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This is a rundown of all the current brand-name digital camera and mini camcorder deals. Remember that if you get one, you'll also need to set a few quid aside for an SD memory card.
Need help with jargon? Check out the basic digital camera glossary at the bottom of the page.
Sub £100 camera bargains
Last updated:
- 28
- June
- 2011
Digital Cameras
Great pictures are possible with cheaper cameras, but you will sacrifice the ability to fiddle with settings manually - lower price cameras will make your decisions for you.
Also, consider whether you really need a camera or camcorder - do you have a mobile phone that can take pictures or record videos just as well?
When buying big ticket items, always make sure you've done a full budget to ensure it won't break the bank and see Martin's Money Mantras below.
Important!
Ensure you know how to shop safely
before trying these deals
Tips for shopping safely
Whether it's a retailer or restaurateur, airline or air-conditioner seller, computer shop or car rental company, there are always two main risks: either it's a dodgy company, or it's a legit company that has financial problems and goes bust.
The aim of these tips is to help you minimise the risks.
What happens if a company goes bust?
Quite simply, its customers are immediately transformed into creditors.
This hits hardest if you've ordered goods or tickets from them, and not had delivery, as then you are simply one of a line of people trying to get your money back out of the company's assets, and you usually get back much less than you paid in.
Even if you've had delivery, if the company you bought from goes under and there's a problem with the goods, it can mean you've no comeback.
While MoneySavingExpert.com endeavours to check deals are valid, we don't check companies ' finances - even huge names like MFI and Woolies have folded - so it's very important you use the right strategies to stay protected where possible...
DO: Pay by credit card for goods over £100
Pay by credit card for something over £100, eg, flights, kitchens, sofas, and Section 75 laws super-charge your consumer rights.
Unlike debit cards, cheques & cash, pay in full or part (even just £1) on a credit card and by law the lender's jointly liable with the retailer. This means you have exactly the same rights with the card company as you do with the retailer, so if it goes bust, you can simply take your complaints there instead and get money back if no delivery.
Yet it's important you ALWAYS REPAY IN FULL each month, so there's no interest cost. See the Section 75 guide for a full guide and Cashback Credit Cards for how to earn cash on top too.
DO: Protect purchases under £100
Section 75 doesn't apply to purchases under £100, but there's still an option which can help. It's not a legal protection, just Visa rules, but it's a good secondary back up.
Spend on a Visa credit or debit card and, if the goods don't appear within 120 days, you can ask your bank to reclaim the cash from the seller's bank. See the Visa Chargeback part of the Section 75 guide for full details.
DON'T: Use unfamiliar sites without checking
Bogus websites are often set up to cash in on popular products like Ugg boots and Tiffany necklaces, so be wary if it's an unfamiliar site. And don't think that because it appears on a reputable search engine, that makes it a reputable site - always check.
DO: Check the site's legit
Most folks know to look for a security padlock on a website's bottom right, but that doesn't mean the site's legit, just that payment's secure.
To find out who registered the site and when, search the Whois database. Reputable firms should also appear on the Companies House site, the UK Govt's official companies register. Be very wary of businesses with just a PO BOX or email address.
Study the site's worldwide web ranking on Alexa. Anything in the top 100,000 means it's reasonably big - a good, though not foolproof, indication of legitimacy. Do a quick Google search for other shoppers' experiences.
DON'T: Let your anti-virus run out
Crucially, ensure your security's up-to-date - free software can be downloaded to your computer in five mins. Full details in the Free Anti-Virus Software guide.
DO: Know your distance selling rights
Many people are surprised to learn you've MORE rights buying online (or telephone/catalogue) due to the Distance Selling Regulations.
This gives a legal right to send most goods back within a week for a full refund (including outward delivery costs), even if there's no fault. You'll usually need to pay for the return delivery. Read Consumer Rights for a full guide.
However, of course this is balanced by the fact that, order online, and that automatically means a time gap between ordering and delivering - when the company has your money. So if it goes bust in that time, the distance selling rights don't help.
DO: Understand sometimes there's no protection.
Ultimately, there is always a risk that a company can go bust. If the above routes don't apply, then you have to make a decision about whether you're willing to take the risk of parting with your cash.
Don't be overly scared of this: every day we all make transactions based on trust, and this is part of that, but do balance up the amount you're spending against the risk. Don't give large amounts of money to a company you're not sure of.
Close
Samsung ES65 - £50 deliveredCheapest 5x optical zoom
The Samsung ES65 is only £49.99 delivered, from Play*, and is more advanced than some of the other cameras listed here.
The ES65 has a "Perfect Portrait" feature, which not only fixes red-eye, but detects blinking, evens skin tones, erases blemishes and removes dark circles, minimising the need for Photoshop.
On the downside, the screen is only 2.5in, so looking back on your pictures may be easier on your PC.
What do you get? Megapixels: 10.2MP Optical zoom: 5x Screen: 2.5in Storage: SD/SDHC memory card Battery: Rechargeable Li-ion battery included
Fujifilm FinePix AV150 - £50 delivered
Cheapest point & shoot with 14MP
The Fujifilm FinePix AV150 is aimed at those who want to keep their photography simple. It takes decent photos without any fuss, and is also £49.99 including delivery, from Play*.
The model is very basic and lacks the fancy features of the other deals listed here - but it's ideal for digital cameras novices. Also, while its 14MP sensor seems impressive, but as optical zoom is more important when choosing a camera, at only 3x, this lets the AV150 down.
What do you get? Megapixels: 14MP
Optical zoom: 3x
Screen: 2.7in
Storage: SD/SDHC memory card
Battery: Requires 2 x AA batteries
Panasonic Lumix FP3 - £84 delivered Cheapest top spec
This Panasonic camera can be bought from Argos' eBay store* for £83.99, including delivery.
This camera is our top spec deal as it comes with a 14.1MP sensor, 4x optical zoom, lets you capture HD movies and has 25 scene modes - so you can take perfect pictures in any conditions.
It has a large 3in LCD touchscreen, which is supposed to make playback and navigation easy - however several reviews say that the touchscreen is "clumsy" and "laggy". Panasonic does offer the best of both worlds though, as it has buttons for those who aren't au fait with touchscreens.
What do you get? Megapixels: 14.1MP Optical zoom: 4x Screen: 3in Storage: SD/SDHC memory card Battery: Rechargeable Li-ion battery included
Kodak EasyShare C183 - £66 deliveredBest cam for social networkers
The Kodak EasyShare C183, which costs £65.94 including delivery from Argos*, lets you email or upload your favourite photos to your Kodak Gallery, YouTube, Facebook and Flickr at the touch of a button, once you've configured the camera to your online accounts.
It also has a handy face recognition feature, which tags people in your pictures - so if you're looking for photos with particular people in, just search using their names and stored "profile pictures". The camera's optical zoom isn't as advanced as others though.
What do you get? Megapixels: 14MP Optical zoom: 3x Screen: 3in Storage: SD/SDHC memory card Battery: Requires 2 x AA batteries
Fujifilm FinePix JX310 - £70 in-storeBest high street deal
Head on down to your nearest Sainsbury's (in-store only, see spec here) to pick up this Fujifilm camera for just £69.99. The FinePix JX310 is available in 400 stores around the UK, however stock is limited as it's a clearance item, and it's only available until 5 July.
One of best from our selection, it has a 14MP sensor and 5x optical zoom. The "Smile & Shoot" mode automatically releases the shutter when your subject's smile appears, so there's no need to count back from three and say "cheese", and the Motion Panorama mode stitches together three shots for scenic landscape pictures.
What do you get? Megapixels: 14MP Optical zoom: 5x Screen: 2.7in Storage: SD/SDHC memory card Battery: Rechargeable Li-ion battery included
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Pocket Camcorders
If you want to record videos on the go, but don't want to lug about a fancy camcorder, the new breed of pocket sized models could be the answer. They're hardly broadcast quality but they pack a decent punch for the money.
Most digital cameras have recording features, so consider whether you need a separate camcorder. If you're only going to make the occasional small movie, a digital camera may be fine, but if you want to make longer movies, because most digital cameras don't allow you to zoom while shooting video, a camcorder may be better.
Kodak ZM1 Mini Pocket Camcorder - £27 collect in-storeBest budget camcorder
If you're looking for something cheap to take on holiday, you can't go wrong with the Kodak ZM1 from PC World* for just £26.99.
While videos aren't high-definition like the Samsung model below, reviews are positive, saying the camcorder is small and light enough to carry around, meaning you're more likely to have it with you ready to capture the action as it happens. The ZM1 is also waterproof to 3m.
Don't forget to budget for a memory card though, as the internal memory is only enough for a few minutes of video. Buying a 4GB SD card (for around £4), for example, will store approximately one hour of video at VGA quality.
What do you get? Optical zoom: No Screen: 1.8in Storage: SD/SDHC memory card Battery: Rechargeable Li-ion battery included
Samsung U10 - £70 deliveredCheapest HD camcorder
Samsung's U10 is £69.99 from Play* - not a bad price considering it's capable of full high-definition video. However, if you haven't got a HD ready TV or computer, consider whether you need HD capabilities. Also HD videos take up lots of storage space, and Samsung doesn't supply a memory card, so you'll need to buy an SD card to take advantage.
According to reviews video quality is reasonable, and it certainly looks the part, but practicalities such as an unchangeable lithium battery let it down a bit. It also lacks an onboard HDMI output, so you'll need to plug it into your PC to watch on a big screen.
What do you get? Optical zoom: No Screen: 2in Storage: SD/SDHC memory card Battery: Rechargeable Li-ion battery included
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Quick Digital Camera Glossary
Megapixel: A megapixel is 1 million pixels, which is often used to describe the number of image sensor elements in a digital camera. The higher the resolution, the more megapixels (ie a resolution of 2048x1536 = 3,145,728, or 3.1 megapixels). (Wikipedia)
Optical zoom: This is the level of actual zoom the camera offers by using moving lenses, meaning there's no degradation of the image, just magnification. (Wikipedia)
Digital zoom: Simply zooms into the image after it's been taken, meaning the more you zoom in, the more the quality degrades. As such, it's not really worth consideration when choosing a camera. Better cropping can be achieved using photo editing software. (Wikipedia)
Image sensor: This is the bit of the camera that converts an image into an electrical signal. Two main types exist: CCD, and CMOS, and there's often little to choose between them. (Wikipedia)
Image stabiliser: The image stabilizer is what keeps pictures blur-free even if you've shaky hands. As such, it's a very important part of the camera, and shouldn't be skimped on. (Wikipedia)
SD/SDHC card: A roughly postage stamp-sized flash memory card used to store your photos. Various sizes are available, and those over 2GB are called 'SDHC', where the HC stands for High Capacity. It's important to check the maximum size your camera will take before buying these cards; get one that's too big and it won't work. (Wikipedia)
XD picture card: Like SD cards, except this time made by Olympus and Fujifilm. Since XD cards are in far shorter supply than SDs, prices are higher, but thankfully modern Fujifilm & Olympus cameras tend to take both types anyway, so you can plump for cheaper SDs. (Wikipedia)
WARNING! Please think very carefully before buying one of these
This site is about getting the best deals, but always spending within your means so do, so remember the MoneySaving mantras
