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Any one of these cameras or camcorders makes a great gift for the photo artiste or video auteur in your life.
Lori Grunin
I've been reviewing hardware and software, devising testing methodology and handed out buying advice for what seems like forever; I'm currently absorbed by computers and gaming hardware, but previously spent many years concentrating on cameras. I've also volunteered with a cat rescue for over 15 years doing adoptions, designing marketing materials, managing volunteers and, of course, photographing cats.
Managing Editor Josh Goldman is a laptop expert and has been writing about and reviewing them since built-in Wi-Fi was an optional feature. He also covers almost anything connected to a PC, including keyboards, mice, USB-C docks and PC gaming accessories. In addition, he writes about cameras, including action cams and drones. And while he doesn't consider himself a gamer, he spends entirely too much time playing them.
ExpertiseLaptops, desktops and computer and PC gaming accessories including keyboards, mice and controllers, cameras, action cameras and dronesCredentials
More than two decades experience writing about PCs and accessories, and 15 years writing about cameras of all kinds.
The HX9V's shooting options for both photos and movies are plentiful, going from fully automatic point-and-shoot to full manual with control over shutter speed and aperture. There's a lot to play with here, making it a good option for anyone who would like something that's equal parts gadget and camera.
A great prosumer camcorder, with excellent video quality and a flexible feature set, the G10 would make a great gift for someone you know looking for a compact model with pro features and performance.
If you can afford it, the D7000 is a great gift for any creative photographer. Its combination of design, feature set, performance, and photo quality is hard to beat, especially as a gift for a Nikon shooter who wants something a bit better.
If your budget stretches to about $400, the PowerShot S95's full set of manual controls and excellent low-light photo quality make it a can't-miss ultracompact gift choice for advanced photographers, as long as they don't shoot a lot of action. By the time you read this it may have been superceded by the more expensive and feature-rich S100, but the S95 remains a solid gift buy.
If you know someone who's been complaining that her point-and-shoot (or phone) isn't fast enough, good enough, or flexible enough, this camera is the perfect next step. It's relatively compact, but delivers SLR-quality photos and speed in the interface and design she's used to.
With excellent photo quality, better continuous-shooting performance than a lot of the dSLRs in its price range, and solid autofocus behavior during video capture, the Sony Alpha SLT-A35 has a lot to recommend it as a step up from a point-and-shoot.
A great pick as a first dSLR, the Canon EOS Rebel T3i suits if your recipient wants a camera with an optical viewfinder that also works for shooting HD video or if he already has some Canon lenses.
If you know someone who wants to step up from a point-and-shoot but doesn't mind trading off a little more complexity for advanced creative controls, this is a great option.
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