 mAh
Panasonic 12.1MP 720p 4.6X 80 - 1600 3.3 - 5.9 2.7 in. 940 $400
DMC-TS1 mAh
Panasonic 12.1MP 848 x 480 5X 80 - 1600 3.3 - 5.9 3 in. 940 $250
DMC-FS25 mAh
Samsung 12.2MP 720p 5X 80 - 3200 3.4 - 5.8 3 in. 1050 $250
SL820 mAh
How we tested
Macro Close Fully wide Fully zoomed
Video capture
Foreground object Person Artificial light
The idea here wasn't to put these cameras in ideal, laboratory conditions and see how they fared;
rather to try to recreate a few of the more common shots an average user of one of these cams would
capture while on vacation. So, we put aside our years of experience and did our best to leave these in
fully automatic mode, choosing an appropriate quot;scenequot; when possible but rarely going in to tweak
exposure -- only going manual when the camera couldn't figure things out for itself. All shots were
done without a tripod and each shot was captured three times (occasionally more), with the best shot
chosen, because today's memory cards mean that even if you're toting a 12+ megapixel shooter you'll
have room for a few extra attempts to make sure you got a good one.

9. Macro Return
Liked: Samsung SL820, Kodak EasyShare Z915
Didn't Like: Nikon Coolpix S220
Very, very different interpretations of the color of this bit of ajuga, a little purple plant that resulted in
some big differences. As you can see in the gallery each camera seemed to have its own ideas about
what shade of violet was appropriate, but it was the Samsung SL820 that came closest to reality,
taking a very sharp image with accurate color representation. Kodak's Z915 also did quite good, but
was a bit too purply. The other cameras all missed the color too, with the Nikon S220 being
particularly artificial looking.
Gallery: Macro test

10. Close
Liked: Kodak EasyShare M380, Kodak EasyShare Z915, Casio Exilim EX-FC100
Didn't like: Nikon Coolpix S220, Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1
Bleeding hearts are in bloom and so they were the subject of our predictably flowery shot of a close
but not quite macro object. Here the two Kodaks did well, with both the M380 and the Z915 offering
vibrant colors and plenty of detail. The Casio FC100 also took a particularly good shot, and honestly
all the pictures are quite good, though those from the S220 and TS1 were somewhat pale. The FS25
is worth a mention here as, while it didn't produce the best looking shots, it did have perfect
consistency in all three captures.
Gallery: Close test

11. Fully Wide Return
Liked: Canon PowerShot A1100 IS, Kodak EasyShare Z915, Samsung SL820, Panasonic Lumix
DMC-TS1
Didn't like: Kodak EasyShare M380
The wide and zoom tests both subject on a wild apple tree in blossom, starting with the wide end to
show just how much a given cam can take in. Here again the Z915 impressed, with the Canon 1100
IS doing well also. The SL820 and the TS1 show off their 28mm equivalent zooms, capturing more of
the greenery than the other cams. On the unimpressive end the Kodak M380 disappointed with its dull,
washed-out pictures. The rest of the contenders came somewhere in between, many offering some
very interesting interpretations of green.
Gallery: Fully wide test

12. Fully Zoomed Return
Liked: Kodak EasyShare M380, Kodak EasyShare Z915, Casio Exilim EX-FC100
Didn't like: Nikon Coolpix S220, Nikon Coolpix S630
Now we go to the other end of the spectrum, fully zooming in to show off the power of the lens and the
capability of the optical stabilization (where present). Naturally the Kodak Z915 did quite well here, its
10x, 350mm equivalent lens enabling you to easily pick out individual blossoms. Its compatriot the
M380 also did well, making good use of its 5x, 190mm lens. Neither of the Nikons did particularly
impressed, with the S220 somewhat crippled by its 3x, 105mm zoom, and though the S630's more
powerful 7x, 260mm lens showed plenty more detail, it lacked good color definition.
Gallery: Fully zoomed test

13. Foreground object Return
Liked: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS25, Samsung SL820, Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1
Didn't like: Nikon Coolpix S220, Canon PowerShot A1100 IS, Nikon Coolpix S630
This time it's an object in the foreground (a disused fire pit) in front of a sea of leaves, the square
edges and contrast of the bricks making a good subject for checking detail. Here the FS25, SL820,
and TS1 all took clear, bright, accurate shots, with the Panasonic's shot looking particularly good. The
S220 took a good looking shot but the color is off, while the S630's shots were soft. So, too, were the
shots from the Canon.
Gallery: Foreground object test

14. Person Return
Liked: Kodak EasyShare Z915, Samsung SL820, Casio Exilim EX-FC100
Didn't like: Nikon Coolpix S220, Canon PowerShot A1100 IS
All the cameras offer some sort of portrait mode, enabling them to lock into person's faces to ensure
they always stay in focus. This made taking the picture itself particularly easy, and the results are
generally good -- as you'd expect given the frequency of this kind of photo. The Nikon S220 was a bit
soft, as was the Canon 1100 IS, while the Kodak Z915, Samsung SL820, and Casio FC100 all taking
particularly good shots -- though it's worth noting that the other two shots from the FC100 looked quite
different from this one.
Gallery: Person test

15. Artificial light Return
Liked: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS25, Canon PowerShot A1100 IS, Samsung SL820
Didn't like: Kodak EasyShare M380, Kodak EasyShare Z915
Another test, another set of cameras with color reproductions all over the place. This time it was a
dark room with only artificial light illuminating our little test subject, testing to see how well the
cameras would self-manage ISO modes. In this case the Kodak Z915's best shot had a blueish hue,
but the other shots from this cam had a bright green tinge. The Nikon S220 looks reddish, while its
compatriot the S630 had accurate color -- but was a bit too dark. The Kodak M380 required five shots
to get one decent one, and even that one was far too soft. The Panasonic FS25 took a bright, crisp
shot, with the Canon A1100 IS and Samsung SL820 also impressing.
Gallery: Artificial light test

16. Low light Return
Liked: Kodak EasyShare Z915, Nikon Coolpix S630, Casio Exilim EX-FC100
Didn't like: Kodak EasyShare M380
This was the toughest challenge of the test, a shot in what would be considered low light for these
cams. This picture was taken in a reasonably well-illuminated room, but the subject itself had only
some indirect light on it coming through windows with curtains drawn, which gave a number of
cameras a fit. In particular the M380 couldn't figure anything out, taking a series of very dark pictures -
- even when we enabled the flash. It was only by manually moving to ISO800 that the above, blurry
shot could be captured. The FS25 also required manual tweaking of the ISO settings, and nearly all of
the cameras showed some amount of grain, but the Z915 did miles better than its fellow Kodak, the
S630 lacked color but figured things out well on its own, and the FC100 performing similarly.
Gallery: Low light test
Liked: Samsung SL820, Casio Exilim FC100, Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1
Didn't like: The rest
None of these cameras can do true double-duty work as a camcorder, but the Samsung SL820
comes awfully close. It offers 720p video and is one of only two cameras here that allow optical
zooming while video is recording (the Panasonic DMC-TS1 is the other) -- even if it does
unfortunately mute the audio while doing so to drown out the noise of the motor. But, at all other times

17. it captures (relatively) great sound to match the video.
And of course we can't talk video without highlighting the FC100, with its bevy of high-speed video
modes that are plenty fun to experiment with. Unfortunately, once you're done experimenting you'll
realize that the resolution and quality is too low to be of much use, as you can see in the compilation
video above, with the skinny 1000fps segments getting stretched such that their subjects are barely
recognizable. At high-speeds it is a fun toy, but not the high-quality, high-speed shooter we were
hoping for. At a rather more normal 30 fps, however, the 720p video here is good, but a bit murkier
than the Samsung, and the lack of zooming while filming is a drag.
Wrap-up Return to top
So, there you have it: lots and lots of pictures with lots and lots of cameras. None of the contenders
were complete disappointments, but the Kodak M380 impressed the least. It did well in a few
situations, but its overall performance was sub-par. That contrasts with its brother, the Z915, which
took consistently excellent shots, but is just a little too big to be a the sort of camera we'd want to take
along everywhere. If you have unusually large pockets, though, buy with confidence. For those with
small pockets (and pocketbooks) who aren't too hung up on image quality the Nikon S220 is a great
little camera, while on the most expensive side the TS1 offered generally average picture quality --
impressive considering it's the only camera here you can not only take to the beach but right down
into the water.
The rest were closely matched, but we liked the pictures coming from Samsung's SL820 most
consistently. This was a surprise, as it's not the marque we'd have guessed would come out on top
before we started testing, but it delivered the most consistently crisp, well-focused shots of the group,
offers the highest quality video by a long shot (only Casio's EX-FC100 compares), and feels
bulletproof in the hand. Sure, it's a little on the hefty side, but it's still comfortably pocket-sized, is quite
a looker, and was the one that we found ourselves reaching for when it came time to take a few
holiday snaps on our own.
Update: The initial version of this review didn't give proper credit to the Panasonic DMC-TS1's video
capture, which not only also shoots 720p video, but allows optical zooming while doing so.