Review: Casio tops list of best digital cameras

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By PC World staff writer

(IDG) -- Three new cameras make it into the Top Ten, including one with the best image quality we've seen so far.

Olympus's D-40 zoom leads our new chartmakers this month, landing at number six. It's easy to take with you and has a long battery life. Canon's PowerShot S40 takes eighth place. The S40 has the best image quality we've seen so far, keeping even the smallest details sharp. In ninth, Nikon's Coolpix 885 is compact, and its lithium batteries lasted an impressive 373 shots. Image quality, however, was mediocre, and the controls are confusing. Just missing the chart, Ricoh's Caplio RR1 has an unusual, long, thin body and a pop-up LCD viewfinder that swivels all the way around.

Top 10 digital cameras

Casio QV-4000: The QV-4000 is a flexible, inexpensive camera for families or businesses, and it's easy for people with very different photographic interests and skill levels to use.

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Canon PowerShot G2: Canon's PowerShot G2 offers great photo quality, long battery life, and top-end features for enthusiasts, though it's a bit complicated for novices.

Epson PhotoPC 3100Z: Epson's $699 PhotoPC 3100Z is an excellent general-purpose digital camera that's very easy to use.

Nikon Coolpix 995: The Coolpix 995 is a strong performer that may overwhelm novices.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S85: Despite an oversensitive shutter, the DSC-S85 is a reasonably priced, elegantly designed 4.1-megapixel camera.

Olympus Camedia D-40 Zoom: As a high-end point-and-shoot model with an extensive selection of user options, the D-40 should appeal to those who take recording life's events fairly seriously.

Toshiba PDR-M81: This relatively inexpensive 4.2-megapixel camera creates great-looking photos but lacks advanced features.

Canon PowerShot S40: Learning how to use the fairly pricey PowerShot S40 (and to work around its quirks) can take some time, but its impressive pictures and case design make it worth the investment.

Nikon Coolpix 885: Consider this model if you have your heart set on a relatively inexpensive Nikon with a fairly high pixel count. But learning all of its features may take a while.

Olympus Camedia C-4040 Zoom: Full-featured and relatively easy to use, the Camedia C-4040 is a nice fit for a business user looking seeking a simple yet flexible digital camera, or for serious snapshot-takers who don't like to fiddle frequently with camera controls.