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When looking for a good digital camera, it is always best to read the latest reviews one can find. Whether these reviews come from technology magazines or those that are based online –make sure that your source gives honest to goodness reviews and not reviews trying to sell a certain brand of camera. Sources that do the latter usually do not give factual information or they tend not to supply information that will make the camera look bad –whatever camera this may be.

Photo Via dosprimaseventives.com

If there is a controversy when it comes to digital cameras, it would be the question of which camera brand is the best. It won’t be a question about which one sells the most expensive cameras out there or the cheapest for that matter but which camera brand produces cameras that take the best photos and have the best features. If you base it on sales however, Amazon says Canon is the most popular camera brand there is. Canon is definitely a bestselling camera brand and one cannot blame camera enthusiasts from buying a Canon because Canon is a good camera brand. One of the most popular Canon cameras ever produced is the PowerShot A570 IS.

We can hear you arguing right now that the popularity of a brand does not necessarily contribute on how good it is. The question is, how will you determine which one is the best brand? It can be because of their service, the design of the cameras they produce, the quality of the images these cameras produce and the best user experience.

The best cameras one can find can come from Olympus, Sony, Nikon and Canon. There are other digital cameras to choose from of course but these four brands are definitely the best out there and are also the easiest to find no matter where you are.

Nikon is one of the leaders in the Digital SLR market today and over the years, Nikon has delivered to the market loads of great products at prices a notch under its major competitors. With products from the entry to the professional level, Nikon caters to all kinds of consumers from  absolute beginners to the more serious photographers with quality that can and will compete in the digital photography world. Let’s take a run-down at the top 10 Nikon DSLRs.

Nikon D90 Taking the top spot on the list is Nikon’s D90. This mid-range camera is the upgrade to the 10 megapixel D80. Although the jump for a higher resolution, just a 2 mega-pixel difference, wasn’t that significant, the D90 still packs features that D80 users might just want to upgrade.Such a feature new to the D90 is its video capability. While taking high definition videos is great, the larger 3-inch LCD screen makes it an even better experience.

Nikon D5000 The D5000 is a relatively new addition to Nikon’s entry level line-up. Sporting the same sensor with the D90, it can also shoot videos at 720p but is limited only to 5 minutes per clip. Being an entry-level DSLR, it’s cheaper than the D90 and it’s Canon contender. New to this model is it’s variangle, 2.7-inch LCD screen.

Nikon D300 DX An upgrade to the D300, the D300 DX sports a bigger 3-inch LCD screen built with tempered glass. A more robust body, this pro-model camera is one of 2009’s best sellers.

Nikon D60 After the D40 debuted as Nikon’s first entry-level DSLR, its success was then followed by the D60. The D60 comes with a bigger image sensor, and a great Active Dust Reduction System which removes dust from the sensor.

Nikon D80 The D80, an upgrade from the ground-breaking D70, takes a leap from 6 megapixels to 10. Although it essentially has the same body build as the D70 and the D70s, the D80 is a bit smaller but not compromising performance and quality.

Nikon D200 Inheriting its functions from the pro-model D2 line, the D200 was made to contain new innovative Nikon technology. Essentially, the D200 is like a compact, less pricier D2x.

Nikon D700 The D700, another superb camera in the professional line, is built with new FX-format sensor which almost equals the full-frame cameras out there. Live View capable, shoot through the D700’s tempered glass TFT LCD screen.

Nikon D3 The D3 is no joke. It’s built for the very serious of all photographers, that enjoy speed and performance. Capable of shooting 9 frames per second, Nikon kept the sports photographers in mind when they designed the D3.

Nikon D2Xs Replacing the D2X, the D2Xs keeps some of the forms of the D2X with more than just a little upgrade and tweaks. Now with a better battery life, a larger LCD screen, and in-camera post-processing features like cropping.

Nikon D3X After the highly-praised D3 come the D3X upgrade. New for 2009, this new to the pro-line can shoot twice bigger images than the D3. Sporting a 24.5 mega-pixel sensor and capable of holding two CF cards at the same time for more storage!

Most of the newest cell phones have integrated cameras in them and this may be hurting the market for digital cameras. With a cell phone that can do almost anything for those on the go and the less discriminating, a cell phone with a camera is good enough – no need for a digital camera anymore. While pictures taken from cell phones are not that good, handset manufacturers are trying to tip the market into their favor.

A research firm called iSuppli says that the digital camera market is having a hard time since they are not selling the way they used to. According to iSuppli’s representative Pam Tufegdzic, “Handsets soon may begin to cannibalize the low end of the digital still camera market as they incorporate higher megapixels and flash capabilities.”

This will however not bring much of a damage to the camera market especially for enthusiasts but this means that lower end cameras would have to deal with the competition other than their peers in camera manufacturing.

2009 was a good year for cameras. This year, there are better cameras and rumor has it that there will be 3D cameras soon. There are Canon rumors that the digital camera manufacturer will be releasing a full-frame model designed for wedding photographers. According to the grapevine, the said 3D unit will be able to capture an amazing 32 megapixels. Canon’s 60D is also the buzz in the world of photography and will be released after the Winter Olympics.

If you liked Nikon’s D90, maybe a D7000 is something you will like more. Rumor has it that the D7000 will be hitting store shelves in the 3^rd quarter of 2010.  There will also be 8 new lenses from Nikon but the official press release is not yet out. In other Nikon news, the Nikon D700 is rumored to being phased out.

For the Sound of New York (Sony) a mirrorless cam is the buzz as part of its newest creations to be released this year. For those trying to save some money but still want a Sony camera, wait for the low-end models from the digital camera producer because it will be completing its Sony Alpha line up soon.

Valentine’s Day is near and many digital camera lovers are looking for gift ideas for their digital camera-loving lovers. If you are out of ideas or are tired of giving photo albums and photo frames you can try some of these:

Pandigital’s Digital Greeting Cards

If you think sending a greeting card is already a cliché, no with Pandigital’s greeting cards. For a card with a resolution of 142 x 142 integrated in the card and has a USB port integrated in it –this can be a rather unique Valentine’s Day card. The card’s programming is compatible with Macs and PCs so you do not have to worry about transferring your message to your own computer. Pandigital’s photo greeting card costs $9.99 each.

Sony Cybershot

Getting a Sony digital camera for your loved one is an extravagant gift –well not as extravagant as jewelry but if your girlfriend or boyfriend loves digital cameras, you can be sure that the DSC-HX1 from Sony will make his or her heart melt.

This camera has 20x optical zoom and other features that are also in Sony’s Alpha models. It has a full resolution of up to 10 ftps and a tilting LCD. This baby can also record HD videos. Cool right?

Olympus Housing

If your loved one has an Olympus E-PL1 and he or she loves to take pictures underwater. Then an underwater housing should be something that you should get for him or her. Olympus recently announced its underwater housing for the E-PL1 and this should be a great gift since it is the very first waterproof housing for a powerful camera.

Both Rolleiflex and Leica have miniature digital versions of their classic camera models.

The Rolleiflex Mini Digi AF 5.0 digital camera comes in both classic coal black and head-turning vivid red, though it is likely that anyone wearing a miniature Rolleiflex around his/her neck will be turning heads regardless. Weighing in at 2.7×4.4×6.2 inches and 15.7 ounces, the Rolleiflex Mini Digi fits right in the palm of your hand. Despite its intriguing size, the photos it produces are nothing to write home about.

It should be understood, however, that these cameras are only novelties and not meant to replace any DSLR or even a current point-and-shoot.

The camera captures classic square-cropped images at 5 MP (though more like 3 MP), albeit at low quality. The Rolleiflex Mini Digi can currently be purchased for $299 at Amazon.

Similarly, the Minox DCC Leica M3 weighs in at 2.9×1.1×1.7 and 3.8 ounces. Several users of the camera have noted that the body is clearly made with plastic, a disappointment to some, though reasonable given the size of the camera. Would anyone really want  that small of a camera to weigh any more? It has more appeal to be worn as a novelty charm on a necklace than to be used as a serious camera. Either way, the camera’s charming quality makes it a great conversation piece and works just fine to take snapshots wherever you are. The Minox Leica has a 5 MP sensor with 3 MP hardware resolution. It can even take 320×240 video clips. The Minox DCC Leica M3 is on sale at Amazon for $149.