Posted by Photo-John on November 27, 2017
People have been asking me for Holiday camera recommendations so I put together a quick, last minute Cyber-Monday camera guide. I picked a few categories and chose one camera for each. Not all of these cameras are on sale but they’re all models I highly recommend. And some of them are marked down quite a bit. If nothing else, this list will help point people in the right direction. I also expect most of these prices to stay the same or even get better after Cyber-Monday. So you probably don’t need to buy, immediately.
The red “Buy It” links and photos will take you directly to the camera shopping pages on Amazon. If you use the links to shop and make purchases at Amazon, I make a small percentage. That helps pay for the time it takes me to stay informed and make camera recommendations. I appreciate your support.
The Sony A6000 is a discontinued model that, amazingly, continues to be available. It was my top pick mirrorless camera back in 2015 and it’s still a hell of a camera – especially now that you can buy it with a lens for under $500. It’s very compact, has outstanding image quality, built-in Wi-Fi, a tilting LCD display and great 1080 60p video. The newer models are better. But if you don’t already have a reasonably current DSLR or mirrorless camera, you’re not going to be able to tell the difference. You’ll be better off buying the A6000 and spending the difference on a really good lens.
Panasonic Lumix ZS50 – $279
I’m a big fan of what I call “pocket superzoom” cameras. These are pocket-sized cameras with 10x or longer zoom lenses. The Panasonic Lumix ZS50 was my top pocket superzoom pick in 2015. It’s discontinued now but it’s still available and holds up really well. The ZS50 has an incredible 30x optical zoom lens, PASM manual shooting modes, RAW capture, full HD video, an electronic viewfinder and more. If you’re in the market for a powerful, pocketable camera, the only way you’re going to do better than the Panasonic Lumix ZS50 is by spending over $100 more for the current model, the ZS70.
Canon PowerShot ELPH 360 HS – $179
The Canon PowerShot ELPH 360 is a current camera and it’s not really on sale. However, it sells for under $200 and has a fantastic feature set, including a 12x optical zoom lens, full HD video, a great 20-megapixel sensor and built-in Wi-Fi so you can transfer photos to your phone. I’ve had a version of this camera in my point-and-shoot buying guide since I started writing it. I’ve also given my wife two Canon PowerShot ELPH cameras as gifts and she absolutely loved them. They’re tiny, powerful, convenient and affordable – perfect for kids or adults who want an easy-to-carry camera that does more than a Smart Phone but doesn’t require a lot of technical knowledge.
Olympus Tough TG-5 – $399
I’ve been a big fan of the Olympus Tough waterproof point-and-shoot cameras since they were first introduced. The TG-5 is the current model and they made a lot of improvements, including a new 12-megapixel sensor with much better image quality. It also has manual exposure controls, RAW capture, a 4x f/2.0 optical zoom lens, built-in Wi-Fi and 4k as well as 120 FPS high-speed video for slow-motion action videos. It’s waterproof to 50 feet (15m), can handle drops of up to 7 feet (2.1m) and it’s freezeproof so you can take it out on powder days with no worries. Whether you want a kid-proof camera or a pocket camera that’s able to survive all your outdoor adventures, you’re not going to find anything better than the Olympus Tough TG-5.
I hope you found this camera guide useful. You can use the Mirrorless Camera Guide and Point-and-Shoot Camera Guide links above to learn more and see more camera recommendations. As stated earlier, if you use the red “Buy It” links to shop, I will make a small percentage. If you liked this guide, please consider sharing it with your friends on Facebook. Happy Holidays and thank you for your support!
