Canon G11 at $439: serious but not SLR-big

If you are looking for a serious digital camera, but do not want to go to the world of SLRs and lenses and hassle and high prices, then, one of your options - if not the only option - if the Canon G11 going for $439 with free S&H by Amazon.com.

This has a nice feature set, and is modest in the number of megapixels (ten), which is a plus these days. Obviously, you cannot expect this to outperform digital SLRs, since their sensors are much larger and they have more advanced electronics. But with this camera you get more convenience and flexibility at a much smaller package.

Fuji Finepix F70EXR for $199

If you are looking for a small compact camera but don't want to give up on zooming, then you may want to investigate the Fujifilm Finepix F70EXR offered by Amazon.com for $199 with free standard S&H.

The camera has a 10-times optical zoom with stabilization, and also Fuji's own SuperCCD EXR sensor.

There are plenty of choices out there but look at the price - for the price of a typical compact camera with a 3-times or 4-times optical zoom, you can get one with a 10-times.

This should go without saying, but you can expect some compromises with this type of a design. It is simply illogical to expect this camera to perform like a $500+ advanced compact, or like one of those drooled-upon f2.8 SLR telephoto lenses.

Nikon Coolpix S1000pj (with built-in projector) for $360

If you are the Engadget-loving type, and hang out at Gimzodo a lot, and even visit Akihabara News in the middle of the night in the hopes of some exciting new gadgets from Japan, then you are probably the ideal candidate for the new Coolpix camera with the built-in projector, the Coolpix S1000pj.

The current price offered at Amazon.com is $360, and this include the usual free shipping from Amazon.

This is the only digital camera right now that has a built-in projector. Obviously, with the CES 2010 trade show coming up during the first week of January 2010, it is quite possible that other manufactures may follow suit, and come up with their own cameras with projection functionality.

But at least for now, the S1000pj is the only game in town...

Flip for these free accessories

If you flip for the Flip camcorder, then you will flip twice when you hear Amazon.com is offering two free accessories when you purchase one of the eligible Flip camcorder models.

There are three Flips to chose from, two UltraHD and one MinoHD, all 120 minutes in terms of storage. The accessory choices are nice too, you can pick two out of nine different ones!

But don't wait to make up your mind - this promotion ends at the close of business on Friday December 18, 2009.

Free 4gb memory card with Canon Powershots

Everybody likes free - free shipping and free 4gb Kingston SDHC memory cards is what Amazon.com is offering when you purchase select Canon Powershot digital cameras.

These are competitively priced cameras, it's not like they are clearing out old models. It includes hot cameras, like the compact S90, the superzoom SX20 IS, SX200 IS and SX120 IS, a number of the cutie Elphs (SD780, SD960, SD1200), and the AA-powered A1100 IS.

Great deal: Nikon L20 (red color) for just $81

It's hard to really ask for more for just $81. That is the price Amazon.com asks for the red Nikon Coolpix L20. This is not chopped meat - it is a camera with plenty of features considering the price, including a 3-inch LCD, face detection, 3.6 times optical zoom, 10 megapixel sensor. It takes AA batteries (rechargeables a good idea!), and the easy to find SD/SDHC/MMC cards in terms of storage.

But that's not all friends. They also offer a free one year subscription to Wired (the magazine), as well as a coupon for a free 12-month photo calendar from Shutterfly.

Those are the freebies, you also get an additional 40% off discount on the price of the DigiPower DPS 3000 charger and battery kit. This looks promising - it is a three hour charger and comes with four AA rechargeable nimh batteries. Its current price is $13, but if you buy it together with the L20, in the same order, both from Amazon.com of course, you can get it for 40% off $13 which roughly comes out to about $7.80. It even has a car charger!

All that for $81 :-) Grab yours now?

Panasonic LZ10K - get it for under $110

There are many digital cameras at around $100 these days. One of them is the more solid and less fashionable Panasonic Lumix LZ10-K, in black body color. You can have it delivered to you for $100 plus $9 shipping fee from J&R World at Amazon.com.

This solid camera has a ten megapixel sensor, with a five times optical-zoom lens, it takes SD/MMC memory cards and AA batteries which you can find easily anywhere in the world.

Better yet for those who want to slowly learn more about photography, it also features manual exposure control, along with shutter priority and aperture priority. This a good way to learn, although the effect of these controls are more pronounced on SLRs and DSLRs.

Fuji J28 with 2gb card and case for just $80

This is a nice bundled deal offered by the great Amazon.com. You can get the Fuji J28 Finepix with a bonus 2gb Fujifilm SD memory card and a Case Logic DCB-16 compact camera case for free. The price is $80 and it includes free shipping and handling.

This is a great price, since you get the memory card and the case which go for about $10 each. The camera has a ten megapixel sensor, and a three-times optical zoom lens. It takes lithium-ion re-chargable batteries (just like the ones in the cell-phones) and the common SD/MMC memory cards.

It's hard to find a better deal for $80!

Samsung SL30 for just $79

Where else are you going to find a P&S digital camera from a brand-name manufacturer with a 3-times optical zoom lens for $79? At Amazon.com, that's where. The camera in question is the Samsung SL30, in black body color, with a ten-megapixel sensor, a three-times optical zoom lens and a 2.5 inch LCD display. It also records 30fps video, takes the common SD/SDHC/MMC memory cards, and has the all-important face detection.

It goes without saying, you can't reasonably expect a $79 camera perform like a $500 digital SLR, so make sure you have the proper expectations if you are jumping in this deal.

You can find out more about it through the customer reviews published at the aforementioned page, and also by checking the various camera review websites (or use the search engines).

Canon SX200 IS can be yours for $292

Looking for a stylish super-zoom digital camera from Canon? How about the black black Canon SX20 IS offered for $292 with free shipping and handling by Amazon.com?

It has a 12-megapixel sensor with a 12 times optical zoom with of course image stabilization, and a 3 inch LCD display on the back. This has some versatility as the lens starts at 28mm wide. It takes the common SD/SDHC memory card and takes proprietary lithium-ion rechargeable batteries.

But that's not the only option. There are plenty of options at this price-range. However, many people prefer or at least trust the Canon name.

Two Tamron zoom lenses for $190

For Canon users looking for affordable zoom lenses for the film SLRs and digital SLRs, we have a special for you. For $190, you can have the Tamron 28-80mm and 75-300mm lenses. These are for the Canon EOS mount.

The lenses work on both SLRs and DSLRs, but please keep in mind that they are entry-level lenses, and considering the price, you can't expect them to perform the same way $1000 lenses do.

Casio EX-Z33 for $100 (multiple cameras)

If you are looking for a starter digital camera with a 3X zoom lens, one of the options is the Casio EX-Z33, available in multiple cool colours at Amazon.com.

It sports a ten megapixel sensor, a three-times optical zoom lens, a 2.5-inch display, face detection, movie recording in the 16:9 aspect ratio that matches your widescreen HDTVs, SD/SDHC memory cards, and proprietary re-chargeable lithium-ion battery (like the cell-phones).