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Other than the recent explosion in first-time digital SLR buyers, many people are becoming very interested in ultra-compact digicams. In an attempt to assist you in picking the camera that is right for you, we have tested 4 popular ultra-compact digicams that share a similar size, price, and feature-set. The Canon PowerShot SD400, Nikon Coolpix S1, Olympus IR-300, and Sony DSC-T33 are all recently-released 5 megapixel ultra-compacts that we decided to compare in this review. Each camera is different in terms of its overall responsiveness and image quality. It is our goal to present these differences to you in order to inform you in your quest for the right ultra-compact digicam.

In our review, we discovered that with the exception of the Olympus IR-300, the other three cameras were very competitive in many respects. In terms of pure speed, the Canon SD400 and Sony T33 were top performers. When it came to image quality, the Canon SD400 was the best followed closely by the Nikon S1. Overall, the Olympus IR-300 fell short on its promises. We feel that given its performance and lack of features, it is not really on par with the competition. Read on for our in-depth coverage of each camera.

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  • yacoub - Monday, July 18, 2005 - link

    Still strikes me as a bit odd for a PC hardware site to be reviewing cameras but that's a pretty decent review. I still prefer the Canon image clarity and quality even though the images are slightly 'cooler' in color.

    You've also beaten DPReview to a Full Review, so props for that. :)

    http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Canon/
  • EdvardGrieg - Monday, July 18, 2005 - link

    Nice review, but if you're looking at super compact cameras shouldn't including Casio and Pentax be required?
  • Dennis Travis - Monday, July 18, 2005 - link

    Great review. Thanks so much. It helped me make a desicion on which 5MP to purchace. Thanks again and keep up the great work.
  • Jedi2155 - Monday, July 18, 2005 - link

    I liked my SD300 & S400 till I got my hands on my friends Nikon D70 SLR. Wow. The difference is amazing. The shutter sound is like manly. As well as the focus, is far better. I truly think the 100% price increase is worth it :). canon's SD series is still great though.
  • sprockkets - Monday, July 18, 2005 - link

    those canons are nice

    I first saw how fast they can take pics opposed to my older nikon, I couldn't believe it. Oh well, there is a reason for me to upgrade...

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