Christmas is right around the corner! Here is another great gift guide with my round-up of the top five point and shoot cameras under $500.00! If you're looking for a step up from your camera phone, but still want something compact and easy to travel with or fit in your pocket, check out these sweet little cameras.
1. Sony DSC-RX100/B - $398.00 (amazon)
20.9 Megapixel 1"-type Exmor CMOS sensor
28-100mm eauivalent F/1.8-4.9 lens
Up to 10 frames per second
ISO 125-6400 + expandable
3" LCD screen
1080p video
This camera is stunning. There are newer versions, but they cost much more and this quality at this price is hard to beat! It has excellent image quality due to its large sensor, with a fast auto-focus and an awesome f1.8 Carl Zeiss lens with 3.6x zoom. This lens is sharp! The body is ultra-slim and sleek. When it was first released, some said it was "...the most appealing pocket-sized digital camera yet" and it was "a monumental achievement in the technology" (for point and shoot cameras).
2. Sony Alpha a6000 - $548.00 (amazon)
24 Megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor
ISO 100-25600
Hybrid AF with 179-point cocal plane phase-detection
Up to 11 frames per second continuous shooting
3-inch tilting LCD with 921,000 dots
OLED electronic viewfinder
Built-in Wi-Fi and NFC (wireless sharing)
OKAY this one is JUST over $500, but it might be work the extra $50!! This is an amazing mirrorless camera that has an amazing sensor (same as most entry-level DSLRs), offers manual modes, has a great autofocus, allows you to shoot in a RAW format, shoots HD video and has wi-fi sharing. My sister has this camera and she has been really impressed with it, and loves it. It's a high-quality, high-class camera and it even comes in white! You also have the option to interchange lenses
3. Canon Powershot SX710 HS - $279.00 (amazon)
Built-in Wifi connectivity, wireless transfer of images and video to compatible mobile devices
20.3 Megapixel high-sensitivity CMOS sensor with DIGIC 6 Processor
30x optical zoom (25-750mm)
Large 3-inch LCD with wide viewing angle
Stunning 1080p HD video with a dedicated movie button
This well-designed, well-built canon boasts an incredible zoom lens, image-stabilization, noise-reduction and the ability to share photos to social media and mobile devices. It performs well in low-lit settings and has a quick focus. You also have full control of your exposure (manual mode). The flash isn't annoying and only pops up if you push the button and tell it to. The quality and zoom this canon has at this price makes it a great buy!
4. Nikon Coolpix S9900 - $272.95 (amazon)
30x optical zoom telephoto lens with vibration reduction
60x with Dynamic Fine Zoom and enhanced digital zoom
Swiveling vari-angle display
3.0-inch 921,000-dot LCD screen
Wi-Fi and NFC sharing
This 16 Megapixel camera has great quality and detail and packs a pretty great zoom lens, with vibration reduction. It also allows automatic and manual controls for honing creative skills. The video has a time-lapse option, which is also fun. Some complain about poor photos in low-light; if you have the patience to try the manual shooting modes this can be avoided. If you want to leave it on full-auto mode, you might not love the results in lower-lit settings. People love the design and build of the camera, the swivel LCD screen and the great zoom.
4. Olympus TG-4 - $349 (amazon)
4X wide-angle optical zoom with fast f2.0 high speed lens
Waterproof to depths of 50 feet, freeze proof to 14 degrees F, shockproof to 7 feet, crushproof to 220 lbs.
RAW capture, Underwater HDR & Modes
Wi-Fi / GPS / e. Compass
1080P HD Video
This tough camera is basically disaster proof and still takes sharp and bold photos! You can drop it from 7 feet, take it in cold-weather climates and completely under water for great images. If you're looking for an adventure and a great camera to carry along with you, this is one of the greatest rugged cameras out there AND it still fits in your pocket!
Images Courtesy of Amazon.com.