Geeky Gift Guide 2011: Best digital cameras

There are a myriad of digital cameras in the market today. Choosing the best one can be a pretty much tricky business. We provide you with the best of 2011. Have a look.

1. Cyber-shot Digital Camera WX9

Cyber-shot Digital Camera WX9

Target: This camera from Sony is meant to be a pleasant gift for those who want a wide range of functions at a low price.

Price and availability: Priced at $139, this camera is available at amazon.

Why you should buy

It is a 16.2 MP compact digital camera with a 25 mm wide angle lens and a 5x zoom. The lens is a Carl Zeiss vario-tessar which is pretty fast to zoom in and zoom out. It has some neat features like the superior auto mode which helps to take a sharper image in tougher conditions. The WX9 can also take 3D panoramic images. It can capture full resolution images at 10 fps which is difficult to get in other cameras with this price range.

2. Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS

Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS

Target: This one is for those consumers who want to make a style statement and want cameras with slim and sleek profiles.

Price and availability: Priced at $149, this camera is available at amazon.

Why you should buy

It is a slim, compact, pocket sized and stylish camera. The PowerShot ELPH 300 HS has a 12.1 MP CMOS sensor. The 300 HS is also part of Canon's sensor system which stands for high sensitivity. That means the pixels are larger and the sensor has a better light gathering.It also shoots at 1080p HD video at 24 fps. It can also optically zoom in video mode. This camera can recognize 32 different scenes and it also adopts the toy camera and we can also shoot in super slow motion.

3. Panasonic DMC-ZS8

Panasonic DMC-ZS8

Target: If you are not in a mood to spend a lot of your hard earned cash but at the same time desire a camera which has speed and gives a great photo quality, go for this one.

Price and availability: Priced at $149, this camera can be availed at amazon.

Why you should buy

The Panasonic DMC-ZS8 is basically a strip down of the other versions of Panasonic. It has a 24 mm wide angle lens with a 16x optical zoom. The ZS8 is a speedy camera with low shutter lag and short shot times. It also does well with continuous shooting. The photo quality is identical, or even better than that of ZS10. It also comes standard with intelligent auto mode and features like image stabilization and face detection.

4. FinePix F550EXR

FinePix F550EXR

Target: This one from Fuji is for those who hardly bother about style but need a camera with a myriad of functions.

Price and availability: Priced at $228, this camera is available at amazon.

Why you should buy

This camera has a 16 MP sensor, 15x optical zoom and a pop up flash. It has a GPS receiver on it. Even when the camera is not on, it will still be collecting data to make for a quick GPS fix. It has an interesting EXR mode as found in most Fuji cameras. What that does is that it will adjust every setting within the camera. The 550EXR also has a separate button for video recording mode. It can shoot full HD up to 11 minutes.

5. Nikon Coolpix S9100

Nikon Coolpix S9100

Target: The Coolpix S9100 targets any kind of photographer, be he a hobbyist or a professional.

Price and availability: Priced at $329.95, this camera can be availed at amazon.

Why you should buy

This one from Nikon is packing a 25 mm wide angle lens and 18x zoom. That is longer and wider in most in this category. It is also using a 12 MP back side illuminated CMOS sensor that improves low light photo quality and shooting performance. This camera is very fast as there is no shutter lag and the shot to shot delay is barely more than a second. You won't get much manual settings so as to simplify things. It also captures video in full HD at 30 fps.

6. Kodak EasyShare Max z990

Kodak EasyShare Max z990

Target: This camera can be a special gift for the geeky guys.

Price and availability: Priced at $330, this camera is available at amazon.

Why you should buy

The Max z990 has got a 12 MP CMOS sensor built into it with a 30x zoom lens. The CMOS sensor in this camera lets you have great low light pictures. It also lets you have a very fat read out so that you can have a burst on this camera. It also has creative modes that allow you to create high dynamic range which takes three shots with one press of the shutter. It also has a share button on the back which will allow you to upload the photos and videos.

7. Pentax Optio wg-1

PENTAX

Target: This camera is for those who are always on the move, traveling to different places. People who love doing under-water photography will be swayed by this one.

Price and availability: Priced at $249, it can be availed at amazon.

Why you should buy

The best thing about this camera is that it is water proof and shock proof. It lets you take 14 MP pictures and 720p video anywhere in the world. There is also a digital microscope mode to get you up close and personal. It has 5 LEDs on the front and they will give you even lighting when you are shooting up close to the lens.

8. Canon PowerShot S95

Canon PowerShot S95

Target: This camera is purely recommended for those who have a real passion for photography.

Price and availability: Priced at $298.99, this camera can be availed at amazon.

Why you should buy

G12 is the latest in the decade long succession of G series cameras from Canon. This one has a 10 MP sensor, 720p HD movie recording capability and a 35 mm focal length between 28 mm to 140 mm. It also has 5 times zooming capability. This G camera has an optical view finder and a hot shoe. The photos taken from this one were absolutely amazing.

9. Olympus PEN E-PL3

Olympus PEN E-PL3

Target: This one from Olympus is meant to be for professional guys.

Price and availability: Priced at $599, this camera is available at amazon.

Why you should buy

The middle body is well constructed in this camera. The resolution is 12.3 MP. It also has an adjustable screen which can be tilted upwards up to 90 degrees and downwards up to 45 degrees. There is no pop up flash. Instead, you get a dedicated flash light through the hot shoe accessory port. The E-PL3 offers a good range of shooting range which includes program, aperture priority and shutter priority.

10. Canon EOS Rebel T3i

Canon EOS Rebel T3i

Target: Those who do photography for the sake of fun should not think about this one. This is strictly meant to be for professionals.

Price and availability: Priced at $886, this camera can be availed at amazon.

Why you should buy

The EOS T3i can shoot in 30 fps in 1080p video mode and 60 fps in 1280p. It comes with an intelligent auto mode which is basically an auto pilot for this camera. We also get that 18 MP CMOS sensor. The T3i ships with an 18 to 135 mm kit lens that has auto focus and image stabilization.