The Best Digital Cameras of 2009

Here are the top digital cameras of 2009. Chose one as a gift or for yourself. This year, the winners were selected in terms of camera type instead of size, to reflect recent changes to the digital camera market since we now find that ultra-compact cameras are more varied and that compact to medium sized models are increasingly rare.

For each digital camera type, the best overall model available this year was selected, emphasizing on image quality above all else. Alternate choices are presented when a model in the same category shows a significantly different feature set but does not drastically compromising on image quality. The top DSLR cameras are divided into a few categories due to huge price differences among them.

The digital cameras shown below are outstanding models in their respective categories. They are chosen for outstanding image quality, feature set, performance and value relative to cameras in the same category. If none of these models suit your needs, see our buying guide's model pages.

Select a category below to jump to the chosen models. If you are not sure which category would suite you better, consult the Choosing Basics section of the buying guide.

• Jump to Ultra-compact
• Jump to Small Ultra-Zoom
• Jump to Large Ultra-Zoom
• Jump to DSLR

Making digital cameras this small requires compromises. Choosing among them means deciding which compromises we can accept. In return, we get a camera which can unobtrusively be taken anywhere and more photo opportunities. The most drastic compromises are found in ultra-compact digital cameras.

Top Pick

Fuji Finepix F200 EXR		What you will like Fantastic image quality suitable for large prints Excellent low-light capabilities at high-ISO Extremely good dynamic range Very good lens sharpness Speedy focus, zooming and shutter-lag Very good LCD visibility Limited manual controls in an ultra-compact What you may not like Interface is twisted and complex feature interactions No physical aperture, so no control over depth-of-field Poor average battery life using proprietary battery
The Fuji Finepix F200 EXR combines a wide-angle 5X optical zoom lens, image stabilization, ultra-high ISO and a 12 megapixels SuperCCD EXR sensor which features a revolutionary design.   The image quality of this digital camera is so fantastic that it even outperforms pretty much every fixed lens camera. This one is clearly the low-light and dynamic-range champion in this category and by a wide margin at that.	Buy from Amazon.ca

Small ultra-zoom digital cameras are plentiful. With sizes varying between ultra-compact and compact, these models pack at least 7X optical zoom and up. Just a few years ago, this was only possible with much larger models. Inevitably the size of the lens determines the compromise between focal-length and optical quality, although sensors are roughly the same now across most fixed-lens cameras from a given company.

Top Pick

Fuji Finepix F70 EXR		What you will like Fantastic image quality suitable for large prints Excellent low-light capabilities at high-ISO Extremely good dynamic range Speedy focus, zooming and shutter-lag Very good LCD visibility Limited manual controls in an ultra-compact What you may not like Interface is twisted and complex feature interactions No physical aperture, so no control over depth-of-field Poor average battery life using proprietary battery
This is the ultra-zoom version of the excellent F200 EXR. It packs a 10 megapixels sensor and a 10X optical zoom lens instead. High ISO and dynamic-range performance are just as great. The longer lens shows a bit of edge-softness and distortion but within reasonable limits.   This time, and because the S90 is not an ultra-zoom, nothing at all compares to this camera in terms of performance for the small ultra-zoom category.

Large cameras are very capable. In addition to a complete feature-set, these cameras can be equipped with outstanding optics and ergonomically-designed bodies. Compared to DSLR cameras, large cameras provide WYSIWYG live-preview with relatively fast auto focus and are not prone to sensor dust. Their only true limitation is having a fixed lens.

Fuji's SuperCCD EXR is really the winner this year as they now have 3 EXR models, with image quality beyond any competitors. Without new sensors, the only way other can compensate is to use brighter lenses as in the compact category.

Top Pick

Fuji Finepix S200 EXR		What you will like Extremely low image noise Extremely good dynamic range Superb image sharpness Flexible color rendition and good white-balance Mechanically linked 14X optical ultra-zoom DSLR-style ergonomics What you may not like Above average purple fringing Preview not always accurate and tiny viewfinder Slow to wake-up after auto-off Not as wide-angle as competitors or S100 FS
The Fuji S200 EXR now displaces its precursor as the most sophisticated camera every built, at least according to Fuji. Even though they always drop the old acronyms from new models, the S200 in fact has extra dynamic range (EXR), film simulation (FS), face-detection (FD), pro-focus and pro-lighting modes, all technologies that Fuji pioneered. Its lens gives it a 30-465mm 14X optical zoom range, giving it an impressive but not class leading range.   The S200 EXR has most features found on DSLRs, except it cannot swap lenses. Full manual-controls, manual focusing, bracketing, custom white-balance, high-ISO and a hot-shoe are all there.	Buy from Amazon.ca

DSLR cameras top image quality, speed of operation and versatility. As such, all DSLR cameras are great photographic tools. While you cannot go wrong with any DSLR, some are better than others. Moving from a fixed-lens type of camera, results from a DSLR cannot fail to impress. The most important differences between DSLR cameras are features and lens choices. Note that all DSLR cameras have full manual controls, custom white balance, various metering modes, high-ISO, continuous drive and a flash hot-shoe.

The Advanced DSLR category tied this year again because of the compromises available from manufacturers. In this category there is the Canon EOS 7D, Nikon D300S, Olympus E-3 and Pentax K-7. Of these, the K-7 is the richest in terms of features and while it does show class-leading performance in many areas, both Canon and Nikon kept their lead in terms of speed, drive and continuous auto focus, making those better choices for fast action. On the other hand, the K-7 has unique features such as automatic horizon correction and the highest weather resistance of any DSLR.