Get a loaded 8-megapixel camera for $99.99
This gorgeous camera packs a 3-inch LCD and wide-angle lens.
(Credit: Best Buy)In the market for a new camera? Best Buy has the 8.1-megapixel Casio Exilim EX-Z150 for just $99.99. It's new, not a refurb, and a pretty sweet deal considering that it sold for $200 just last year.
I actually own this model, and I reviewed it for Wired last September. Here's a recap of the highlights, along with some updates based on months of real-world use.
The EX-Z150's wide-angle lens absolutely rocks, especially for snapping group photos in close quarters. I also love its mammoth LCD, which has spoiled me for anything smaller, and 4x optical zoom.
Unlike previous Exilim models, which forced you to wade into the menus to enable video mode, the EX-Z150 sports a dedicated video button: One push and you're capturing YouTube-ready footage.
In my original review, I was a little hard on the camera for being chunky, but the truth is it's really not. In fact, it's slimmer than some of Canon's popular pocket models.
Battery life is excellent, but it's a huge pain to have to take out the battery every time it needs charging.
Also, while I've found image quality to be quite good overall, videos often come out jerky. I don't know if a faster SD card would help, but this has proven very annoying.
Even so, if you're looking for a feature-packed camera that's attractively styled, easy to use, and reasonably pocket-friendly, the Exilim EX-Z150 for a hundred bucks (plus sales tax) is mighty hard to pass up.
Rick Broida, a technology writer for nearly 20 years, is the author of more than a dozen books. In addition to writing CNET's The Cheapskate blog, he oversees BNET's Business Hacks. Rick is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CBS Interactive. Disclosure. Deals found on The Cheapskate are subject to availability, expiration, and other terms determined by sellers. Follow Rick on Twitter at cheapskateblog. 
For a hundred bucks, that would make a good camera to keep in the car or in your pocket to have for those spur of the moment photo ops. Also, here is another hundred dollar deal.
http://www.buy.com/prod/apple-ipod-5th-generation-30gb-digital-multimedia-device-white/q/loc/111/202147349.html?adid=17070&dcaid=17070
Money's tight, times are hard. Gotta got maximum bang for minimum buck!
http://www.buydig.com/shop/product.aspx?sku=PNDMCLZ8K
It won a comparison test on dpriview as well:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/Q408budgetgroup/page15.asp
http://www.digitalcamerareview.com/default.asp?newsID=3883&review=casio+exilim+z150
- by TonyV1963 June 22, 2009 7:58 PM PDT
- I bought this camera when it was first released. I was really impressed by how compact it was, how easy it was to use, how bright the screen was, etc. Bit the pictures came out terrible. The color and overall look was OK, but there were issues with vignetting and blurring in the corners. And overall, the pics had a soft look, like the camera didn't focus properly. It was certainly because of the itty bitty lens. No matter how advanced the electronics are, if they use a crappy lens, the pics will look like crap. For you old-timers out there, think Kodak Instamatic print quality. Not the end of the world, but definitely nothing to show off.
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(11 Comments)Anyway, I spent around $300. For $99 I wouldn't have been quite as pissed off. But still, $100 for a camera that offers cheap snapshot quality is a waste of money.