High Technology Product Reviews | Trends and News

If you're looking for a camera with big zoom, without breaking the bank, the 14.1-megapixel Kodak EasyShare M580 is a fantastic choice. This pocket shooter delivers 8x optical zoom, along with excellent image and HD-video quality, all at a $199.95 (direct) price that's hard to beat. The M580 doesn't have the slim build you'll get on some other cameras in this price range (like the Canon PowerShot SD780 IS ($229.99, ) or the Sony Cyber-shot W350 ($199.99, ), but what the M580 lacks in portability, it makes up for with excellent image quality, a large LCD, and big zoom. Specifications Type Compact Megapixels 14 MP Media Format Secure Digital High Capacity 35-mm Equivalent (Wide) 28 35-mm Equivalent (Telephoto) 224 Optical Zoom 8 x LCD size 3 inches Wireless Connectivity No HD Video Capture Yes Design and Features Undoubtedly the best feature of the M580 is the 8x optical zoom lens it packs into a 1-inch thick body. The nondescript camera comes in a me...

The 12-megapixel, Nikon Coolpix S4000 is among the least-expensive cameras on the market to offer a touch screen interface. The touch experience on this camera isn't particularly glitzy, but it's perfectly functional and is complemented by a few, smartly selected physical buttons. Also, the 3-inch display is much sharper than most other under-$200 point-and-shoot cameras. The S4000 also performs somewhat better in low light than other shooters in this price range, but in all lighting conditions, this camera produces softer images than much of the competition. Another problem: there's no optical or mechanical stabilization—most budget cameras offer some kind of image stabilizer on the lens or image sensor to avoid blurry images. With the Nikon S4000, you need to decide whether a touch screen interface is worth sacrificing image stabilization for—and we don't think it is. Specifications Type Compact Megapixels 12 MP Media Format Secure Digital High Capacity 35-mm...

The $499.95 Fujifilm Finepix Real 3D W3 is a true 3D camera—it packs two lenses and two image sensors into a pocket-friendly build. The W3 snaps large 10-megapixel 3D images, and shoots 3D video in 720p24 high-definition that you can view in 3D on the camera's LCD, or on a 3D HDTV or a 3D-enabled PC. With the touch of a button, the W3 also becomes a capable (though expensive and somewhat bulky) 2D camera. The W3 is not a difficult camera to operate, but shooting photos that look good in 3D can be challenging. Not every image you shoot is going to look good in 3D—in fact, most images I shot during testing were very difficult to view, and some actually hurt my eyes to look at. Specifications Type Compact Megapixels 10 MP Media Format Secure Digital High Capacity 35-mm Equivalent (Wide) 35 35-mm Equivalent (Telephoto) 105 Optical Zoom 3 x LCD size 3.5 inches Wireless Connectivity No HD Video Capture Yes Design and Features Other than the two lenses, the camera loo...

The 14.2-megapixel Nikon D3100 is a great entry-level digital SLR, and at $699.95 (list, with 18-55mm lens) it's the least-expensive D-SLR to capture 1080p video. It also includes a feature no other D-SLR has, continuous autofocus during video recording, which makes the D3100 feel like a camcorder while it's shooting. The camera can detect faces, lock on, and adjust the focus automatically to make video capture even easier. The only problem is that the lens isn't silent, so every time it refocuses you'll hear it. The Sony Alpha55 SLT-A55VL has faster autofocus, and the Sony NEX-3 and the Panasonic Lumix GH1 can focus silently, but if you want continuous autofocus in a true D-SLR, plus a true optical viewfinder, the Nikon D3100 is your only choice-but it's a good one. Specifications Type D-SLR Megapixels 14.2 MP Media Format Secure Digital High Capacity, Secure Digital Extended Capacity 35-mm Equivalent (Wide) 18 35-mm Equivalent (Telephoto) 55 Optical Z...

On the surface, the 16.2-megapixel, Sony Alpha55 ($849.99 with 18-55mm lens) looks, feels, and shoots like a traditional D-SLR, but it's different on the inside. Sony uses Translucent Mirror Technology in the Alpha55, which gives the camera always-on access to its phase detect autofocus sensor, so it can autofocus between still shots faster than most traditional D-SLRs. It also allows for blazing-fast continuous autofocus during video recording—something no D-SLR can do. Image quality is also D-SLR caliber. But there's one major trade-off here: the Alpha55 doesn't have a true optical viewfinder. Translucent-mirror cameras use only electronic viewfinders (EVFs), which could be a dealbreaker for some photo enthusiasts. Specifications Type D-SLR Megapixels 16.2 MP Media Format Secure Digital High Capacity, Memory Stick Pro Duo, Secure Digital Extended Capacity 35-mm Equivalent (Wide) 18 35-mm Equivalent (Telephoto) 55 Optical Zoom 3 x LCD size 3 inches Wireles...