Chip East: Canon S80
| « Timothy Fadek: Lumix DMC-FX01 | Bill Putnam: Leica Digilux 2 » |
U.S. News asked seven top photographers to choose the compact digital camera they like best.
Agency: Sipa Press
Notable award: Exhibit Award for Spot News from the New York Press Photographers Association
Favorite compact camera: Canon S80
"As a photojournalist who owns the top-end digital equipment, sometimes it is just easier to carry a compact camera in your pocket instead of bulky professional equipment hanging off your shoulder. The only point-and-shoot I have ever purchased is the Canon S80. It does everything I need . . . from fully automatic pix my wife takes, to fully manual ones I take. Last year, on trips to Ireland and China, it is the only digital camera I carried, and it did great. With a wide-angle 28-mm lens, it allows me to get close to subjects and still show plenty of things in the background."
Price check: Amazon, $989 (not widely available as a new camera)