NEW - Ken Gilbert

$499 & UNDER SPECIAL By Philip Ryan
It’s no secret that we love
pricey DSLRs. They represent some
of the best imaging technology you
can get. But sometimes that’s more
than you really need. And let’s be
real—some of us just don’t have the
budget for an $8,000 Nikon D3X.
That’s why we chose 10 cameras,
many of them just announced,
ranging from $300 to $499, that
caught our eye with their relatively
low cost and impressive features.
Here’s how to get big
fi repower for little cash
—without a DSLR
CANON
POWERSHOT
SX200 IS
12.1MP • $ 350, street
• www.powershot.com
An obvious answer to the pint-sized
TZ5 from Panasonic, Canon packed a
12.1MP sensor, 12X (28–336mm full-frame
equivalent) f/3.4–5.3 optically stabilized
zoom, and 3-inch LCD into a camera
body that’s small enough to easily fi t in a
jacket pocket. Keeping with the current
trend, the SX200 can capture 720p HD
video. The bonus: Unlike some cameras,
it has a mini-HDMI output, so you can
connect it straight to your high-defi nition
TV to watch the footage.
CASIO EXILIM
EX-FC100
9.1MP • $ 350, street
• www.casio.com
Casio made big waves when it released
its EX-F1 and EX-FH20, both of which
shoot extremely fast, full-resolution bursts
72 WWW.POPPHOTO.COM POP PHOTO MAY 2009