Top 10 cameras of July

Yet another month has gone by, though August looks to be more exciting, especially with the annual COMEX 2006 fair coming right up from August 31 to September 3. If luck has it, since manufacturers don't usually set firm dates on when new shooters will hit the market, we should see the Casio's Exilim EX-Z700, Pentax's K100D, Pentax's Optio S7 and Sony's Cyber-shot T10 before month end.

Meanwhile, leading the chart are Panasonic's Lumix FX01 and TZ1 at the top two spots for July. We also saw a bit of shuffling last month. Sony's Cyber-shot T30, Canon's PowerShot S3 IS and Olympus' Mju 720SW moved a couple of slots down, while Canon's Digital IXUS 800US and Casio's Exilim EX-Z1000 continued to make its way up the list.

Fujifilm's high-ISO shooter--the FinePix F30--remained solidly entrenched in the No. 9 spot, with two new entrants Canon Digital IXUS 60 and Nikon Coolpix S6 making their first Top 10 appearance for July.

Note: Results are based on readership and polls conducted with selected retailers (Alan Photo Trading and Cathay Photo Store) in Singapore.

Click here for a feature comparison table.

	1.	Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX01   CNET Asia rating: 7.8 out of 10 The good: Wide-angle (28mm) lens; wide-aspect video recording at 30fps; dual image stabilization; High Angle LCD; uses same battery and charger as FX9 and FX8. The bad: No manual features or optical viewfinder; slight barrel distortions at 28mm wide angle; chromatic aberrations in the form of blooming and purple fringing; unable to select desired ISO level in High Sensitivity mode. The bottom line: The Lumix FX01 proves to be a compact shooter that performs, just like its previous incarnations, though it misses the mark in terms of image quality. Review | See full specs | Rate this
	2.	Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ1   CNET Asia rating: 7 out of 10 The good: Firm handgrip on camera facilitates one-hand shooting; familiar and user-friendly menu interface; 10x optical zoom for still and motion image shooting; travel-related functions. The bad: Removable lens cap a hassle; lack of manual (aperture- and shutter-priority) controls; can shoot a total of only three frames in Fine image quality; slow zoom startup; noisy images beyond ISO 800. The bottom line: For users who don't care for manual options on a 10x optical zoom camera, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ1 is a good choice. Review | See full specs | Rate this
	3.	Canon Digital IXUS 800 IS   CNET Asia rating: 7.8 out of 10 The good: Great performance and pictures; effective image stabilization; attractive, comfortable design. The bad: No aperture-priority or shutter-priority modes; awkward optical viewfinder and power button. The bottom line: The Canon IXUS 800 IS has practically everything you could want in a compact camera, though you might think the price tag a bit steep. Review | See full specs | Rate this
	4.	Casio Exilim EX-Z1000   CNET Asia rating: 7.4 out of 10 The good: Sturdy body with an elegant design; simple and intuitive interface; continuous shooting with flash; negligible shutter lag. The bad: Unusable pictures at high ISO settings; effective 2.5-inch screen estate; slow continuous shooting. The bottom line: The trendy design and user-friendly features manage to steal some thunder from this high-resolution shooter. However, the Exilim EX-Z1000 is still a basic digicam targeted at users who want a high-resolution camera. Review | See full specs | Rate this
	5.	Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T30   CNET Asia rating: 7 out of 10 The good: Large 3-inch LCD screen; optical image stabilization; 58MB of built-in memory. The bad: Bulkier design; flimsy battery and memory stick compartment cover; camera's back tends to retain fingerprints; slow flash recharge cycle; no unlimited continuous shooting mode; noisy images at ISO 800 and ISO 1,000. The bottom line: The slightly bulkier Cyber-shot T30 (compared with the Cyber-shot T9) is targeted at those looking for a compact-sized shooter with a large LCD screen. Review | See full specs | Rate this