[Top 5] Cameras to buy in 2013

Are you thinking of buying a new camera, or replace your old one with a brand new one? If yes, I am pretty sure you would be confused as to which one to go with, given the enormous number of choices available in the market falling within your budget. And the commercials boasting how every camera is the best among all other counterparts, it is a tough choice to make. But as an end-user, you should go with the one which gives you the maximum value for the money you are going to invest.


Keeping in mind the countless bragging rights that you will eventually earn, you should take a wise decision. To help you take a smart decision and make your life easier, we bring you the list of five cameras that we feel are good enough to be spent on. It should be noted that the order of the cameras in the following list isn't intentional. We've just arranged them in decreasing order of their prices.

Fujifilm X100S 16 MP camera : $1300

Fujifilm X100S is fantastic. It isn't compact - but it's kind of the perfect size to actually hold in your hand comfortably and snap away. Any smaller and it wouldn't be as comfortable. Any bigger and it would be heavy and clunky. Menus are generally intuitive, and the main point is that this camera is a joy to use. Colors pop and jpeg images straight out of camera are pleasing and have a smooth quality to them. The autofocus is as quick as lightning in good light. On the contrary, it is not that great in low light, but solid and definitely very usable. The electronic viewfinder is beautiful, crisp and fast. It is a bit overpriced though.

Recommended: [Review] Fujifilm X-Pro 1

Fujifilm X20 12 MP camera : $534

It is an attractive camera, as it captures the retro look very well. Its build quality is really excellent. It is a solid-feeling camera, given its weight. The Fujinon lens is excellent, an absolute joy to use. The X20 has a manually-activated flash that pops straight up and points dead ahead, unmoving. The menus aren't terrible, but I found myself a bit frustrated trying to navigate through them. They're just quite clunky. The X20 has two dials on top of the camera. One is for your typical picture modes, and the other, inexplicably, is an exposure compensation dial from -2 to +2. The X20 features 49 selectable focus points on the LCD. It also has an absolutely fantastic macro mode.

Olympus XZ-2 12 MP camera : $530

Olympus XZ-2 is a great little fun camera. Though it has great ergonomics, XZ-2 is even smaller (apparently, not thinner) than a Samsung Galaxy S2 smartphone. The camera is fast and responsive. With an after-market hand-strap, one can easily carry the XZ-2 in a belt bag. It has a super fast lens. It has a dual-mode ring around the lens. In addition, it's got a beautiful high-resolution tilting screen with excellent color tonality. And the best part is, it is touchscreen! Yes! That's what I'm talking about. You can scroll through images with the swipe of a finger, you can zoom in and out, and you can set the focus point by touching on the screen. If you want, you can set the camera to focus first and then immediately take the picture. Brilliant, isn't it?

Recommended: [Review] Olympus PEN E-PM2

Sony Alpha SLT-A37K 16.1 MP camera : $469

For the first time, Sony has also included all of the features of higher end cameras in their entry level A37. The size of the A37 is perfect. It is much lighter and smaller, which means that it fits perfectly in a small camera bag together with a couple of spare lenses. Great images and videos are just as good as more expensive cameras. The new processor allows for a better low light shot. Features such as clear image zoom that can digitally extend the range of any lens, and a viewfinder with 100% coverage, are wonderful.

Anyone can operate this camera as it has two auto settings; intelligent auto and superior auto, which makes it possible even for a beginner to take great photos.

Recommended: [Review] Sony NEX-7

Samsung Galaxy Camera EK-GC100 16.3 MP : $400

With mobile phone, you can take pictures anywhere, and edit and share instantly. However, there is one thing the smartphone cannot, and will never do - ZOOM. This piece is a smartphone with super zoom lens (21x zoom) which is nearly a telescope when you want to record something far. This camera runs on android v4.1 (Jelly Bean). It has a huge screen with sharp image quality and instant touching response. 3G connectivity keeps you connected to the network all the time. It also has a voice phone feature. This camera is worth a buy if your lifestyle is shoot and share. If you can live with the image quality of you mobile phone, then this camera is much better.

If you already own any of the above gadgets, share your experiences with us in the form of comments. Or did we miss any of your favorite camera? Tell us about your choice in the comments below.

Attached image source: Flickr