5 Digital Cameras for Under $100 for Christmas

Cheapism.com

By Louis DeNicola, Cheapism.com

Flipping through old photo albums over the holidays brings joy, often laughter, and memories that have faded over time. These days many people use ever-present smartphones to capture the moment, but others may still prefer a dedicated digital camera. Even the cheap ones have features such as optical zoom, which most smartphones lack (instead they simulate the effect digitally). Cheapism.com has highlighted a number of stocking-ready digital cameras available for less than $100.

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Cameras at this price point can give more expensive models a run for their money in good light, although they tend to struggle when there's limited light available. Luckily, all the digital cameras Cheapism recommends come with optical image stabilization, which helps prevent blurriness in low-light images. All four also house 16-megapixel sensors and shoot 720p high-definition video.

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For anyone who wants a serious step up from a phone camera, a DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) camera is a much more powerful device. These models are heavier, bulkier, and more expensive but more capable than point-and-shoots. They use interchangeable lenses, an upside for those who want to experiment and advance their photography skills. This list includes a great entry-level DSLR in addition to the four inexpensive point-and-shoots. We added one DSLR to our recommendations even though it is over $100 for consumers who are looking for a higher quality camera.

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In addition to the cameras featured here, a couple of others have piqued Cheapism's interest this holiday. The Kodak EasyShare C1550 (starting at $85), a 16 MP camera with 5x optical zoom, was created with the social media maven in mind. Just like on a smartphone, photos can be uploaded directly to social networks including Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr. The Canon PowerShot ELPH 130 used to retail for about $150 but dropped below $100 on Amazon about a month ago. The 16 MP camera has 8x optical zoom and built-in Wi-Fi.

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