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Digital photography technology made significant advances in the past few years, which ultimately means newer and better cameras are constantly flooding the market. That’s great news for anyone looking to land a good deal on a camera with lots of great features. Today, you can buy a 24-megapixel point-and-shoot with premium features and picture quality rivaling a high-end Sony or Fuji for less than $200.
Here are the best point-and-shoot cameras you can buy for $200 or less.
Samsung is known for cramming a lot of great features into a small package and selling it at consumer-friendly prices. And the Samsung WB350 does exactly that. The WB350F has a 16.3-megapixel CMOS sensor, 21x optical zoom lens, and a boatload of smart features to make photo transferring and sharing a breeze. It can also record in full HD and has a 30-inch hybrid touch display for easy navigation. Because it’s a slightly older model that’s recently seen a price drop, you can get it now for just under $200.
If weight is an important factor for you, consider the Sony Cybershot DSC-WX220. It’s one of the lightest point-and-shoot cameras available right now and packs an 18-megapixel Exmor R sensor, can shoot videos in full 1080 HD at 60FPS, and still manages to squeeze in Wi-Fi and NFC connectivity. Despite its budget price, the image quality rivals that of cameras that cost three times as much.
The Canon PowerShot SX620 is a powerful camera with a 20.2-megapixel CMOS sensor, 25x optical zoom lens, and all the features you’d expect Canon to make standard in all their point-and-shoots. The SX620 also has a Smart Auto feature, which automatically detects the best setting for a clean picture every time. Combined that with the ability to record in 1080 HD and image stabilization, and it’s easily one of the best values in terms of features.
The Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FT30 was made for adventurers. It is a rugged and waterproof camera that’s effective down to 8 meters under water. It’s also freezeproof, dustproof, and shockproof, making it a durable camera that will survive even your wildest weekend. Its 16.1-megapixel sensor isn’t anything impressive, but its 4x optical zoom lens is rare for a camera in this category.
If you’re looking for a feature-rich camera with high zooming power that doesn’t cost a fortune, then look no further than the Sony DSCH300. The DSCH300 is loaded with all the features you’d expect to find in a $500-plus camera. It’s also equipped with a 35x optical zoom lens that can take breathtaking macro shots and portraits with beautiful bokeh effects.
Nikon’s had a difficult time penetrating the point-and-shoot market. That is, until they introduced the Coolpix S7000. It has a 16-megapixel sensor, 20x optical zoom lens, and a 3-inch display. The S7000 can record in 1080P, but it’s most surprising feature has to be its fine zoom. Although it sports a 20x optical zoom lens, it has a Dynamic Fine Zoom feature that enhances the camera’s native digital zoom function and gives you up to 40x zoom on the digital display.
Similar to the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT30, the Fujifilm Finepix XP130 is waterproof, freezeproof, and shockproof. It comes with a 16.4-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor, 5x wide-angle optical zoom, and just enough essential features to get by. And while the image quality won’t impress hard-core photography enthusiasts, its durable construction, easy functionality, and ability to survive a full expedition make it a worthwhile camera for those who love the outdoors.
Think instant-print cameras are dead? Polaroid would like to disagree. Meet the Polaroid Z2300, the marriage between instant gratification and digital photography in the modern age. It’s the perfect two-in-one camera that gives you the convenience of taking digital photography and also the timeless beauty of instant prints. Featuring a modest 10-megapixel sensor and the ability to record videos at 720p, it’s not as impressive on the spec sheet as others on the list. But it’s without a doubt the camera to give you the best instant memories.
