Top 5 Cameras to Gift this Christmas

If you’ve been looking for that perfect opportunity to get someone in your family or friends a digital camera, there’s no better excuse than Christmas. But before you get out there and hunt around for the ideal gift camera, check out the five cameras that we think are hot this season.

Canon Powershot A640
Ah, the perfect blend of price and performance! A 10 megapixel camera resolution, enough manual options to impress even a pro photographer, and fun features that give you enough reason to keep it with you during every occasion make the Canon A640 perfect for just about anyone.

The A640 may not be as pretty or slim as some of the other compact digital cameras in its category, but its huge list of features and its sharp performance make it the most functional by far. The inclusion of the tilt-n-swivel screen and an excellent video recording mode are just the cherry on top. All that and a street price of Rs. 16,000—worth every paisa!

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Pentax Optio W20
A lot of consumer digital cameras these days have an underwater shooting mode, but most of them are not really waterproof. They need an additional housing unit that keeps the camera dry inside, for you to take the camera anywhere close to water. Nice as they may be, housing units are bulky, inconvenient and they make cameras look weird. The Pentax Optio W20 is an actual underwater camera.

The W20 is well protected by a glass-like casing, built into the body itself, which makes the camera completely functional in water without any risk of water-related damage. But it’s not only underwater shooting where the camera excels. The w20 boasts a 7 megapixel resolution and gives excellent image quality, whether you’re shooting in or out of water. So is the MRP of Rs. 18,500 really worth it? You decide.

Keep checking Tech2.com for our upcoming review on this one.

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Kodak EasyShare V610
Compact build, two lenses, 10x optical zoom, Bluetooth connectivity and one of the best photo stitching (for panorama shots) we’ve ever seen from a consumer camera makes this an excellent gift option this Christmas.

Of course, the biggest draw on the V610 is its plethora of features and shooting modes in a relatively compact body, and it’s dual lens system, which may be a bit gimmicky but it does add to the overall appeal. Maybe it’s this appeal that has still kept it’s price tag a bit high at Rs. 20,000.

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50
If you want a superzoom that’s truly your bridge to the realm of SLR cameras, it’s got to be this one. With options like true manual focus, 12x optical zoom and excellent image stabilization is what makes this camera the best buy in its category.

Rs. 36,000 may put its price point at the same league as starter-level SLRs, but then, not everyone is open to high maintenance SLRs, when a superzoom like this one does everything with a lot more ease.

| | **Body
** | Plastic | | LCD Type | 2.0", Vari-angle, 207,000 pixels | | **View Finder
** | Electronic Viewfinder | | Sensor | CCD | | Effective Pixels | 10.0 Megapixels | | Resolutions Supported | 3648 x 2736, 3264 x 2448, 2560 x 1920, 2048 x 1536, 1600 x1200 | | **ISO Sensitivity
** | Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, (3200 boost) | | Optical Zoom | 12x | | **Digital Zoom
** | 4x | | Shutter Speed | 60-1/2000 sec | | Aperture | F2.8 - F3.7 / F11 | | Format | RAW/JPEG | | **Scene Modes
** | Auto, Portrait, Soft Skin, Scenery, Sports, Night Portrait, Night Scenery, Panning, Food, Party, Candle, Fireworks, Snow, Starry Sky, Baby1, Baby2, Snow, High sensitivity | | White Balance | Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Shade, Halogen, Flash, White Set1/2, Manual | | Flash
| Auto, Red-Eye Auto, On, Red-Eye On, Red-Eye Slow Sync, Off, Slow Sync (1&2) | | Self Timer
| 2-10 secs | | Video Resolution | 848x480 @ 30FPS (16:9) 640x480 @ 30FPS (4:3) | | Video Format
| MPEG4 (QT)
| | Sound | Yes | | Street Price
| Rs. 37,000/- |

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Pentax K100D
When money’s no object and the person you’re gifting is really passionate about photography, then this one’s definitely the hottest camera you can gift this Christmas. The Pentax K100D is one of the most user friendly digital SLR cameras in the market today, which makes it an excellent gift option for prosumers and casual users alike.

At 6 megapixels it may be a bit short on the resolution, but make no mistake–this camera absolutely rocks when it comes to things that really matter like image quality, speed and overall performance. If you don’t mind the Rs. 46,000 price tag, then the K100D wont let you down.