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Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 (with 20mm lens)

EDITORS CHOICE
1
EDITORS RATING
8.0
SPECS

12.1 megapixels, 3 in LCD display

THE GOOD

Excellent photo quality and performance for its class; comfortable, streamlined design; interchangeable lenses.

THE BAD

EVF costs extra; can't use EVF and hot-shoe flash simultaneously.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The best interchangeable-lens compact we've see thus far, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 delivers great photo quality and performance in an enthusiast-friendly shooting experience. Like competitors, however, the lack of an optical viewfinder limits its usability for photographing action.

REVIEWED: 29-Oct-2009 10:30 AM PDT
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Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 (with 14mm-45mm lens)

EDITORS CHOICE
1
EDITORS RATING
8.0
SPECS

12.1 megapixels, 3.2 x, 3 in LCD display

THE GOOD

Excellent photo quality and performance for its class; comfortable, streamlined design; interchangeable lenses.

THE BAD

EVF costs extra; can't use EVF and hot-shoe flash simultaneously.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The best interchangeable-lens compact we've see thus far, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 delivers great photo quality and performance in an enthusiast-friendly shooting experience. Like competitors, however, the lack of an optical viewfinder limits its usability for photographing action.

REVIEWED: 29-Oct-2009 10:30 AM PDT
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Samsung DualView TL220 (gray)

EDITORS RATING
8.0
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Ultracompact, 12.2 megapixels, 4.6 x, 3 in LCD display

THE GOOD

Large automatic shooting feature set; responsive touch-screen navigation; unique dual-screen design.

THE BAD

Adapter needed for HDMI output; microSD card requirement might irk some; touch-screen interface not for everyone; battery charges in camera; whole screen not used for framing shots at full resolution.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The technology-packed Samsung DualView TL225 is the ultimate ultracompact for those who like to be in front of the camera more than they like being behind it.

REVIEWED: 23-Oct-2009 01:36 PM PDT
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Samsung DualView TL220 (red)

EDITORS RATING
8.0
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Ultracompact, 12.2 megapixels, 4.6 x, 3 in LCD display

THE GOOD

Large automatic shooting feature set; responsive touch-screen navigation; unique dual-screen design.

THE BAD

Adapter needed for HDMI output; microSD card requirement might irk some; touch-screen interface not for everyone; battery charges in camera; whole screen not used for framing shots at full resolution.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The technology-packed Samsung DualView TL225 is the ultimate ultracompact for those who like to be in front of the camera more than they like being behind it.

REVIEWED: 23-Oct-2009 01:36 PM PDT
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Samsung DualView TL220 (blue)

EDITORS RATING
8.0
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Ultracompact, 12.2 megapixels, 4.6 x, 3 in LCD display

THE GOOD

Large automatic shooting feature set; responsive touch-screen navigation; unique dual-screen design.

THE BAD

Adapter needed for HDMI output; microSD card requirement might irk some; touch-screen interface not for everyone; battery charges in camera; whole screen not used for framing shots at full resolution.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The technology-packed Samsung DualView TL225 is the ultimate ultracompact for those who like to be in front of the camera more than they like being behind it.

REVIEWED: 23-Oct-2009 01:36 PM PDT
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Samsung DualView TL225 (purple/black)

EDITORS RATING
8.0
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Ultracompact, 12.2 megapixels, 4.6 x, 3.5 in LCD display

THE GOOD

Large automatic shooting feature set; responsive touch-screen navigation; unique dual-screen design.

THE BAD

Adapter needed for HDMI output; microSD card requirement might irk some; touch-screen interface not for everyone; battery charges in camera; whole screen not used for framing shots at full resolution.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The technology-packed Samsung DualView TL225 is the ultimate ultracompact for those who like to be in front of the camera more than they like being behind it.

REVIEWED: 23-Oct-2009 12:46 PM PDT
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Samsung DualView TL225 (orange/black)

EDITORS RATING
8.0
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Ultracompact, 12.2 megapixels, 4.6 x, 3.5 in LCD display

THE GOOD

Large automatic shooting feature set; responsive touch-screen navigation; unique dual-screen design.

THE BAD

Adapter needed for HDMI output; microSD card requirement might irk some; touch-screen interface not for everyone; battery charges in camera; whole screen not used for framing shots at full resolution.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The technology-packed Samsung DualView TL225 is the ultimate ultracompact for those who like to be in front of the camera more than they like being behind it.

REVIEWED: 23-Oct-2009 12:46 PM PDT
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Canon PowerShot SD980 IS (silver)

EDITORS RATING
7.6
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Ultracompact, 12.1 megapixels, 5 x, 3 in LCD display, - Integrated

THE GOOD

Small; good lens specs; appropriate mix of touch and button controls; HDMI output; excellent photo color, exposure.

THE BAD

Wide-screen LCD size misleading; touch-screen interface not for everyone; no optical zoom while recording movies.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Canon PowerShot SD980 IS is a very good touch-screen camera for those on the fence about using a touch-screen camera.

REVIEWED: 13-Oct-2009 10:36 AM PDT
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Canon PowerShot SD980 IS (blue)

EDITORS RATING
7.6
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Ultracompact, 12.1 megapixels, 5 x, 3 in LCD display, - Integrated

THE GOOD

Small; good lens specs; appropriate mix of touch and button controls; HDMI output; excellent photo color, exposure.

THE BAD

Wide-screen LCD size misleading; touch-screen interface not for everyone; no optical zoom while recording movies.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Canon PowerShot SD980 IS is a very good touch-screen camera for those on the fence about using a touch-screen camera.

REVIEWED: 13-Oct-2009 10:36 AM PDT
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Canon PowerShot SD980 IS (purple)

EDITORS RATING
7.6
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Ultracompact, 12.1 megapixels, 5 x, 3 in LCD display, - Integrated

THE GOOD

Small; good lens specs; appropriate mix of touch and button controls; HDMI output; excellent photo color, exposure.

THE BAD

Wide-screen LCD size misleading; touch-screen interface not for everyone; no optical zoom while recording movies.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Canon PowerShot SD980 IS is a very good touch-screen camera for those on the fence about using a touch-screen camera.

REVIEWED: 13-Oct-2009 10:36 AM PDT
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Canon PowerShot SD980 IS (gold)

EDITORS RATING
7.6
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Ultracompact, 12.1 megapixels, 5 x, 3 in LCD display, - Integrated

THE GOOD

Small; good lens specs; appropriate mix of touch and button controls; HDMI output; excellent photo color, exposure.

THE BAD

Wide-screen LCD size misleading; touch-screen interface not for everyone; no optical zoom while recording movies.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Canon PowerShot SD980 IS is a very good touch-screen camera for those on the fence about using a touch-screen camera.

REVIEWED: 13-Oct-2009 10:36 AM PDT
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Nikon Coolpix S70 (red/red)

EDITORS RATING
7.4
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Ultracompact, 12.1 megapixels, 5 x, 3.5 in OLED display

THE GOOD

Zippy, well executed touch-screen interface; great tap-and-shoot feature; attention-getting design.

THE BAD

Leisurely performance; battery charging done in camera might bother some; tricky to hold.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Nikon Coolpix S70 has a top-notch touch-screen interface and eye-catching design, but you're definitely paying for them.

REVIEWED: 28-Oct-2009 03:40 PM PDT
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Nikon Coolpix S70 (champagne/light brown)

EDITORS RATING
7.4
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Ultracompact, 12.1 megapixels, 5 x, 3.5 in OLED display

THE GOOD

Zippy, well executed touch-screen interface; great tap-and-shoot feature; attention-getting design.

THE BAD

Leisurely performance; battery charging done in camera might bother some; tricky to hold.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Nikon Coolpix S70 has a top-notch touch-screen interface and eye-catching design, but you're definitely paying for them.

REVIEWED: 28-Oct-2009 03:40 PM PDT
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Nikon Coolpix S70 (black/black)

EDITORS RATING
7.4
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Ultracompact, 12.1 megapixels, 5 x, 3.5 in OLED display

THE GOOD

Zippy, well executed touch-screen interface; great tap-and-shoot feature; attention-getting design.

THE BAD

Leisurely performance; battery charging done in camera might bother some; tricky to hold.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Nikon Coolpix S70 has a top-notch touch-screen interface and eye-catching design, but you're definitely paying for them.

REVIEWED: 28-Oct-2009 03:40 PM PDT
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Nikon Coolpix S70 (champagne/beige)

EDITORS RATING
7.4
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Ultracompact, 12.1 megapixels, 5 x, 3.5 in OLED display

THE GOOD

Zippy, well executed touch-screen interface; great tap-and-shoot feature; attention-getting design.

THE BAD

Leisurely performance; battery charging done in camera might bother some; tricky to hold.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Nikon Coolpix S70 has a top-notch touch-screen interface and eye-catching design, but you're definitely paying for them.

REVIEWED: 28-Oct-2009 03:40 PM PDT
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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35

EDITORS RATING
7.3
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Full body, 12.1 megapixels, 18 x, 2.7 in LCD display

THE GOOD

Useful 27mm wide-angle zoom; excellent image stabilization; full selection of manual and automatic exposure controls; very good 720p movie capture with operational zoom and manual controls; relatively fast.

THE BAD

Noise and compression artifacts in JPEG photos; no hotshoe.

THE BOTTOM LINE

A better-than-average megazoom choice, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35 delivers standout video capabilities and an excellent manual feature set. Still, it suffers from a lot of the same drawbacks as its competitors, including weak photo quality.

REVIEWED: 08-Oct-2009 10:03 AM PDT
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Nikon Coolpix S570 (black)

EDITORS RATING
7.2
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Ultracompact, 12, 5 x, 2.7 in LCD display

THE GOOD

Good lens specifications; Smart Portrait System works well; nice design, feature set.

THE BAD

Middle-of-the-road performance; ISO 1,600, 3,200 not worth using.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Nikon Coolpix S570 is a respectable ultracompact camera, despite average point-and-shoot performance and some high-ISO overpromising.

REVIEWED: 08-Oct-2009 01:18 PM PDT
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Nikon Coolpix S570 (blue)

EDITORS RATING
7.2
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Ultracompact, 12, 5 x, 2.7 in LCD display

THE GOOD

Good lens specifications; Smart Portrait System works well; nice design, feature set.

THE BAD

Middle-of-the-road performance; ISO 1,600, 3,200 not worth using.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Nikon Coolpix S570 is a respectable ultracompact camera, despite average point-and-shoot performance and some high-ISO overpromising.

REVIEWED: 08-Oct-2009 01:18 PM PDT
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Nikon Coolpix S570 (pink)

EDITORS RATING
7.2
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Ultracompact, 12, 5 x, 2.7 in LCD display

THE GOOD

Good lens specifications; Smart Portrait System works well; nice design, feature set.

THE BAD

Middle-of-the-road performance; ISO 1,600, 3,200 not worth using.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Nikon Coolpix S570 is a respectable ultracompact camera, despite average point-and-shoot performance and some high-ISO overpromising.

REVIEWED: 08-Oct-2009 01:18 PM PDT
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Nikon Coolpix S570 (red)

EDITORS RATING
7.2
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Ultracompact, 12 megapixels, 5 x, 2.7 in LCD display

THE GOOD

Good lens specifications; Smart Portrait System works well; nice design, feature set.

THE BAD

Middle-of-the-road performance; ISO 1,600, 3,200 not worth using.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Nikon Coolpix S570 is a respectable ultracompact camera, despite average point-and-shoot performance and some high-ISO overpromising.

REVIEWED: 08-Oct-2009 01:18 PM PDT
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Casio Exilim EX-FC100 (black)

EDITORS RATING
7.0
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Ultracompact, 9.1 megapixels, 5 x, 2.7 in LCD display, 31.9 MB - Integrated

THE GOOD

Amazing high-speed features for size, cost; integrated Eye-Fi support; very good regular performance.

THE BAD

Mixed photo quality; narrow lens; noisy AF system; high-speed modes require low resolutions; no optical zoom while recording movies.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Casio provides affordable, advanced high-speed shooting for the masses with the Exilim EX-FC100, but other aspects lag behind its class.

REVIEWED: 30-Oct-2009 03:46 PM PDT
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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS15 (blue)

EDITORS RATING
7.0
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Ultracompact, 12.1 megapixels, 5 x, 2.7 in LCD display

THE GOOD

Very good design, features for its price; dedicated Intelligent Auto button; wide-angle 5x zoom lens.

THE BAD

Mixed photo quality, performance.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS15 is a well-appointed snapshot camera for the money with the mixed performance and photo quality typical of its class.

REVIEWED: 19-Oct-2009 02:41 PM PDT
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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS15 (black)

EDITORS RATING
7.0
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Ultracompact, 12.1 megapixels, 5 x, 2.7 in LCD display

THE GOOD

Very good design, features for its price; dedicated Intelligent Auto button; wide-angle 5x zoom lens.

THE BAD

Mixed photo quality, performance.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS15 is a well-appointed snapshot camera for the money with the mixed performance and photo quality typical of its class.

REVIEWED: 19-Oct-2009 02:41 PM PDT
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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS15 (silver)

EDITORS RATING
7.0
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

Ultracompact, 12.1 megapixels, 5 x, 2.7 in LCD display

THE GOOD

Very good design, features for its price; dedicated Intelligent Auto button; wide-angle 5x zoom lens.

THE BAD

Mixed photo quality, performance.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS15 is a well-appointed snapshot camera for the money with the mixed performance and photo quality typical of its class.

REVIEWED: 19-Oct-2009 02:41 PM PDT
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Samsung HZ15W

EDITORS RATING
6.2
VALUE WATCH RATING
Poor value
SPECS

12.2 megapixels, 10 x, 3 in LCD display

THE GOOD

Good feature set; miniHDMI out; 24mm-equivalent wide-angle lens with 10x zoom.

THE BAD

Subpar photo quality; menu system too spread out.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Samsung HZ15W has good parts and features, but ultimately disappoints on the whole.

REVIEWED: 05-Nov-2009 10:52 AM PST
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