Price: $792 (EOS Rebel T4i with 18-55mm EF-S IS II Lens)

To read the full review, visit DPreview.com

So, for your next travel photography trip pack only the basics:

• A wide-range zoom lens can replace several fixed-focal-length lenses.
• Carry just enough spare batteries for a day’s shoot or until you have access to recharge your battery.
• Carry a couple of higher capacity memory cards e.g. 16GB or 32GB instead of several cheaper 4GB cards.

A lot of extras would just add weight and bulk can easily add up to burden. All these should be contained in a good carry-on bag. A good camera bag with organizers or with movable dividers that can be adjusted according to packing needs are recommended. If you have cords, tie them together with strips of Velcro (which you can buy just about anywhere) to make packing and unpacking easier and to save space.

Size does matters.

Your carry-on camera bag must fit in the aircraft’s overhead compartment or underneath the seat in front of you. Usually, this means your bag should measure no more than the requirements of airlines. Specially on full flights and around the busy holiday seasons when they are more stricter.

Ideally, you will need to keep your carry-on (containing your photo gears) with you at all times while traveling to lessen the hassle in digging into your things and to avoid damage and theft. Best if you also put your contact information and your itinerary inside your bag if worst that you lose your bag for some reason and lose all those valuables.

Carry-ons make travel so much easier and worry-free. Everything you need is always within reach and you never fret losing your most important gadgets, and never lose the sight of great subjects.

So travel smart, travel LIGHT and SAFE!

Here’s a comparison of Nikon P310 vs Canon S100 will help you decide which one is the best for you.

Features: Nikon P310 vs Canon S100

Nikon P310 is a 16MP camera with BSI CMOS sensor, whereas Canon S100 has a 12MP camera with CMOS sensor. If the LCD screen size is also a determining factor for you, then both these cameras have the same LCD screen size of 3 inches.

The S100 is slightly smaller in size compared to the P310 though both are pocket size cameras. Both these camera uses lithium ion battery. Storage for both these cameras allows SD memory card, SDXC memory card and SDHC memory card. Both Nikon P310 and Canon S100 have built in flash, with red-eye reduction ability.

Performance: Nikon P310 vs Canon S100

Owing to its CMOS sensor, the Nikon P310 allows you to take sharp images, even when shooting in challenging light condition, or at night. To make sure that you take perfect pictures, this camera has the anti-shake function which enables the shutter speeds to be slowed down to four stops. Coupled with the fast F1.8 lens, you could take sharp picture even in candle light.

With the Canon S100 too you can take perfect images, as it also has the CMOS sensor. It has a higher true resolution by which you can get perfect details in your photos. S100 powers up really fast and you are ready to take pictures instantly. It has lesser possibilities for camera-shake due to its faster shutter speed.

Handling: Nikon P310 vs Canon S100

Nikon P310 can best be handled by experienced users, who can take advantage of its manual shooting modes. The menu navigation is made easier owing to its control dial on the top. However there are many options in the menu which can make things difficult for those using it for the first time.

Canon S100 has all-inclusive manual options for the experienced photographers, while the causal shooters can make use of its automatic modes for convenience. It is perfect for both who want to use it for learning to take great pictures, and also for those who are already experts.

Price: Nikon P310 vs Canon S100

Recently, the Nikon P310 price has dropped signficantly to about $270. The Canon S100 price is more expensive, about $370 despite being an older model than the Nikon P310.

So, which is a better choice?

I like the smaller and thinner form factor of the Canon S100; the option to output RAW format is another plus point. However, I am a sucker for faster lens. Nikon P310′s F1.8 lens and cheaper price are the deciding factors for me to pick it as my choice.

The following comparison is based on research from the internet and not actual user’s experience. If you are looking for a more technical comparison, visit www.ephotozine.com

Features: Fuji X10 vs Canon S100

Both Canon S100 and Fujifilm X10 have 12MP resolution sensor. However, the X10′s 2/3″ sensor is larger than S100′s 1/1.7″ sensor.

Fuji X10 has a 4x optical zoom lens and Canon S100 has a 5x optical zoom lens. Both these cameras have a full HD video mode with stereo sound. The X10 has an optical viewfinder that has dioptre correction, and it also has a flash hot shoe, both of which are not present in the S100. Both the cameras have RAW manual control and optical image stabilization.

Performance: Fuji X10 vs Canon S100

Canon S100 has a better flash than X10, and to compensate, it relies on a boost in its ISO. It allows you to take a very natural picture, but the photo will not be as bright as is offered by Canon. Both the cameras have the option to expand the dynamic range, and S100 has 3-shot HDR and iContrast options. The X10 offers EXR Dynamic Range mode, which owing to the sensor design, the result image is to reduced 6 megapixels resolution.

The S100′s zoom lens extend from 24-120mm as compared to the X10′s short 28-112mm zoom. However, the X10 lens is F2.0 to F2.8 which means it could pull in a lot more light than the S100′s F2.0 to F5.9. The X10 offers you a better macro performance at 1cm, so you can get really close to the subject. The S100′s closest macro is 3cm.

Handling: Fuji X10 vs Canon S100

Fuji X10 has almost double the number of control and external button present in Canon S100, and this allows you to access the controls easily. Moreover you can set options even when your camera is off. S100 does not have too many buttons, which means, to access the settings, you will need to use the screen of the camera. X10, on the other hand, has dials and external buttons using which you can control the camera, and will not have to spend too much time on the menu. As per the CIPA standard S100 will allow you 200 shots, and if you use the GPS it will get reduced even further. X10 as per the CIPA standard will offer 270 shots and if the LCD is turned off then you can expect 560 shots.

Price: Fuji X10 vs Canon S100

Both Fuji X10 and Canon S100 are high-end compact targeting prosumers. Fuji X10 price is about $599 compared to Canon S100 price which is signicantly lesser at $379.

Which One to Buy?

Both the cameras have great features, offers great image quality, and are amongst the best serious compact cameras. The Canon S100 costs less than the Fuji X10, but if you use the GPS in S100 you will have to spend some of the saved money in getting additional battery. I would rather spend a bit more, get Fuji X10, and enjoy its physicals control, speed, brighter lens and other amazing features.

→ Click here to see the latest Fujifilm FinePix XP30 price

The Fuji XP30 waterproof camera has a 14MP CCD sensor, 2.7 inch display LCD screen and optical zoom lens up to 5x with a focal range of 28-140mm. I’ve also made some video clips with the featured 720 HD that I upload to Facebook/Youtube with its Automatic Web Upload function.

What I Like about the Fuji FinePix XP30

I love being in the water, with this camera, I can capture every great moment even while I’m swimming. My pictures underwater and in daylight always come out great with this camera. For a fair price of $130, I can get to know where I am and how far I am from a previously taken picture with the GPS geotagging feature.

What I Dislike about the Fuji FinePix XP30

The battery didn’t last very long. To save power, you have to make sure your GPS isn’t turned on all the time if you want to take pictures with it all day, the GPS feature drains the camera’s battery faster. I always take along an extra battery to make sure I don’t miss a great photo moment. Another point to note is that this camera is built for the outdoors and doesn’t take fantastic pictures indoors or under dim light conditions.

Here are the cool points about the Fuji XP30:

• Can go underwater up to 16.5ft
• Dropped from up to 5 feet high
• Taken to temperatures down to 14°F- -10°F
• No worries about small bits of sand or dust or even scratches
• You get to know your location with the built-in GPS System

If you’re like me who loves outdoors, this $130 waterproof camera can be taken with you at your most adventurous trips. It can take a lot of action like you.

→ Click here to see the latest Canon ELPH 320 HS price

Best of all, the built-in WiFi enables you connect to access points, making uploading and backing-up images more convenient.

Features and Highlights of the Canon 320 HS

• 16MP sensor, Canon HS System
• 3.2 inch touchscreen
• light weight, about 1 lb.
• 24-120mm wide angle zoom
• Wi-Fi connectivity for wireless uploading

I am looking for a very compact wide-angle zoom camera to replace my Fujifilm F300EXR, so I did a quick research on the internet and came up with this short Canon 320 HS review.

What I Like about the Canon 320 HS

Perhaps what I like most with this camera is the easy Wi-Fi photo browsing and downloading once connected. The most annoying and least fun part of taking pictures would be the uploading and sharing since it takes up a lot of time and effort. With the built-in WiFi, this eliminates the most hassle part of connecting to a computer just to upload, making it easier to back-up images.

The ultra-slim built easily fits on your hand. The classy handsome design of this camera is also remarkable, be it in the front or back. This camera was perfectly designed to fit any personality.

What I Dislike about the Canon 320 HS

The only downside to this camera is that the WiFi Connection is not intuitive enough and requires a 58-page manual for the initial set up. The touchscreen is not as I imagined as well. It’s good that it is 3.2″ but the screen is slow to respond and can be frustrating if you have fat fingers. Still with a little patience and practice, it eventually gets easier to manipulate.

Canon 320 HS – Overall Thoughts

The Canon PowerShot ELPH 320 HS is the rival of any smartphone. It does not come cheap but this camera is worth investing, even if you’re not fond of the WiFi features. It delivers clear crisp images and high definition videos that you could play over on a high definition TV which is the most important feature of any point and shoot camera. The Canon 320 HS is definitely a good buy.

Here’s the top 5 tips to help you get your food photography right.

Tip #1: Do Not Use the Camera’s Flash

First rule of food photography is proper lighting. We are not talking about professional photographer shooting in a studio environment with expensive lighting equipment. Amateurs tend to use the built-in flash of their compact camera to take picture of the exotic meal that they ordered. The hard shadow caused by the flash light made the picture flat and unappetizing.

Using natural lighting is best for shooting on location. Try to position the food near the window so that the light from the side. If you were using a compact camera, you might need to use a tripod otherwise you would have to invest in a camera with a faster lens e.g. F2.0.

Tip #2: Use a Fast Lens

A faster lens will allow you to take sharp pictures even in dim light condition. If you were using a DSLR, select a lens with a large aperture e.g. 35mm F2.0 or 50mm F1.8. And if you use a compact camera get one with a F2.0 or F1.8 lens e.g. the Panasonic LX5, Canon S100 or the Nikon P310. A faster lens with a larger aperture will allow you to throw the background out of focus and also give nice bokeh.

Tip #3: Selective use of Props

Food photography is to a large extent satisfying the appeal of the users mind. Cluttering the shot with a whole bunch of props can often distract the attention off the subject. So when shooting a pizza, make sure that the ingredients and the crust fill the frame.

Use of contrasting colors in the props can help to get the perfect shot. Photographers use anything from gum tape to wax to toothpicks to cue tapes in order to set the food up and get the desired effect. As an amateur photographer not having any specialize props, use whatever you have in hand to prep the shot.

Tip #4: Use Macro Mode

If you are using a compact camera, the largest aperture is at the widest angle of the zoom. You will have to get really close in order to fill the frame with your subject and in order to do that you’ll need to use the Macro mode. The close-up shot will capture the textures and details of the food, making it even more interesting.

Tip #5: Use Artificial Enticers

Photographers use a lot of methods to make the shots they take really inviting. If you are shooting a smoked salmon which was cooked an hour ago, the dish not going to look very hot. In order to inculcate that effect you could use an artificial smoke source e.g. dry ice and shoot the images to make it looks really steaming hot.

Food photography can be concluded to be a mixture of great camera work and the ability to make things presentable. It is a culmination of proper lighting, proper angle of the camera, correct depth of field, focusing point and of course lots of prep work.

→ Click here to see the latest Nikon COOLPIX P310 price

Here’s a review on the Nikon P310. In terms of size, performance and pricing(about $329), the P310 is positioned in the same category as the Canon S100, Olympus XZ-1 and Panasonic LX5. It is not a surprise that photography enthusiasts tend to compare the Nikon P310 vs the Canon S100.

Features and highlights of the Nikon P310

• F1.8 fast wide angle zoom lens 24-100mm (35mm equivalent)
• Macro minimum focus to 2cm
• 16.1 MP camera with BSI CMOS sensor
• 921K dots high-resolution LCD

What I Like about the Nikon P310

There is more than one reason making this camera a favorite with almost everybody. Almost any camera will take great pictures in the day light, but if you shoot at night, most will leave you disappointed. The P310 is different, it takes amazing pictures even in dim light, and this is what I like about it most. This has been made possible owing to its bright lens. For the night shots it will be best to choose the “Night Landscape” mode.

Some of the presets you will find in this camera are flash, daylight, cloudy, incandescent and fluorescent. Various scene modes are also available in this camera which makes taking pictures an even greater experience. It includes, fireworks show, landscape, dawn/dusk, close up, beach and so on. With natural colors this camera offers such sharp and clear photos that it is very difficult to resist clicking away. The menu of the camera is very simple and easy to manage. To make things easier for the beginners, a “green” mode has been included, which is completely automatic.

What I Dislike about the Nikon P310

There are just about few things that I find a little disappointing. If you try to zoom while video recording, it is quite slow. For a pricey camera like the P310, you would expect to save in RAW. Unfortunately, Nikon did not include RAW capture in this camera. Price factor plays a very important role when buying a camera and P310 is at the high-end in terms of pricing. These are just few drawbacks which can be ignored keeping in mind the interesting features.

Nikon P310 – Overall Thoughts

Though there are some drawbacks in the camera, it need not be considered, owing to the amazing features it offers. It might take a little time in learning how to handle the camera with ease, but after that, you will not be able to stop clicking. You can take pictures in the dark and even on the move, and you will always be happy with the results you get. Overall if you are looking for a camera that will give you a great experience of taking pictures, Nikon Coolpix P310 is certainly the best choice for you.

→ Click here to see the latest Panasonic ZS20/TZ30 price

While most digital camera users prefer a smaller and lightweight frame that they can simply point and shoot images with, there are many who also prefer the ability to zoom in up close to where the action is or use the camera in. The result is an interesting mix of power and performance all packed into a small frame. Here’s a short review on three of the best-selling 14MP cameras.

Panasonic ZS20/TZ30

The Panasonic Lumix ZS20 (known Panasonic TZ30 in Europe and Asia) is essentially a superzoom 14MP camera that comes with 20x optical zoom – 24mm to 480mm in a 35mm format equivalent. It is currently the world’s thinnest compact camera with 20x optical zoom. It has an amazing 1.1″ slim body that makes it a stunningly ultra thin camera.

Panasonic is known for its Venus Image processing engines and the ZS20 comes with an amazing 10 fps performance at continuous shooting modes. It also shoots full HD movies at 60 frames in AVCHD format.

Canon SX150 IS

→ Click here to see the latest Canon SX150 IS price

The Canon Powershot SX150 is a 14MP digital camera with a 12x optical zoom (equivalent to 28–336mm in 35mm format), intelligent image stabilization and a host of other features makes the Canon PowerShot SX150 IS a formidable opponent to beat.

In fact, Canon has gone to some distances to make this model a preferred choice among compact camera crowd. Several shooting modes make composing the shot easier for first time users. The smart auto mode can detect up to 32 different scenes and then apply the correct ISO, exposure and shutter speeds to the shot.

The Canon SX150 IS even allows you to get into the program or manual mode and set your preferred shutter priority, aperture priority and other settings for more control over the shot. It shoots videos in H.264 formats at 720p with stereo sound recorded through the built-in microphones. Because it uses the AA alkaline batteries, you can get a fresh set of batteries virtual everywhere and do not nee to lug along the charger.

Olympus TG-320

→ Click here to see the latest Olympus TG-320 price

The Olympus TG-320 is a rugged camera beach goers, jungle trekkers and mountain climbers. It has a 3.6x optical zoom equivalent to 28–102mm on a 35mm format. The large 2.7 LCD screen is 230k dots resolution and ISO sensitivity is up to 1600. However, the overall performance of this 14MP waterproof camera in low light shooting or fast action seems a little bit noisy.

The TG-320 is one of the lightest waterproof cameras, so if you do happen to drop the camera in water, the electronics will not die on you. In fact the camera is shockproof and even freeze proof to -10°C giving you shooting opportunities in some of the harshest natural environments.

You can record HD videos in MPEG4 or H.264 formats at 720p and together with the sensor-shift image stabilization system, it captures sharp picture even if your hands are moving. The TG-320 is one of the sturdiest and best performing travel cameras ever.

Overall Thoughts

Each of the above three 14 MP cameras have their own USPs and it is quite difficult to single out one as the best buy. However if you consider actual shooting options available, that including both video and stills, and the price factor then the Canon PowerShot SX150 IS is the one.

Looking for a cheap waterproof camera? Check out the 14MP Finepix XP30.

→ Click here to see the latest Nikon D5100 price

Here’s a short and non-technical Nikon D5100 review, if you are looking for an in-depth review, please visit DPReview.com.

The Nikon D5100 is known as a DX format camera because it uses the Nikon DX lenses designed for the APS-C size sensor. So far as megapixels are concerned, the D5100 has a 16MP CMOS sensor that delivers greater detail and more natural-looking images at higher ISO (3200) than Canon EOS 600D according to a Nikon D5100 review by CameraLabs.com.

Features and highlights of the Nikon D5100

• 11-point auto focus system
• An improved side hinged and swiveling LCD screen
• Continuous shooting at 4 fps which does not stall even after 30-35 frames
• HD movie shooting at 30 fps
• Dedicated special effects mode which allows shooting stills using only a preferred set of colors among others

What I Like About the Nikon D5100

There are several advantages and disadvantages to the Nikon D5100. There is an important change if you turn the back of the camera towards you. You will now notice that the Nikon D5100 features a 3″ LCD monitor that can swivel, flip and do all sorts of things. It offers rich colors and sharper images through its 921,000 dots high resolution screen.

This is a welcome change from the older Nikon D5000 where the swiveling LCD screen was bottom mounted and often came in the way when you are trying to shoot pictures using a tripod. The side mounted swiveling and hinged LCD screen is a first for Nikon and allows photo enthusiasts to take that difficult shot from above the heads of crowd or stoop really low when shooting kids or pets. It also allows for comfortable shooting when the camera is mounted on a tripod without the screen coming in the way.

What I Dislike About the Nikon D5100

If you turn on the camera and watch the LCD screen on live view mode, you will notice that the picture does not fill the screen. The shape of the picture is 4:3 which tends to leave a lot of space at the foot of the screen wasted; not really as it is now used by Nikon to show some useful shooting information. For those who love a live histogram in the shoot information, they are bound to be disappointed as the Nikon does not have that. This is an important area of difference with some of the other cameras also vying a top spot for the upper entry level DSLR market.

Overall Thoughts About the Nikon D5100

The D5100 is certainly a good camera and a good value for money. It has everything that an amateur photographer looks for in the first DSLR camera that he buys. However, this may not the right camera for a professional looking for a high performance body to take on challenging photo assignments.