I recently got to use the Canon PowerShot SD1100IS, Sony CyberShot DSC-T70 and the Nikon CoolPix S550. All three are in the $250-$300 price range of sleek and think point and shoot cameras. They have either 8MP or 10MP sensors, and they all have image stabilization in one form or another. Here's a comparison of all three to help you decide which one to get.

To see each individual review please read the following articles:

• Canon PowerShot SD1100IS
• Nikon Coolpix S550
• Sony CyberShot DSCT70

Specs

Make	Canon	Nikon	Sony
Model	SD1100IS	S550	DSCT70
Price (MSRP)	$280	$260	$300
Price (Purchase)	$230	$235	$270
Resolution	8MP	10MP	8.1MP
Optical Zoom	3x	5x	3x
35mm Equivalent	38-114mm	36-180mm	38-114mm
Image Processor	DiGiC III	EXPEED	BiONZ
LCD	2.5"	2.5"	3" Widescreen Touchscreen
Image Stabilization	Optical	electronic VR	Optical / Super SteadyShot
ISO	1600	2000	3200
Minimal Focusing Distance	1.2 inch	4 inches	1 inch
Dimensions w x l x h (mm)	8.68 x 5.49 x 2.20	9 x 5.35 x 2.2	9 x 5.64 x 2.1
Weight (g)	125	120	128
Colors	Rhythm & Blue, Swing Silver, Pink Melody, Bohemian Brown and Golden Tone	Purple, Black and Blue	Pink, Black, Silver or White

Functions

Movie Mode	Yes	Yes	Yes
Smile Shutter	No	Yes	Yes
Blink Warning	No	Yes	No
Smile Meter	No	Yes	No
Panoramic/Photo Stitch	Yes	Yes	No
Interval Shooting	No	Yes	No
Burst Mode	Yes	Yes	Yes
Color Modes		B&W, Sepia, Vivid, Cyanotype
Scene Modes		16	10
Paint Mode	No	No	Yes
Spot Focusing	Yes	Yes	Yes
Color Swap	Yes	No	No
Color Accent	Yes	No	No

Each of these cameras has its problems in both the body and its functionality. Here's a brief explanation of what I thought.

Camera Body

Canon PowerShot SD1100IS

This camera is light weight. They added a groove in the front for your middle finger which really helped make it more comfortable to hold. The camera is very balanced. The biggest problem with the body I had with the SD1100IS is that for some reason they made the buttons flush with the camera. They don't protrude out, so for people with chubbier fingers, it is harder to press. Aside from that, I had no complaints about the body. It has the best battery door of the bunch. Just push down and slide and it's closed. Very easy.

Nikon Coolpix S550

I honestly think the S550's body was the least friendly. Yes it is the shortest, and weighed the least. But, my biggest problem with the camera is that to preview pictures the lens had to come out. I don't understand that. You should have a switch similar to Canon's where you can move it to preview mode, and then turn it on to look at your pictures. The lens doesn't have to be used when previewing pictures, so I don't understand why it has to come out. Secondly, the battery door is the clumsiest one I've ever used. It just won't go in so easily. You'll usually slide it closed crookedly with it half in and half out. It's probably due to the very thin plastic. Also, the tripod mount was on the far left of the camera. This camera is also the widest, so when on a mini tripod the balance was definately bad. This camera did have the BEST quality LCD in my opinion. It had the best viewing angle, and had the least amount of noise when looking at dark areas. I also don't like the zoom buttons. But, maybe it's just because it's different from what I'm used to.

Sony CyberShot DSC-T70

I think the Sony looks the best. The lens doesn't pop out so it's less likely to break if you drop the camera, yet it still provides 3x optical zoom with its Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens. The camera has a massive 3" widescreen touchscreen LCD, and makes very good use of it. There are literally just three physical buttons on the camera (I count the zoom slider as one button). This camera also has a bit of a clumsy battery door as you actually have to lock the door back in place. It doesn't automatically look when you close it. The biggest problem I have with this camera is the placement of the lens. It's in the top corner of the camera where your fingers may be. Let's just say I've taken a lot of pictures with my finger in the way. This takes a bit of getting used to, especially if you hold your camera with two hands.

Features

Canon PowerShot SD1100IS

The PowerShot has the least amount of innovation. But it performs well in the features it has. The optical stabilization (which was my main purpose for getting one) works very well. It offers some features that aren't available on the other cameras such as Color Swap and Color Accent. They are fun to play with but not very important. It has a photo stitch function which is very basic. It can't compare to the photo stitch function on the Nikon.

Nikon Coolpix S550

Nikon has a big list of new features. Smile shutter, blink warning, interval shooting, photo stitch, and over 16 scene modes, to name a few. The Photo Stitch is great because you have the ability to stitch left and right AND up and down creating huge pictures. The S550 has a bunch of features that are weak though. The eVR doesn't work all the time. Just when it chooses to. I didn't work when I thought it would, such as at slow shutter speeds. VR or image stabilization plays a huge roll in these reviews, because it's my main reason for upgrading my current point and shoot. The macro mode on this camera is also weird. It continuously focuses, creating a weird noise, and most likely a waste of battery. I just want my camera to focus when I want it to. Whenever I press the shutter down. In summary, it has a lot of features, but some work well, and some don't.

Sony CyberShot DSC-T70

This camera makes great use of its Touch Screen LCD, and offers some fun features. The menu is very easy to use. The optical stabilization works as its supposed to, and reduces the effects of camera shake in your pictures. It has a Paint program so you can customize and draw on your pictures. It also has a smile shutter mode, but the one on the Nikon is better. It doesn't have a panaromic mode which some people like. One of my favorite features is the use of the touch screen to select your focus point quickly.

The Winner - Sony CyberShot DSC-T70

The CyberShot just had the best features, and was the most innovative. Sure the Nikon has 5x optical zoom, but what good is that if the VR doesn't even work properly. When zoomed, the camera shake is amplified. Sony really made good use of the touch screen LCD. It is, however the most expensive.

Runner Up - Canon PowerShot SD1100IS

The PowerShot is strong, but it just didn't offer much innovation. It's the same old Canon camera, that performs well.

Loser - Nikon Coolpix S550

Believe me, I'm a BIG Nikon Fanboy. But, the camera just didn't live up to expectations. The Nikon S550 does have lots of cool features, and some of them perform very well. eVR may very well be the worst image stabilization ever. I have no clue why they didn't just opt for the optical VR. There is a Nikon S600 which does use optical image stabilization, and costs the same as the Sony at $300. When I can get my hands on it, I'll add that camera to this, as it may be a better comparison because of the price.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask, and I'll do my best to answer.