Best Digital Cameras - TIPA Awards 2008

TIPA Awards are recognised as the Most Coveted Photo & Imaging Awards in Europe. Recently, the president of a leading manufacturing company said: "We believe that winning the TIPA award helps our marketing activity very much".

Many awards are presented each year all over the world in all sectors of commerce, industry, and the arts. Some awards are sold, others are bought. But we can assure you that only those products that really deserve them can win the TIPA awards. That's why they are so prestigious.

Winning companies are free to announce their TIPA awards in their press releases and mention it in their technical papers. On the other hand, the use of the specific copyrighted TIPA awards blue logotype in advertising, informational and promotional publications, packaging, etc, is only permitted as long as the conditions of use of the logotype itself are accepted.

The ceremony for the TIPA awards is organized every year at a strategic location as comfortable as the Photokina in Cologne. The period of use for the TIPA awards logotype goes from between May 1st and March 31st. the next year.

TIPA Awards: 2008

With its 12.2 megapixel sensor, an ISO rating between 100 and 1600, a responsive autofocus system and superb image quality, the Canon EOS 450D is an excellent camera to discover the next step in digital photography. Offered in kit form with an 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 lens, the camera boasts advanced features like Live View, and features an impressive LCD screen which accurately displays the model’s crisp, clean images. Both lightweight and compact, the EOS 450D is simple to use and fast, too, with a burst rate of 3.3 frames per second.

Best Digital SLR Camera Expert: Nikon D300

With its solid design, excellent handling and robust, weather-sealed build quality, the Nikon D300 offers professional quality at a reasonable price. The 12.3 megapixel CMOS sensor delivers stunning results – even at ISO 1600 – and it can be boosted to ISO 6400 (Hi 1.0) if needed. The camera sports a fast, responsive autofocus system, the viewfinder offers 100% coverage, the large 3-inch screen gives a bright, clear display and all the high-end features like Live View, HDMI connectivity and anti-dust protection are included. On top of these exceptional features, the D300 shoots at an impressive speed of 6 frames-per-second, and will do this in bursts of 100 consecutive JPEGs or 23 RAWs.

Best Digital SLR Camera Professional: Nikon D3

This professional D-SLR is a milestone for Nikon. It’s the first camera from the company with a full-frame, ‘FX’ sensor size of 23.9x36mm. As a result of this, each pixel featured on the 12.1 megapixel CMOS sensor has a larger size, and that means the low-light performance of this camera is truly incredible. The Nikon D3 can easily be used at ISO 6400, and if needed, the ISO can be cranked up to an awesome equivalent of 25,600. The rugged, magnesium-alloy chassis provides a solid foundation for the camera, and its fast burst rate of 9 frames-per-second in full-frame mode provides the necessary speed of use for the most demanding professional.

This innovative camera, priced at around 300 euro, features a 24mm (equivalent) wide-angle setting on its Schneider zoom lens, and offers an 86,5mm focal length at the telephoto end. An dual image stabilizer is employed to reduce camera shake, and the 10,2 megapixel sensor sports a maximum ISO sensitivity of 3200. Other innovations include a Blink Detection mode, which recognizes the appearance of the blink of an eye and takes 3 continuous shots, so people can choose the one where their eyes are not blinking. Auto Contrast Balance to allow well-exposed images in backlit conditions, a large 2.5-inch AMOLED screen with a 180 degree viewing angle, and the option to record high definition (720p) video.

The FX500 is the first of a new family of compact cameras with a 5x, image-stabilized zoom that covers the 25 to 125mm range – ideal for any subject from wide-angle landscapes to telephoto portraits. The images captured by the 10.1 megapixel sensor are processed by the new Venus Engine IV, and ISO sensitivity ranges from 100 to 1600, and from 1600 to 6400 in High Sensitivity mode. The 3-inch touch-screen LCD offers an easy image composition and review. For the more advanced photographer, the FX500 offers a full manual control with an innovative MASP dial solution via the touch-screen.

Best Superzoom Digital Camera: Fuji S100 FS

The S100 FS is a ‘bridge’ camera that offers a number of features found on the Fuji Finepix S5 Pro D-SLR. Its eighth generation Super CCD sensor boasts 11.1 million pixels, and full manual control is easy to achieve for photographers who like to take charge of their exposures. With an optically-stabilized 28-400mm f/2.8-5.3 lens, the S100 FS offers a huge zoom range that covers all general photography subjects, and the 2.5-inch screen can be tilted to provide the optimum viewing angle for composition. The camera’s Film Simulation modes emulate the contrast and saturation of Velvia and Provia emulsions, and there’s a RAW format for the discerning enthusiast wanting to create the look and feel of their images from scratch.

Best Prestige Camera: Sigma DP1

The Sigma DP1 is the first compact camera with a large sensor, and the one it uses is the same size as that found in the Sigma SD14. The Foveon technology employed gives very high quality images in RAW format at ISO ratings up to 200, though the sensitivity can be increased to ISO 800 if needed. Thanks to the fixed-focal-length 28mm f/4 lens, images produced by the DP1 have a quality comparable to some D-SLRs. Elegant, stylish and pleasant to use, the DP1 boasts an external viewfinder and a slick manual focus option for precise control. This luxury compact is a new departure for the digital compact, and reveals a promising line of development for the future.

Best Imaging Innovation: Casio EXILIM Pro EX-F1

The Casio EXILIM Pro EX-F1 opens up new fields in photography, thanks to its incredible speed. The camera takes full size, 6 megapixel photos at 60 frames-per-second, and smaller size movie clips at speeds up to 1200 frames-per-second. This allows the user to catch each decisive moment, and even motion that the human eye cannot ordinarily perceive. The unique Slow Motion View function lets users view and capture that critical moment in slow motion during still photography. This way, users can take photographs while, on the LCD screen, the momentary action that is before their eyes is displayed in slow motion. An impressive leap forward, and a worthy winner of the Best Imaging Innovation award.