Top 5 card-sized cameras
Card-sized cameras, sometimes known as fashion cameras, have
been the rage recently. Once a niche category cornered by Konica Minolta and Casio,
this segment has seen growth with entries from the likes of Sony and Canon, traditional consumer and imaging giants. It's not hard to see why, too. These diminutive units have proved popular with the upmarket crowd and more so with
the ladies--a sector that's been left relatively unaddressed with the majority of
compact cameras.
With the advancement of technology, the miniaturizing of products
does not mean a reduction in features or quality. In fact, you'll find
4- or 5-megapixel sensors readily available for such form factors, along with
optical zooms of up to 3x thrown in. These days, card-sized fashion
cams more than hold their own.
 Click here for a feature comparison table.
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1. |
Canon Digital IXUS
i
CNETAsia rating: 8.0 out of 10
The good: Small
size; fast startup; easy to use; good looks; pretty decent performance
and image quality.
The bad: No
optical zoom; no optical viewfinder; expensive for the specs.
The bottom
line: A stylishly designed ultracompact that gives sleek fashion
cameras from Casio and Konica Minolta something to worry about.
Review | See full specs
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2. |
Casio Exilim EX-Z40
CNETAsia rating: 7.8 out of 10
The good: The
size; the weight; fast startup; provides useful hints; optical zoom;
improved battery life.
The bad: Requires
a cradle for charging and uploading images; image quality hasn't improved
noticeably.
The bottom
line: A pocket camera that offers both 3x optical zoom, zippy
performance and strong battery life, making it the perfect travel companion.
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3. |
Konica Minolta Dimage
Xg
The good: Weighing only 155g (4.3 ounces) without battery or media, this camera is very light for a compact.
The bad: None noted, given available product data.
The bottom
line: Designed for capturing everyday surprises, since it easily
slips into your pocket or purse.A recommended use, based on key features,
is printed snapshots.The largest recommend print size, estimated from
the camera's resolution, is A4.
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4. |
Kyocera Finecam SL300R
CNETAsia rating: 8.0 out of 10
The good: Open-ended
high-speed burst mode with 3- to 4-frame-per-second capture; very little
shutter lag; simple automatic operation; sleek, ultracompact design.
The bad: Small,
hard-to-use controls; no shutter-priority mode; no optical viewfinder.
The bottom
line: This svelte snapshot camera's high-speed capture ability
sets a new performance standard, making it an excellent pick for the
casual sports and action photographer.
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5. |
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T1
CNETAsia rating: 8.0 out of 10
The good: Small
size; fast startup; easy to use; good looks; high resolution; large
LCD; good battery life.
The bad: Tendency
to blow out highlights; unpractical night shooting modes; battery isn't
locked into place; middling image quality; no optical viewfinder.
The bottom
line: A stylishly designed ultracompact that grabs most of
the best features from other diminutive camera makes.
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