photo laureates advises you to select one of the cameras below for best results in our photography contest.

Digital photography and digital cameras have now reached a high level of maturity and excellent compositions can be created with the right equipment.

Keeping track of the models in this category is like watching people get on and off a ferris wheel at a carnival. They're on for a while, then most get off, though a few stay on for another circuit, and new ones are getting on all the time. Unless one looks closely, it's hard to tell the difference. However, when it comes to digicams, prices keep dropping. Megapixel counts keep increasing, and features keep multiplying.

Keep in mind that there are two main differences between digicams and DSLRs. Digital SLRs allow though-the-lens groundglass viewing, just as do their film-based brethren. The rear panel color LCD on these cameras is for reviewing images just (or previously) shot. With a digicam, setting up the shot is through either an optical viewfinder or a live LCD screen on the rear panel.

The second major difference is that all megapixels are not created equal. Digicams have much smaller imaging chips than do DSLRs, and to get the same or almost the same number of photo sites (pixels) into a smaller space something has to give. That something is image quality, usually in the form of increased noise. Whereas DSLRs produce high ISO files that can be amazingly clean and noiseless even at ISO 400, digicams are at their best at the lowest ISO settings, usually ISO 50 or so. Noise definitely increases as the speed does.

At the risk of being outdated in the brief time between writing this article and its appearance in print, here are the top digicams de jour.

Canon G5
The 5 Megapixel segment is where the action is now, and Canon's top horse is its G5. It features a relatively fast 2/3 lens with a zoom focal length equivalent to 35?40mm in 35mm terms. The camera accepts CompactFlash cards as well as Microdrives, which means that storage options up to 2 Gigabytes on a single card are possible.

As with most digital cameras, there are too many features to list. Many users will appreciate that the camera is capable of shooting in RAW mode, as well as JPG, which means Sharpening and White Balance settings can be set (after the fact) in the RAW converter software. RAW files are like digital negatives, allowing the user much greater control over image quality. In the case of the G5, the images are in 12-bit mode in a 16-bit space, which allows for superior image quality in post-processing. Although the camera is a handful, image quality is first-rate.

photo laureates considers the G5 to clearly be one of the top digital cameras. Your digital photography compositions will be greatly enhanced.

Sony DSC-V1
Sony has become a major player in the digicam marketplace. In fact, they are one of the major manufacturers of the chips used in a wide range of cameras from other manufacturers. Since Sony is a consumer electronics company instead than a lens maker, they've wisely chosen to use Carl Zeiss lenses on most of their cameras. The V1 uses a Vario Sonnar lens with a maximum aperture of 2.8

This is among the smallest of the 5-Megapixel cameras currently available, but it is loaded with features, including metal-clad construction and an optional preview histogram, a feature which enhances setting exposure in difficult lighting situations.

Nikon CoolPix 5400
Nikon continues to expand its popular 5000 series camera line with the model 5400. Offering wider coverage than the usual high-quality Nikon 4¥ zoom (equivalent to 28mm) and extremely low noise images (especially at low ISO settings), the 5400 is smaller than its predecessor. It's a 5MP camera with all of the expected bells and whistles, built well with solid ergonomics.

photo laureates considers the 5400 to clearly be one of the top digital cameras. Your digital photography compositions will be greatly enhanced.

Minolta DiMAGE 7Hi
This is a crossover product, and strictly speaking not a digicam. Instead of an optical viewfinder (like the Sony DSC-F717 and Nikon Coolpix 5700), the 7Hi is an SLR with an electronic viewfinder. In other words, the viewfinder image appears on an LCD rather than a groundglass. A separate LCD screen is also provided on the rear panel.

Like its competitors, the 7Hi features a permanent wide-range 2.8/3.5 zoom lens with an equivalent focal length range of 28-200mm. The camera uses high capacity CompactFlash cards and features RAW mode for superior post-processing flexibility.

As with many determinations, there is always a subjective aspect that doesn't show up in side-by-side image comparisons or specification tables. This Minolta has an excellent feel, much better than its two predecessors, and for me, is a step ahead of the pack.