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Best budget digital cameras

Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned amateur, sometimes you just want a cheap camera that can do the job. We round up a few of the best buys available under AU$400.

Olympus Mju Tough 6010

The 6010 does exactly what it says on the tin and takes photos in extreme circumstances. It's unfortunate that they're not the best photos they could be.

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Reviews

  • Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1

    The Lumix DMC-GH1 proves that there's fight and fury in the Micro Four Thirds format, with brilliant HD video quality and great still images.

  • Canon PowerShot SX120 IS

    Canon's SX120 IS pocket megazoom falls behind the competition in every aspect except photo quality.

  • Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX65

    It's a good camera that can take some beautiful pictures, but for the price and the lack of extra features, the FX65 doesn't live up to our expectations of value — and its video quality is terrible.

  • Fujifilm FinePix F70EXR

    The FinePix F70EXR has a lot to offer underneath its standard exterior, like its 10x optical zoom.

  • Fujifilm FinePix S1500

    Even for a full-featured megazoom camera at a low price, the Fujifilm FinePix S1500 delivers average photo quality and mixed performance.

  • Sigma DP2

    The Sigma DP2 doesn't really live up to the promise of its Foveon sensor, but it does excel for shooting in black and white photos.

  • Canon IXUS 110 IS

    The 110 IS sacrifices quite a lot in order to accommodate its curious styling and additional features. Images aren't as great as we'd expect, but that doesn't mean they're not any good — you'll just have to do a bit more tweaking to get the best out of this camera.

  • Ricoh CX1

    For a very reasonable price of AU$599 you get a proficient compact camera with heaps of features, great dynamic range and, dare we say, sexy styling for a Ricoh. Pity about the noise issues and lack of HD video, then.

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Features

  • iPhone photography: Art or gimmick?

    The camera on the iPhone isn't exactly the best you can get, but does that mean photos taken with it can't be artistic? We analyse the merits of a new type of photography — iPhone-ography.

  • Tech trends for digital cameras

    Itching to upgrade your old camera but not sure what to look for? Well, here's a summary of what we think will make or break a compact shooter this year.

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The Explain Series