Group test: £100 digital cameras

The price of becoming a digital photographer has long been in freefall, to the extent where it’s now possible to pick up a digital camera for around £100.

However, does a low price lead to a compromise on quality? We decided to find out by testing six cameras from well-known manufacturers that can be bought this Christmas for no more than £100.

While a compact point-and-shoot snapper is not bubbling over with manual features, it will still produce images of sufficient quality for a postcard-sized print. So read on as we explain all the important facts, figures and features to look out for.

Resolution
Most people with a passing interest in digital cameras will be aware that the resolution has a direct effect on the quality of the final image or print. Digital camera resolutions are measured in megapixels (one megapixel is equal to one million pixels).

In theory, the greater the number quoted, the more detailed the photograph. However, there’s a bit more to quality than just big numbers.

The pixels in question are crammed onto a special microchip called a charge-coupled device, or CCD, which serves the same purpose as a frame of film: it collects light.

Aiming for a higher pixel count to guarantee better quality is only a rough rule of thumb; both the CCD and the quality of the camera’s lens have an influence on the look of the final image. This is why two cameras with the same pixel count won’t necessarily produce photos of the same calibre.

Zoom
A proper zoom lens allows the photographer to get a closer shot of the subject without having to physically move forward. Be warned that cheaper digital cameras usually list a digital zoom among their specifications.

In fact, this is not a zoom at all: a digital zoom merely crops the central portion of the image to give the appearance of having zoomed in. As a result, the captured image will contain no more detail than a normal photograph. In other words, digital zooms are all but useless.

Therefore, look for a camera that lists an optical zoom. This is a real zoom (one where the lens physically moves) that will create closer shots without loss of quality. More expensive compact cameras feature internally stacked optical zooms to keep their dimensions as slim and stylish as possible, while others protrude from the body while in use.

Storage
Generally, digital cameras have a small internal memory for storing photos. However, all but the very cheapest models will allow this to be supplemented using a memory card. These come in all shapes and sizes and capacity, which is measured in megabytes (MB) or gigabytes (GB).

The camera’s memory card format shouldn’t influence your purchase too much because they all do roughly the same job. Moreover, prices for additional cards are pretty cheap: expect to pay about £15 to £20 for a 512MB card, which should store a couple of hundred six-megapixel images.

Commonplace card formats include SD (or Secure Digital), MMC (MultiMedia Card), Compactflash (CF), xD-Picture Card and Sony’s Memory Stick. However, don’t worry too much about the format – it doesn’t really matter.