The number of photographs taken each year continues to grow at a rapid pace—more than 14 TRILLION annually. While the vast majority of photos are shot with our smartphones, there are still times when many of us need something more.
This month's PCMag Readers' Choice Awards survey looks at four categories of traditional digital imaging devices: compact cameras, superzoom cameras, system cameras and camcorders.
To understand why someone would buy a camera when they have a decent one on their phone, it's important to understand the limitations of smartphone cameras. First, no mainstream smartphone has an optical zoom lens. A few smartphones now—such as the iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8 Plus, and the Samsung Galaxy Note 8—have two fixed lenses, but that's not the same thing as a telephoto zoom. To simulate a zoom, smartphones use cropping, which degrades the image. Some superzoom cameras have lenses that can zoom in 30 times (30x) or more. No smartphone could handle that much zooming.
Second, smartphones have tiny image sensors that limit their quality and low-light performance. System cameras (a category that includes digital SLRs and mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras) as well as some premium compact cameras have significantly larger sensors.
Third, there's price. The top-of-the-line smartphones with the best cameras cost $700 and up. You can buy a lot of camera for a lot less money than that.
If you do action sports or shoot a significant amount of video, action cameras and camcorders offer a lot over smartphones. Most action cameras are virtually indestructible and impervious to the elements. Camcorders offer many similar benefits to digital cameras, including improved image quality and longer zoom ranges. If you have a challenging subject and want the best quality possible, you should consider a camcorder or the video capabilities of a superzoom digital camera.
As with all our surveys, we asked respondents to tell us various aspects of satisfaction with their cameras and camcorders including overall satisfaction, likelihood to recommend the brand, and satisfaction with reliability and setup. We also asked about satisfaction with the devices for taking photos, shooting videos, and sharing. One of the reasons why smartphones have become so popular for capturing memories is that they make it so easy to share.
If you're looking for more than your smartphone can deliver, read on and see which camera and camcorder brands are providing the most satisfying experience for PCMag readers.
The PCMag Readers' Choice survey for Digital Cameras & Camcorders was in the field from September 5, 2017 through September 25, 2017. For more information on how the survey is conducted, read the survey methodology.
Each person who completed the survey was entered into a drawing to win an Amazon.com gift card valued at $350.
You can win! Sign up for the Readers' Choice Survey mailing list to receive invitations for future sweepstakes.
According to PCMag readers, it's hard to go wrong with any of the top brands of digital cameras. Six of the seven camera companies rated received overall satisfaction scores of 8.5 or better on a scale from zero (extremely dissatisfied) to 10 (extremely satisfied). However, two companies stand out this year above the rest: Nikon and Panasonic had overall satisfaction ratings of 8.8 and earn our 2017 PCMag Readers' Choice Award for digital cameras.
Panasonic also receives Readers' Choice Awards this year in the compact camera and superzoom camera categories. Panasonic has always been at the forefront of the superzoom category. The company's superzooms received the highest satisfaction ratings from our readers for overall satisfaction (8.8, the same rating as last year), reliability (9.1) and ease of use (8.4). It also tied Canon for the highest mark for satisfaction with taking photos (8.9). Canon actually beat Panasonic in satisfaction with shooting videos (8.4 to 8.3) and likelihood to recommend (9.0. to 8.7). Last year we noted that Sony was creeping up on Panasonic in the superzoom category but this year overall satisfaction with Sony superzooms dropped from 8.7 to 8.5, still a very respectable rating but trailing Panasonic, Canon, and Nikon.
Sony won the Readers' Choice Award for compact cameras in 2016 but while its overall satisfaction rating in this category remained unchanged at 8.5, Panasonic improved from 8.4 to 8.7, the highest rating among compacts. Panasonic received the best satisfaction rating on every other measure in this category as well including satisfaction with reliability, taking photos, shooting videos, and likelihood to recommend.
The system camera category includes interchangeable lens cameras with both traditional digital SLR designs as well as newer mirrorless models. The primary difference between the two types of cameras is in how the image is previewed before taking the shot, but otherwise the systems offer similar benefits: large sensors for the highest quality images across a range of conditions in a totable camera.
Digital SLRs remain more popular among PCMag readers than mirrorless designs. Canon and Nikon, which both make mirrorless cameras but primarily focus on DSLRs, share the Readers' Choice Award in the system camera category. The companies had identical ratings for overall satisfaction (8.9), likelihood to recommend (9.1), satisfaction with taking photos (9.1), and satisfaction with reliability (9.2).
Canon had the highest rating for ease of wirelessly sharing images (7.5), and it did slightly better than Nikon in satisfaction with shooting videos (8.1 to 7.9) although Sony had the best rating among system cameras in this measure (8.2). Olympus received the same overall satisfaction rating as Sony (8.7), not far behind Canon and Nikon but it may have been hurt by ease-of-use concerns. Olympus users gave the company a rating of 7.6 for satisfaction with ease of use. No other company's system cameras rated below 8.1.
GoPro action cameras were the most popular type of camcorder in our survey in terms of number of respondents, but not in terms of satisfaction. It received the lowest satisfaction ratings on several measures.
In terms of which camcorder company is making its customers the happiest, that designation goes to Canon, which once again wins our Readers' Choice Award for camcorders. Canon had the highest rating for overall satisfaction at 8.7 (up from 8.3 last year), satisfaction with shooting video (8.9), satisfaction with reliability (8.9, tied with Sony), and likelihood to recommend (8.7). Sony (8.6) and Panasonic (8.5) both rated better than Canon (8.4) in satisfaction with ease of use.
WINNERS: CAMERAS & CAMCORDERS 
Panasonic—Overall, Superzoom, CompactPanasonic emerges as one of the top brands in digital photography as it continues to set the standard in superzoom cameras and make its mark in the compact camera category. Respondents are very pleased with the ease of use and reliability of their Panasonic cameras.
Nikon—Overall, System CamerasYou buy a digital camera to take great photos and no camera company received a higher rating than Nikon for satisfaction with taking photos. One of the oldest and most respected names in system cameras, the company continues to excel.
Canon—System Cameras, CamcordersOne of the top brands in every aspect of still photography and video, Canon continues to be enthusiastically recommended by its customers for its system cameras, which include both DSLR and mirrorless designs, and its camcorders.
Source: Readers' Choice Awards 2017: Digital Cameras and Camcorders
No comments:
Post a Comment