Best Digital Cameras of 2009

A number of great cameras were released to hungry photographers this year, but in my book, a handful managed to separate themselves from the rest of the herd. Now, the cameras listed below aren’t necessarily my personal favorites, I’m afraid my own tastes can veer off the beaten path just a little bit, but in general the cameras below represent the best of what’s available in their respective class and/or seemed to have done so many things right,  that you can’t help but to notice them. With that, here’s my contenders for the best cameras of the year.

I can’t find much fault in the S90, it takes great pictures (for a compact), is compact in size, and is very enthusiast friendly with RAW+JPEG shooting, a fast wide angle lens at f/2, and full manual controls. On the downside, the S90 is a bit “slippery” and unfortunately is burdened with an unsatisfying dial on the backside of the camera. Other than that the S90 manages to do exactly what I expect Canon intended it to do, steal some thunder from the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3.

• Canon Powershot S90 at B&H Photo

Canon EOS 7D

Another camera where Canon takes aim at a competitor, the EOS 7D seems intent to outgun Nikon’s D300s, and for the most part, it succeeds. It features a rugged weather-sealed camera body with excellent handling characteristics, a blistering continuous shooting speed of 8 fps, and the most robust HD video recording options currently available in a DSLR camera. The Nikon D300s does still provide that excellent 51 point AF system, but we had no problems covering a number of different shooting situations with the the 7D’s 19 point AF system. ISO performance is bit better than the D300s to my eye, and overall image quality is as good or better than any other camera that doesn’t have a full frame sensor inside.

• Canon EOS 7D at B&H Photo

Panasonic DMC-GF1

I give huge credit to Olympus for pioneering a camera type that many photographers have been waiting for, a compact camera body with interchangeable lenses and a DSLR sized sensor inside. The Olympus E-P1 was and is a very cool camera, that gets a number of things right, is fun to use, and looks incredible. Still, it’s the Panasonic GF1 that has the edge here, it just seems to clean up the E-P1’s loose ends, especially when it comes to focusing performance. It doesn’t have the E-P1’s built-in image stabilization, but paired with the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7, the GF1 seems like the perfect “DMD”. (DMD as described by the TheOnlinePhotographer, “decisive moment digital”)

• Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1  B&H Photo

Nikon D3x

This $8000 IQ monster is the professional’s choice for top of the line image quality in a DSLR camera. 24.5 megapixels, 5 fps continuous shooting, and Nikon’s proven 51 point AF system, all add up to a camera that easily rises to the level of “Flagship”.

• Nikon D3x at B&H Photo

Got something you’d like to add, or have your own list for the best of 2009, let’s hear it in the comments.

Continue the Discussion

Join us on Facebook! Become a fan of Neutralday today! Become a fan of Neutralday on Facebook. Interact with us and stay updated on what's coming next at Neutralday, photography news, and other fans' insights. Follow us on Twitter! Grab our tweets right here. Follow Neutralday on Twitter. Insights on the cameras we're reviewing, and frequent photography related news, thoughts, and links. Support Neutralday by shopping at our preferred retailer, B&H Photo

Explore Similar Posts

• Canon “Developing Mirror-less Camera System”
• Panasonic Developing Interchangeable 3D Lens For Lumi…
• Panasonic Introduces Lumix G Fisheye 8mm F/3.5 Lens
• Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 In Depth Review
• Surge in Sales for Compact Interchangeable Lens Camer…

1. 

   Rupert Marlow says:

   December 21, 2009 at 5:31 pm

   Interesting that the GF1 beat the E-P2! Half the price too! Glad I took the plunge.

   reply
   • 

     Patrick says:

     December 21, 2009 at 9:39 pm

     Rupert,
     I’d quite like to take your GF1 if you ever get tired of it? Seriously though, the GF1 seems to have nailed the micro four thirds promise.

     reply
2. 

   Eolake Stobblehouse says:

   December 21, 2009 at 8:25 pm

   Can’t fault your choices.

   Did you see the custom-made alu grip for the S90? It’s gorgeous, and really helps the grip.

   reply
3. 

   Patrick says:

   December 21, 2009 at 9:33 pm

   Yes, yes, I’ve seen it and man it is very nice.

   reply
   • 

     Paul Parkinson says:

     December 22, 2009 at 2:17 am

     I use a £1 aluminium tripod as a (left hand) grip for my S90. The tripod is cheap and nasty as a tripod but as a grip its a winner. Keep an eye out for them in thrift stores.

     reply
     • 

       Patrick says:

       December 23, 2009 at 2:22 am

       Interesting, thanks for the tip Paul!

       reply
4. 

   Mark Hespenheide says:

   December 22, 2009 at 11:40 pm

   Patrick,
   I’m biased since I just bought one, but I sincerely believe Sony’s a850 to be one of the best digital cameras of 2009. There’s no single element that makes it stand out from the rest of the field… except for its price. And its image quality, specifically in proportion to its price. I’ve shot with Canon since 1997, but the quality of the images coming off of the Sony at ISO 100 through 400 are impressive. If you’re a landscape photographer or work in the studio, you owe it to yourself to check it out. Seriously. See if you could wrangle a copy from someone to test. Just do me a favor and don’t drive up the prices and scarcity of the Minolta lenses any more, okay?

   reply
   • 

     Patrick says:

     December 23, 2009 at 2:26 am

     Mark,
     I’ve got no problem at all with the A850, and it does make for the most affordable full frame solution available (for a new camera that is). Definitely as you say, for landscape and studio, hard to beat.

     Lovely work by the way…

     reply
5. Regis Hennequin says:

   February 20, 2010 at 5:17 pm

   I am lost, read many review here and there, but found no one to say (or I have problems with my english) what is best between:
   - S90 and LX3
   - S90, LX3 and GF1+20mm

   Is it a problem on the S90 to do not have free room for polarized lense?

   Thank you for your input on this Patrick,

   Régis

   reply
   • 

     Patrick says:

     February 22, 2010 at 12:56 am

     Regis,
     if money isn’t an object, get the GF1 and the 20mm, but it isn’t really comparable to the S90 and LX3 which have much smaller sensors, and thus not the same image quality as the GF1. Between the other 2, they’re both very good, and printed results will be quite similar, I’d say the S90, but you’ll be happy with either. To give a real recommendation though, you’d need to say what you want to shoot, and how much money you’ll spend.

     reply
6. 

   Alfredo says:

   March 27, 2010 at 7:18 pm

   En primer lugar felicito , a la persona que que hizo esta página web , excelente , la verdad que buenísima . Con respecto a los test de cámaras muy buenos . Yo creo que han elegido muy bien los jurados las mejores cámaras del 2009 . Estoy totalmente de acuerdo . Estuve leyendo el test de la Canon 7D , la verdad que Canon a tocado esta vez en la tecla precisa , en cuanto a la calidad en si del producto , a las excelentes innovaciones , al video HD , a la construcción del producto en cuanto a su resistencia a los cambios climáticos y situaciones que a veces nos toca vivir a los fotógrafos profesionales en general . Espero que dure mucho tiempo , y que de ahora en mas plante frente a frente a la competidora eterna Nikon , futuras cámaras Canon , que siempre estén adelante de Nikon .Con esta nueva Canon 7D , se prendió la mecha , para alcanzar la meta o mejor dicho el trono que Canon había perdido en estos años atrás . Sin mas les saludo atentamente .

   Alfredo Terriaca
   Fotógrafo

   reply