Shoot at sight

We live in a Nano-age and it is natural to lust after gadgets that are compact while still making no compromises on their basic features. Slim digital cameras or “ultra-compact” as they are called, can be easily slipped into a purse or a pocket so that you never miss an opportunity to take a picture. Since these put a premium on their size and style while still retaining the best of technology in the segment, they do not exactly come cheap.

If you are an amateur wanting to capture some of the best moments of your life for posterity, here are some smart picks for this festive season:

Capable Casio

Casio may not be the first name that you associate with digital cameras, but of late, the company has produced some of the most capable point-and-shoot gadgets.

Small enough to fit into the palm of your hand, the Casio EX-Z1 has a 10 megapixel sensor, 3X optical zoom lens and a 2.7-inch LCD screen. Besides, to help you take pictures without fussing over settings, the Casio Z1 offers 23 best shot scene modes, face detection, easy mode for beginners, electronic anti-shake, YouTube mode for uploading video directly to the site, and can shoot 16:9 wide-screen format movies.

Priced at around Rs 11,000, the Casio EX-Z1 is one of the better looking digital cameras in the market, hitting the right balance between style and substance. 

Your first digi cam

The Nikon Coolpix L20 can be your first step to digital camera photography. This camera, which is the latest in Nikon’s entry-level lineup, packs in 10 megapixels, 3.6X optical zoom lens, and point-and-shoot operation with automatic scene mode selection, which essentially means that you don’t have to bother about lighting or any other camera setting. The Coolpix also has a motion detection feature that will help you in eliminating those blurred pictures. There’s also face, smile and blink detection, for those who can’t get enough of people photos. Overall, Nikon Coolpix L20, which costs only Rs 6,500, is great news for people who don’t want to get involved in their camera’s settings at all. 

Stylish Sony

The Sony Cyber-shot S950 is one slim digital camera that doesn’t look or feel cheap. The S950 has 10 megapixels, a 4X zoom lens, a 2.7 inch LCD to view your pictures and face detection, and automatic shooting features to make life easier for amateur photographers. It retails at about Rs 7,680 and is an ideal camera for those casual and non-spontaneous pictures over Sunday brunches. 

Unique features by Fuji

This one sets itself apart with unique features like a blog mode that enables you to upload pictures for quick and easy sharing. Ideal for tech-savvy users, FujiFilm FinPix Z10FD comes with two movie modes with sound, six white balance modes, and 18 shooting modes. Users can play with various picture and light modes. It has a 2.5-inch colour LCD for easy viewing. You have image storage options with 54 MB of internal memory and the option of using SD or SDHC cards. This ultra compact camera comes in several colours and will only set you back by around Rs 6,700.