Geek’s Holiday Gift Guide: Best Cameras to Give for Christmas

Which cameras are the best ones that can capture moments of love, fun, embarrassment and joy? Which cameras will you give as Christmas gifts? Take a look and find out which ones made it to the list.

Nowadays, everyone, and by that, I actually mean everyone, seems to own a camera. Let’s be honest – your phone already has a camera, so you’re included in this statement as well.

Now, if this is true, why are we suggesting you to consider giving cameras as Christmas gifts?

While it’s considerably true that almost all of us own cameras because of our smartphones, the feeling of holding a good old fashioned camera and using it to take pictures is unrivalled. And seriously, won’t you get wrist injury if you consistently use your iPad to take family reunion pictures?

Go and find a real camera. We are dedicated to giving you the best info there is, so buckle up and start preparing those bucks!

#1 Olympus XZ-1

$399

Say cheese to this awesome point and shoot camera – with this, you don’t need absolutely astounding lighting to be able to take pictures as this has an easily accessible built-in pop-up flash to lighten the subject and to reduce dark spots. The feature that it has 10 MP helps, too. Give this as a Christmas gift to your mom.

Specs to consider:

• 10-megapixel CCD sensor with the TruePic V Image Processor
• iZUIKO f1.8-2.5 6.0-24mm [28-112 mm equiv.] (4x zoom) lens for improved shooting in low-light scenarios
• Capture all the action in crisp 720p HD video at 30 frames-per-second
• 3-inch OLED monitor; six creative Art Filters

#2 Nikon COOLPIX P7100

$299

If you want a camera that can be a decent substitute to your dSLR, grab this one! It can shoot images with focused detail and it can   produce amazing HD videos, as well. It also has add-in camera special effects for you to spice up your photos. It also has a built-in microphone for your “documentary” needs, you visionary fellow. Forget giving – this is yours!

Specs to consider:

• Superior Nikon image quality with 7.1x Zoom-NIKKOR ED glass lens and large 10.1-MP, 1/1.7-in. CCD sensor
• Fast and responsive with Nikon’s EXPEED C2 image processing engine; shoot RAW files for added image control and flexibility
• Versatile manual controls, including front command dial and exclusive quick menu puts the photographer in charge of camera operation
• HD movie (720p) with stereo sound recording using built-in microphone; optical zoom control and autofocus are available during recording
• 3-inch ultra-high resolution (921,000-dot) Vari-Angle monitor with Clear Color display and anti-reflective coating; for added viewing convenience an optical viewfinder is also provide

#3 Canon EOS 5D Mark II

$ 1,800                                              

Boasting of ISO sensitivity up to 25,600, this one sure packs a powerful punch – it can help you shoot photos even if you’re in a near dark situation! Print absolutely big pictures with this camera. Also, it has an optional Wireless File Transmitter so you can transmit the images directly to the computer or to a WFT server. Give this to a very good friend or a potential lifetime partner for Christmas.

Specs to consider:

• 21.1-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor, 14-bit A/D conversion, wide range ISO setting 100-6400
• Body only, lenses sold separately,1-Year Canon U.S.A. Limited Warranty
• DIGIC 4 Image Processor; high-performance 3.9 fps continuous shooting; Live View Function for stills
• Full HD video capture at 1920×1080 resolution for up to 4GB per clip ; HDMI output
• Updated EOS Integrated Cleaning System specifically designed to work with a full-frame sensor

Other note-worthy cameras are the Canon EOS REBEL T4i ($800) and Nikon D800 ($3000) as well.

Have you checked out these cameras already? Will you be giving them as Christmas gifts to others or will you keep them to yourself? Share your thoughts below!