Tap, point, and shoot: Touch-screen digital cameras
Joshua Goldman, Senior Editor May 3, 2010
Aside from their "wow" factor, there are good reasons for adding touch controls to point-and-shoot cameras. For one, there's the convenience of being able to simply tap an icon with your fingertip to make a fast setting change. Also, you get unique features like being able to select what you want to focus on just by tapping on the subject in the display. Nikon's S70, Samsung's TL225 and TL220, and the higher-end interchangeable-lens Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2 let you focus and shoot through the touch interface.
In playback mode, manufacturers have made it easy to flip through images by dragging your finger across the screen or zoom in on an area with a tap. Some models also give you the ability to write on a photo and save a copy, which can be both fun and practical.
There are some downsides, though. Touch screens add to the cost of a camera and the interfaces can be slow, especially compared with physical controls. Plus, using the screen for everything puts a real hurt on battery life.
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| Price | $293.99 | $694.99 | $213.29 | $213.36 to $262.69 | ||
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| Review date | April 02, 2010 | April 26, 2010 | October 12, 2009 | October 28, 2009 | December 03, 2009 | |
| The Bottom Line | The Canon PowerShot SD3500 IS offers up decent photos, touch-screen controls, and an ultrawide-angle lens, but that's pretty much where the excitement ends. | Although the photos look a hair noisier and overprocessed compared with many competitors, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2 has a lot to recommend about it--including a flip-and-twist touch-screen and speedy performance. | The Canon PowerShot SD980 IS is a very good touch-screen camera for those on the fence about using a touch-screen camera. | The Nikon Coolpix S70 has a top-notch touch-screen interface and eye-catching design, but you're definitely paying for them. | The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX1 is a first-rate ultracompact party companion that excels at snapshots, but those expecting superb photo quality for its price should pass on it. | |
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| Features | ||||||
| Type | LCD display - TFT active matrix - 3.5 in - Color | LCD display - TFT active matrix - 3 in - Color | LCD display - TFT active matrix - 3 in - Color | OLED display - OLED - 3.5 in - Color | LCD display - TFT active matrix - 3 in - Color | |
| Product Type | Digital camera - Compact | Digital camera - Mirrorless system | Digital camera - Compact | Digital camera - Compact | Digital camera - Compact | |
| Digital zoom | 4 x | Info unavailable | 4 x | 4 x | 2 x | |
| Light sensitivity | ISO 1600 ISO 800 ISO 100 ISO 200 ISO 80 ISO 400 ISO auto | ISO 3200 ISO 1600 ISO 800 ISO 100 ISO 200 ISO 6400 ISO 400 ISO auto | ISO 1600 ISO 3200 (2Mpix) ISO 800 ISO 100 ISO 200 ISO 80 ISO 400 ISO auto | ISO auto (80-200) ISO auto (80-800) ISO 400 ISO 1600 ISO 6400 (3Mpix) ISO 800 ISO 100 ISO auto (80-400) ISO 200 ISO 3200 (3Mpix) ISO 80 | ISO 3200 ISO 125 ISO 400 ISO 1600 ISO 800 ISO 200 ISO auto | |
| Optical sensor type | CCD | Live MOS | CCD | CCD | Exmor R CMOS | |
| Dimensions (W x D x H) | 3.9 in x 8.7 in x 2.2 in | 4.9 in x 2.9 in x 3.3 in | 3.9 in x 0.9 in x 2.1 in | 3.8 in x 0.8 in x 2.4 in | 3.7 in x 0.7 in x 2.3 in | |
| Weight | 5.6 oz | 13.1 oz | 4.6 oz | 4.9 oz | 5 oz | |
| Lens System | 5 x x Zoom lens - 4.3 mm - 21.5 mm - F/2.8-5.9 | 3 x x Zoom lens - 14 mm - 42 mm - F/3.5-5.6 Micro Four Thirds | 5 x x Zoom lens - 4.3 mm - 21.5 mm - F/2.8-5.9 | 5 x x Zoom lens - 5 mm - 25 mm - F/3.9-5.8 | 4 x x Zoom lens - 6.18 mm - 24.7 mm - F/3.5-4.6 | |
| Video capture | H.264 - 1280 x 720 - H.264 - 640 x 480 - H.264 - 320 x 240 - | AVCHD Lite - 1280 x 720 - QuickTime - 1280 x 720 - QuickTime - 848 x 480 - QuickTime - 640 x 480 - QuickTime - 320 x 240 - | H.264 - 640 x 480 - H.264 - 320 x 240 - H.264 - 1280 x 720 - | Info unavailable | MPEG-4 - 1280 x 720 - MPEG-4 - 640 x 480 - | |
| Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | |
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