HotHardware Holiday Gift Guide 2010

It's probably the most hated phrase at any family gathering: "Smile!" But c'mon, you know it's a necessary evil, so you might as well snag someone a camera that won't break when three generations of you all smile while wearing those hand-knit sweaters.

Casio EX-S200 - $152


This lovely compact comes with a Single Frame SR Zoom that extends the 4X optical zoom range to 6X purportedly without any discernible loss of picture quality. It also has a14.1MP sensor as well as a host of other specs. According to Casio, the EX-S200 is a card-sized camera that measures a scant 0.6-inches at its thinnest part. Stocking stuffer delight!

Sony Bloggie MHS-TS20 - $218

The Bloggie Touch features a 3-inch capacitive touch screen as well as “touch and flick” recording controls and three simplified buttons for control. Sony’s Bloggie Touch cameras come with a F2.8 wide angle lens and an Exmor CMOS sensor.  For easy sharing of your photos and videos, the Bloggie Touch offers USB and HDMI connectivity as well as direct upload to Facebook, Flickr, Picasa Web Albums, and YouTube. 

Canon PowerShot G12 - $481

The PowerShot G12 will offer HD video recording capabilities (720p) as well as the HS (High Sensitivity) SYSTEM for low-light conditions. The PowerShot G12 is a 10 megapixel camera with a 2.8-inch vari-angle LCD and a 5X-Optical Zoom lens with Optical Image Stabilization. The G12 also features a High Dynamic Range (HDR) scene mode.

Sony a560 DSLR - $589


Sony expanded its α (alpha) line of DSLR cameras with the introduction of the new SLR-a560. This DSLR uses Sony's Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor and is one of the few models in Sony's line to offer Multi-frame Noise Reduction, Sweep Panorama mode, 3D Sweep Panorama, and Full HD 1920x1080 60i video capture. This 14.2 megapixel camera also features Quick AF Live View, 7fps continuous shooting capabilities, and Auto HDR. 

Samsung NX100 - $599


The new Samsung NX100 is the mirrorless camera to beat, with a 14.6MP APS-C CMOS sensor, a 3" VGA AMOLED display, ISO 100-3200, a 720p movie mode, SD/SDHC card slot, optional geo-tagging with an additional dongle, and a Smart Filter feature that acts as an in-camera editing suite.

Nikon D7000 DSLR kit - $1499


The D7000 DSLR creates a new class of Nikon camera by delivering exceptional quality, control, and an innovative feature set; this is a camera that enables DSLR users to achieve a true expression of their creative vision, while concentrating primarily on image quality above all else.