Canon PowerShot SX540 HS Digital Camera

It was the photographic stone age when I made my first pictures – Back then we stuffed our Kodak Instamatics with something called a “film cartridge” and trusted luck our pictures would “turn out.” There were no dials, rings, zooms, or shutter speeds. No settings of any kind. And to see our pictures — often ugly and off-color — meant a trip to the corner drugstore and a wait of several days. 

Then, I ran a successful photography studio for eighteen years, and I watched things change plenty. Today, for less than $300, you can reap the quality and versatility the pros pay thousands for. 

Canon PowerShot SX540 HS Digital Camera

My first “real” camera was a Canon. I’ve used them through my photojournalist days and later in my studio.

Flashback to 1934 when the “Kwanon” 35mm camera was introduced by Precision Optical Industry Co. – now called Canon Inc. and considered a world leader in cameras and office equipment.

I’m talking about the PowerShot SX540 HS for novices or anyone who wants a versatile camera that’s a breeze to use and carry. For just $299.99, it does everything but make the coffee.

Let’s start with a CMOS sensor (for the old folks, that’s where the film used to go) and a blazing 20.3 megapixels (That’s a lot. And the more you have, to a point, the sharper and clearer your pictures). 

Now check this out: This crazy little camera sports an incredible 50x optical zoom. With the push of a button, you can launch from a 4.3mm wide-angle view to a strong 215 mm telephoto lens. It’s great for stargazing or spying on your friends and family. 

But as you’re counting acorns on trees in the next county, your shots could look a tad bit shaky, so Canon built a vibration reduction system right into the lens.

Thanks to a broad ISO selection of 80-3200, you can shoot in low-light situations and never need a tripod. ISO is photo-jargon for the light your sensor needs to make a picture. The higher ISO, the less light you need, and 3200 makes you practically a night shooter. Well, twilight, anyway.

There’s insufficient space for all the many features, but here’s a partial roundup:

Lightning-fast autofocus, wireless Wi-Fi for sharing with your friends, a full 3-inch viewer, auto modes for soft-focus and monochrome poster effects, continuous shooting up to 6 frames per second, fish-eye effects mode, a super-high-speed shutter, and lots more.

And of course, the PowerShot SX540 HS makes great videos as well.

Nikon Coolpix B500 Digital Camera (Black)

As a company, Nikon predates Canon, celebrating its 100th “birthday” in 2017. For decades these corporate giants have battled for the title of Japan’s premier camera maker.

Fun fact: In the US, “Nikon” appears at the top of every camera. In Japan, they get an extra “k,” as in “Nikkon” (pronounced Neekone).

Anyway, the Coolpix B500 is a great camera, and for the same low price as the Canon. 

At 16 megapixels, the B500’s CMOS image sensor is slightly less impressive than its Canon rival. But that’s hardly a big deal. Unless you’re making barn-sized photos, 16mp will do you fine. And you’ll keep more space on your computer.

The B500 features a 40x optical zoom lens with a superb anti-shake provision, a lightning-fast autofocus, a built-in flash, a 3-inch viewing monitor, remote operation, and Wi-Fi connect for sharing.

And like the Canon, the B500 makes awesome videos.

Everyone’s heard of Sony, the Japanese electronics giant. But did you know it was named after Sonny Bono? I’m joking. Sony was not named after Sonny Bono. 

A relative newcomer to digital, or any sort of cameras, Sony offered up their first commercial camera, the Mavica, in 1984, followed by the now-famous CyberShot line in 1998.

The H300 presents a long array of features, outrageous for cameras in its price range (it sells for $199.99).

They include shutter speeds of up to 1/1500th of a second to freeze all but the fastest motion, a totally respectable 20.1 digital sensor for solid digital images, a 35x optical zoom for getting up-close and personal, and even a movie mode.

Need more? This Sony jewel goes even further with a 280x digital zoom to augment its optical mainstay. Now, compared to optical, a digital zoom is something like a smoke and mirrors thing. But hey, it sounds like fun, right?

With a really long zoom, it can get a little tough to keep your pictures steady. But relax. Built inside the H300 is a wondrous optical stabilizer to help correct the “camera shake,” which is normal at high magnifications.

But if you’re looking for green men on Mars, maybe get a decent tripod.

And that’s all you get. All except auto redeye correction, a self-timer (for those perfect pictures with your friends), ISO sensitivity to 3200, and shooting modes like: night scenes, landscapes, soft skin, beach, snow, and fireworks.

Oh, and the Sony H300 makes pretty good movies, too.

Kodak is more than 130 years old, trademarking its still famous name in 1888. For most of those years, they owned the world of film — whatever that is, right? 

All this was before the Japanese upstart, Fujifilm, came gunning for them. Almost before they knew it, the American icon had lost a sizable chunk of their 90% market share. Limping from their losses — and their slowness in the digital market — Kodak filed for bankruptcy in 2012.

But now they’re back... and with an amazing array of super-low-priced, feature-rich cameras.

A prime example is the Kodak AZ421-Astro Zoom. For an almost trivial $179.99, you can score an easy-to-use “bridge camera” (made for amateurs, but with some pro features).

Let’s call off a few: First, there’s the quite respectable 42x optical zoom with stabilization. We follow that with a 16mp CMOS sensor, panoramic capability, multi-mode focus (including object-tracking), continuous shooting, sensor sensitivity up to 3200 ISO, and multi-mode exposure. 

While priced a little higher than some entry-level cameras, at $297.99 MSRP, the rock-solid Lumix FZ80, by Panasonic, brings a slew of quiet, but impressive features to the table.

Yes, the 18.1 megapixel sensor falls just sort of the “magic 20” you may be used to seeing. But believe me, it’s more than adequate for a casual shooter, or even many pros.

But hey, focus on this: A 20 -1220mm (60x) zoom lens with optical stabilizer and a top aperture of f/2.8 (whew) makes this unassuming little box more than just “point and shoot.”

The aforementioned f/2.8 aperture — a lens opening uncommon to amateur cameras —  fits nicely with the maker’s claim of superior low-light performance.

And the FZ80 sports a high-resolution viewfinder and LCD display (1040 dots) said to read clear even in bright sunlight, USB charging, and even Wi-Fi connectivity.

But where this camera truly shines may be in the making of its movies. The little pooch features, yes, believe-it-or-not, full 4K video recording capabilities — usually offered only in a much higher-priced instrument. That’s ultra HD video, filmed at 30 frames per second, folks!

So, if you’re in the market for a good “bridge,” or starter camera, any one I’ve listed here should fill the bill.

Good luck and Happy Shooting!