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Digital cameras: New tests, Ratings reveal best models

Our upcoming digital cameras coverage highlights a shift in the camera marketplace that’s affected how we test cameras.

Most digital cameras today have megapixels galore, a large LCD, fairly long battery life, and take fine pictures in good light. So new models are trying to distinguish themselves by adding new features, stylish designs and improved performance in difficult situations—shooting in low-light, compensating for back-light, and capturing fast-action sports scenes, for examples.

We've upgraded our digital camera tests to better evaluate these more ambitious models. How the new point-and-shoot cameras and digital SLRs fared in our more rigorous testing process can be seen in our latest digital camera Ratings (available to subscribers only) now online. These new camera Ratings, along with our new video guide to buying a digital camera (Click on the player at right), will help you find the best camera for your needs.

Here are some previews and highlights from the "Best digital cameras" report, appearing online soon:

• Our new tests reveal a wider range of performance results, with some cameras rising to the tougher challenges—and a number falling short.
• The performance distinction between point-and-shoots and SLRs is blurring. Hint: Some point-and-shoots excelled in dim conditions—traditionally an SLR strength—while a few SLRs faltered.
• Our new image-quality tests combine the judgments of our experts with software analysis for sharpness, color accuracy in a variety of conditions, and other attributes. The result: No point-and-shoot camera received an Excellent image quality score. Only two SLRs scored Excellent image quality—with some of the older models receiving lower image-quality scores than previously reported.
• A new "dynamic range" test evaluates a camera's ability to successfully capture a shot under widely varying light conditions. Cameras with high dynamic range scores are capable of rendering detail well in the very dim and the very bright areas of an image. The worst performers all but obliterated those finer points.

If you're taking advantage of Memorial Day weekend store sales and shopping for a new digital camera, you'll find more free digital camera buying advice on ConsumerReports.org.