Camera companies recognize that no matter how high-tech a compact digital camera may be, if it clashes with your latest style, it's simply a fashion disaster, dahlink. That's why almost all camera companies now have at least one line of cameras that either boast sleek design, a range of colors, or both.
But while fashion-friendly digital compact cameras may be glitzy, their appeal is more than skin-deep: they range from extremely capable general-use cameras which can deliver fine images in auto mode to high-tech marvels with highly-specialized features and sophisticated image quality control choices for more advanced users.
And, believe it or not, many fashion-friendly cameras are bargain-basement priced.
Of course, you like your homely compact camera, that's OK. There are hundreds of camera-fitted cases (also known as a skin), designed to fit snugly over specific camera models. There may be one available for yours.
If you're serious about both your attire and your photography, the cameras I've selected here won't disappoint you on either count.
And so, here are five cameras that have been chosen for their appeal to the haute couture as well as the bargain-basement fashion crowds. And check out the two unusual (and expensive) novelty cameras all the way at the end. Read on--the runway awaits!
Canon PowerShot SD780 Digital Elph
Price: approximately $230. Get current pricing
Overview: The Canon Elph line of cameras has carved out a fashionable niche for itself over several generations of cameras since it was first introduced as an APS film camera in the 90s. The camera has evolved, going digital, but never veered from its high-design ambitions. The SD780 is a 12-megapixel pocket camera that's all about fashion and high-definition stills and video, and offers Face Detection so users can easily photograph all their fashionable friends
The juicy details: 12MP resolution for stills, 720p HD movie recording, an ISO range from 80-1600, noise reduction for long exposures, auto red-eye correction, lots of photo effects including vivid color or black-and-white, ability to accurately record lighter or darker skin tones. Lots of shooting modes: Auto, Program, Portrait, Foliage, Snow, Beach, Sunset, Fireworks, Aquarium, Underwater, ISO 3200, Indoor, Kids & Pets, Night Snapshot, Color Accent, Color Swap, Digital Macro, Long Shutter, Stitch Assist, Movie
It comes in colors: Red, Black, Silver or Gold (shown).
Who would love it: Anyone who wants elegance but also wants a very functional camera that will excell in flattering people photography.
Casio Exilim Card EX-S5
Price: Approximately $140. Get Current Pricing
Overview: Super-thin (it’s only .7 inches thick) and stylishly colored, the Casio EX-S5 proves that you don’t have to spend big bucks to look like a million and get great pictures. The camera offers basic point-and-shoot simplicity but lets you shoot as close as 4 inches, and lets you post your pictures on Facebook and videos on YouTube, making this a great camera for teens.
The juicy details: 10MP sensor, 2.7-inch LCD monitor, 3x, 35-106mm (35mm equivalent) optical zoom lens, 8 white balance settings, ISO range 64-1600 (we recommend shooting at ISO 200 or less for best results), face detection, VGA-quality movie recording, 9:16 format aspect ratio.
It comes in colors: Pink, Blue, Purple.
Who would love it: Teens and the parents who pay for the camera.
Fujifilm FinePix Z37 (shown in purple)
Price: approximately $130. Get current pricing
Overview: Cute clamshell design and internal zoom lens distinguish this sleek, curvy creature. Clad in a variety of bright colors, this camera will stand out in a crowd. But don’t let the bling blind you to its cutting-edge features, which includes face detection, image stabilization, scene recognition (which chooses which group of settings is best for any particular kind of scene) and a 10 megapixel sensor. And if you turn the camera around, the touch-button back controls are going to get a lot of "oohs" and "ahhs."
The juicy details: 10MP sensor, 3x optical 35-105mm f/3.7-4.2 internal zoom lens, red-eye correction, group self-timer (camera waits for photographer to get into the picture) anti-blur mode for sharper shots, intelligent flash balances flash and ambient light for more natural results, auction mode for uploading shots to eBay. One-touch movie button makes it easy to shoot and share on YouTube. 2.7-inch LCD monitor, ISO 64-1600, program autoexposure, focus to 2 ft. Face detection can finds faces in a scene, sets the camera to optimum combination of focus, exposure and color balance for flattering results. According to our field test this feature really works!
Special shooting modes: SR Auto (Scene Recognition Auto), Auto, Natural Light, Manual, Anti-blur
SP: Portrait, Landscape, Sport, Night, Night (Tripod), Sunset, Snow, Beach, Party, Flower, Text
It comes in colors: Blindingly saturated Purple, Green, and Blue.
Who would love it: Anyone who takes lots of people pictures but is plagued by lack of proper focus. And teens!
Nikon Coolpix S60
Price: approximately $240. Get current pricing
Overview: Nikon's internal-zoom, pocket-sized S60 (the "S" is for style) is backed by a big touch-screen 3.5-inch LCD viewfinder that makes this both fashionable and way-cool. To add braun to its beauty, the S60 can record HD videos, has image stabilization and can record 10MP high-resolution images. The brushed metal casing and choice of colors gives this camera serious fashion creds.
The juicy details: 10MP resolution, 5x optical internal zoom (38-180mm 35mm equivalent), Optical image stabilization, 720p HD movie and voice recording, ISO range 64-3200 (although we don't recommend shooting higher than ISO 400), smile and blink warning, in-camera red-eye fix, second-generation face-priority AF, D-lighting (lightens dark shadow areas), 50MB built-in memory, 2.5-inch LCD, Auto image rotation, EV compensation +/-2EV, and the very impressive Scene Selector, which automatically chooses the most relevant scene mode for any shooting situation.
Scene modes: Handwritten Memo, Food, Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Night Portrait, Party/Indoor, Beach/Snow, Sunset, Dusk/Dawn, Night Landscape, Close-up, Panorama Assist, Museum, Fireworks Show, Copy or Back Light modes.
It comes in colors: Espresso Black, Burgundy (shown), Champagne Pink, Crimson Red, Arctic White, and Platinum Bronze.
Who would love it: Anyone who takes lots of people pictures at parties and other occasions.
Olympus Stylus 9000
Price: approximately $235. Get current pricing
Overview: An update of Olympus's stylish Stylus line, the exterior of this pocketable digital camera oozes elegance while its electronic inside is state-of-the-art. A wider-than-usual 28mm wide angle lens lets you get everyone into the group shot, even in tight places, while the 12MP sensor gives you sharp detail when shooting at low ISO settings. Image stabilization reduces the number of shaky shots, while Intelligent Auto is claimed to pick the best scene mode so you have a very good chance of getting the right exposure. Red-eye removal, auto exposure fix, panorama stitching and face tracking are also included, and if you’re a social networking butterfly, you can easily upload images and movies to YouTube and blogs using Olympus Master 2 software, which is included.
The juicy details: 10X optical zoom lens (28-280mm, 35mm equivalent, f/3.2-5.9), 12MP sensor. ISO range 64-1600 (although we recommend shooting no higher than ISO 200 for best image quality), Shutter speeds ¼-1/1000 sec, Digital ESP, spot metering, face detection AE; Focus as close as ½ inch from the front of the lens in Macro.
19 Shooting Modes: Intelligent Auto automatically chooses one of the following based on scene information: Program Auto, Sensor-Shift Image Stabilization, Beauty Mode, Scene Modes (1. Portrait, 2. Landscape, 3. Night Scene. 4. Night+Portrait, 5. Sport, 6. Indoor, 7. Candle, 8. Self Portrait, 9. Sunset, 10. Fireworks, 11. Cuisine, 12. Documents, 13. Beach & Snow, 14. Pre-Capture Movie), Movie
It comes in colors: Champagne (shown), Black.
Who would love it: If you have a taste for elegance but still expect high performance operation, this camera is ideal.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T90
Price: approximately $260. Get current pricing
Overview: Sleek and pocket-sized, the T90 has pared moving parts to a minimum. The optical zoom lens zooms within the camera’s casing, while the camera is controlled via a generous 3-inch, touch-sensitive, wide aspect ratio LCD monitor—a feature that’s sure to get an “oh, wow” whenever you step into the room. Face detection delivers high-quality people pictures, but the camera’s “magnifying glass mode” lets you focus to within an incredible half an inch of the front of the camera. Both still and video capture is high-definition.
The juicy details: 12MP sensor, 4x Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens with 38-152mm (35mm equivalent) range. Shutter speeds 2-1/1000 sec. ISO range 80-3200, macro focus to less than ½ inch. 720p HD Video at 30fps, in-camera editing includes red-eye correction, soft focus, cross filter, retro, happy face. Face Detection can detect and prioritize up to 8 faces. Touch priority: Touch a face on screen and camera will remember face for priority focus and exposure in future shots.
Shooting Modes: Intelligent Auto / Easy Shooting / Program Auto / Movie (Auto Adjustment / High Sensitivity / Underwater) / Scenes(High Sensitivity / Twilight / Twilight Portrait / Portrait / Landscape / Beach / Snow / Fireworks / Hi-speed Shutter / Underwater / Gourmet)
It Comes In Colors: Black, Silver, Teal, Brown, and Pink.
Who would love it: Stylish geeks, social networkers, and anyone who can match Teal.
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