Written by Acacia Bernier, Staff Writer
Read for a thorough discussion of the digital camera fad and a helpful introduction to the most popular brands and types.
The Y2K revival has not just been a clothing phenomenon; it’s also infiltrated the way we take photos. The trend involves the usual, going out to take pictures with your friends, but now we ditch the iPhone and go for our digital camera. The nostalgia and often better quality of photos make many people lean toward the digital camera. It is portable and offers access to high quality with low effort needed, as most are just point-and-shoots. So instead of taking the most-of-the-time mediocre photos with your phone, now it is the aesthetic digicams that have come ahead. So allow me, who has made my own digicam purchases and has researched them endlessly, to give you a little rundown on the most popular, most affordable, and best brands out there for digital cameras.
To get started, I could not do a digicam overview without starting it off with the Canon G7X Mark II, which is a compact 20.1 MP (Megapixels), portable vlogging camera that offers picture-perfect photos with its vibrant and warm color palette and flawless sunset photos. It is the camera of the year and has popped up on everyone’s for-you page. But the price? No wonder it is only the top-notch Instagram influencers that are usually seen using it because it comes at the steep price of $1,250. It has the quality, it has the name, it has it all- but you can decide if it is worth the picture-perfect price or not. Through my research into the Canon digital point and shoot camera, the next best thing is the Canon PowerShot ELPH 360 HS with a 20.2 MP sensor, allowing for crisp, Instagram-worthy shots for $250-$400 dollars, depending on where you are buying it. Known as the Kendall Jenner camera after the celebrity used it, it has also been the buzz around town for female digital camera owners. However, if the prices are still a bit steep, I recommend looking into older models of the Canon PowerShot that may be of less MP, but will surely pack the Canon quality and, in my opinion, more personality and authenticity than the clear-cut cameras of today. Some of these include the Canon PowerShot A560/640, SX230, SX740, or ELPH 180, which range anywhere from $110-$300.
Now let us get into a camera that has also been center stage, for its compact, high quality and great price. The Kodak Pixpro FZ55 has been all the rage due to its 16.4MP quality and straight from the box price of $140. This is incredibly affordable for a brand new digital camera in this age, and it holds a crisp sensor that highlights warm tones and a face toner to pictures that make one look their best. It is lightweight and ensures the utmost portability for any travel.
An older model, the FZ45 is practically its replica with a 16.4 MP sensor as well, but has a slightly lower video quality, coming at a price of $120, which is probably the most affordable new camera on the market. So if you are looking to up your picture game without spending too much on a new Canon or Sony, this Kodak is a great digicam for beginners all around.
Finally, here are some honorable mentions of brands that have made some great models in the past, which you can find for reasonable or even cheap prices at secondhand websites such as eBay or Facebook Marketplace if you are not afraid of some digging around:
- Sony: They have a great line of digicams called Cyber-shots, which capture high-quality shots, compact portability, vibrant color reproduction, and advanced image processing technology, with models like the Cyber-shot DSC-WX9 (16.1MP and $150 on eBay), and DSC- W530 (14.1MP and $200), and DSC-W310 (12.1MP and $50).
- Panasonic: Panasonic has a line of point and shoots that they call the Lumix TZ series, where there are cameras such as the Lumix TZ5 (9.1MP and $85) that you can find at great prices at secondhand stores and have quite good quality and color. With the right settings, you can take some great photos. Newer models, such as the TZ60 (18.1MP and $230), have some pretty advanced features, but again offer great affordability for their quality.
- Nikon: Nikon’s line of digital cameras, called the Nikon Coolpix S-series, was specifically marketed as “style” models for their ultra-slim metal bodies and vibrant colors, making them favorites for the Y2K aesthetic. Such includes the Nikon S220 (10MP and $100) and S3100 (14MP and $110)
- Fujifilm: Fujifilm has released a line called the Finepix Z series that are ultra-slim, “fashion first” digital cameras known for sleek build and signature sliding lens cover. One of which is the Finepix Z90 (14.1MP and $120)