Top Digital Cameras Under $200

If you are in the market for a digital camera, you may have noticed that there are literally hundreds of cameras on the market today. How do you know which cameras are the best? Do you need to spend an arm and a leg to get a good camera? No! Here is a list of the top five consumer-rated digital cameras under $200.

Canon PowerShot A620

The highest megapixels you will probably find in a digital camera under $200 is the Canon PowerShot A620, which can be found online for $197.95. This camera has a whopping 7.1 megapixels! This is great quality for the price. The following are some of the great features of this great camera:

• 4x optical zoom, 4x digital zoom
  
• 
  
• The camera runs on AA batteries, which is great because rechargeable AA's are easy to find, and relatively inexpensive
  
• 
  
• Short shutter recycle time
  
• 
  
• Comes with 32 MB memory card
  
• 
  

There are few negatives for the Canon PowerShot A620, except that it does not have an internal memory. This is a great little camera for the price!

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ3

The second great budget digital camera is the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ3. This camera boasts five megapixels, and can be found online for 169.00. A little cheaper than the Canon, but with a lower resolution. Here are some of the great features of the Lumix DMC-LZ3

• Runs on AA batteries
  
• 
  
• Large two-inch LCD screen
  
• 
  
• Contains optical image stabilization, which helps stabilize the image in shaking hands
  
• 
  
• 14 MB internal memory
  
• 
  
• 6x optical zoom and 7.5x digital zoom
  
• 
  

There are a few drawbacks to the Lumix DMC-LZ3 as follows:

• Short battery life
  
• 
  
• No viewfinder
  
• 
  

Canon PowerShot A420

The third camera I recommend at the under $200 price range is the Canon PowerShot A420. The PowerShot A420 has a resolution of 4 megapixels. It is a small camera, and easy to handle. You can find the PowerShot A420 online for $132.99. Here are some of the features of the PowerShot A420:

• 3.2x optical zoom, 3.6x digital zoom
  
• 
  
• AA batteries
  
• 
  
• Large 2 inch LCD screen
  
• 
  
• 16 MB internal memory
  
• 
  
• Allows manual focus option
  
• 
  

This camera has a few negative features as follows:

• Not very durable-breaks easily
  
• 
  
• Small sensor
  
• 
  

Pentax Optio M10

The fourth camera in the under $200 price range is the Pentax Optio M10. The Optio M10 has a resolution of six megapixels, which is very high for the low online price of $158.00. Here are some of the great features of this little camera:

• 3x optical zoom, 4x digital zoom
  
• 
  
• Auto and manual focus option
  
• 
  
• Extra large 2.5 inch LCD
  
• 
  
• 22 MB Internal memory
  
• 
  
• Lithium Ion battery
  
• 
  

This is a great, high-resolution camera for the price. Some of the down sides are as follows:

• Pictures are high in red eye
  
• 
  
• Batteries are expensive to replace
  
• 
  

Olympus FE-115

The final camera under $200 is the Olympus FE-115. The FE-115 has a high 5-megapixel resolution, and can be found online for the astonishingly low price of $113.99. This is a lot of resolution for a low price. Here are some of the positive features of the camera:

• 2.8x optical zoom, 4x digital zoom
  
• 
  
• Lithium Ion battery
  
• 
  
• Easy to use
  
• 
  
• 28 MB internal memory
  
• 
  

This is definitely a camera for the beginning digital photographer. The seasoned photographer will be frustrated by the following:

• Few special features
  
• 
  
• Small 1.5 inch LCD screen
  
• 
  
• No viewfinder
  
• 
  
• Some users find the software difficult to use
  
• 
  

The bottom line about digital cameras is that the technology has come down in price over the last two years. You can now get a quality, high-resolution camera without needing to take out a second mortgage on your house. These five cameras are just some of the many that are available under $200, but they are highly rated by people who own them. Any of these cameras will be a good budget digital camera for you. Do your research to find which features you want in your digital camera, then go out and get it! Soon you will be entering the exciting world of digital photography!