Top 10 digital cameras

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By PC World staff writer

(IDG) -- Price before pixels: Though we often crow about the ever-increasing resolutions offered by high-end digital cameras, most of us shop the low end of the market.

This month, the Olympus Camedia D-370 leaps to No. 1. Despite its paltry 1.3-megapixel resolution, our tests showed that the D-370 can create pretty 4-by-6 prints.

The other newcomer, Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-P50, brings more pixels to the party but costs twice as much. The discontinued HP Photosmart 618 and Fujifilm FinePix 2400 Zoom exit the chart, while the Toshiba PDR-M65 enters, thanks to a $100 price drop.

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Top 10 digital cameras

Olympus Camedia D-370: If you're really trying to save money and you want a very simple digital camera for pictures to send via e-mail or print at 4-by-6 size, the D-370 is the perfect camera for you. But if you want larger prints or greater control over your shots, we recommend that you spend a bit more on a camera with a higher pixel count and more features.
Toshiba PDR-M61: A solid general-purpose camera for buyers who need to strike a balance between features and price.
Olympus Camedia Brio D-100: The D-100 is small and light enough to carry around wherever you go. It would make a fine pocket camera for traveling photographers, assuming you're not concerned about making enlargements of your shots.
Kodak DX3500: The DX3500 is a fun family camera, especially if your only interest in photography is to record life's more memorable events.
Toshiba PDR-M65: If you want to print digital shots at large dimensions without dropping wads of cash, consider the PDR-M65. However, you may spend lots of time trying to rescue color-botched shots.
Olympus Camedia C-2040 Zoom: The C-2040 is a solid, general-purpose digital camera that lets you go fully automatic or be manual and creative. If you like enlargements and are picky about fine details, opt for the C-3040.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P50: The Cyber-shot DSC-P50 accomplishes its goal of being easy to use, and it takes attractive images. However, it ships stripped, so you'll have to shell out substantially more to get acceptable battery life and a usable amount of storage space.
HP PhotoSmart 315: For the price, the PhotoSmart 315 is an easy-to-use, basic snapshot camera for anyone who wants to keep picture-taking very simple.
Canon PowerShot A20: The A20 might appeal to people who want to pull a camera out of a pocket or purse and snap off a quick shot or two without needing to set lots of controls.
Ricoh RDC-5300: This Ricoh is relatively expensive, given its somewhat limited features. But you do get a varied photo software bundle and easy-to-use control settings.