Part One: The 'Best of Best Stuff' Awards

Many people just want an answer. They want to know what to buy ... what is the finest TV, CD player, or digital camera. They don't want to study the 'down and dirty' specifications; they just want a recommendation from independent experts. This reminds me of an old saying: 'Just tell me what time it is; I don't care how the clock works.'

Each year, we test products that merit the label 'The Best of Best Stuff'. This label applies only to those products that perform better than expected and provide real value for the dollar; where you get more than you pay for. Very few products meet these criteria. The ones that follow in our 'Best of Best Stuff' series do.

The best products can occur in almost any category. Here are some that are groundbreaking or unique in their own way.

Digital Cameras

For the Family:

Smaller point and shoot digital cameras have, until recently, always had to trade off portability for picture quality. Their small physical size limited the optics and the size of the imaging chip (and therefore the resolution) that the camera could produce. From the start, Olympus has been a leader in digital camera design, and many of my favorite cameras over the years (like the venerable E-20) have come from Olympus.

Now, with its C-50Z, Olympus has managed to squeeze a large 5 megapixel chip into a pocketsize body that does not require this quality tradeoff in resolution. The C-50Z comes with a long-lasting lithium-ion rechargeable battery and also manages to pack a 3x zoom into the familiar size of the very small (and extremely popular) Olympus Stylus Epic film camera series. The new Olympus C-50Z shares most of the advanced features of its big brothers, giving you plenty of control or you can just set it on 'autopilot' and cruise your way to great pictures. By using this big five-megapixel sensor, the Olympus C-50Z gives you enough 'real estate' to blow up your photos beyond 8 X 10" without any apparent loss of resolution. You can find the C-50Z for about $600 at most camera stores. www.olympusamerica.com

For the 'Prosumer' Photographer:

Any photographer will love the new Nikon Coolpix 5700. The 5700 evolved from Nikon's highly regarded Coolpix 5000 -in itself a fine camera. Nikon took the best from the 5000 and added new features and technology to produce its new 'top of the line' prosumer camera, the Nikon Coolpix 5700. For starters, it has almost all of the controls handily placed on the body, so you do not have to scroll through small menus (a pet peeve of mine). It also features a great 8x Nikon zoom lens (35-280 mm in 35mm speak), and a handy swing-out, tilt-and-swivel LCD monitor. This moveable monitor allows you to compose your pictures from high, low or even around corners. Nikon has further refined its proprietary matrix exposure metering to make sure your pictures are properly exposed every time. Last, but not least, the Coolpix 5700 incorporates Nikon's own digital image processing around its latest 5 megapixel chip for 'pro-quality' shooting. The Coolpix can be found in most stores for around $1,200. www.nikonusa.com

Advanced Amateurs and Pros:

Attention serious photographers: Digital is finally ready for prime time. The entire digital bandwagon has long since 'taken off', and digital cameras are one of the hot categories. Until recently, I have not found a digital camera that produced better pictures than a good pro-level 35 mm film camera. Remember, we are talking professional grade here, not point and shoot. If you're not really into photography, you can stop here. I have tried many digital cameras over the past few years, ranging from the $25,000 professional models of only a few years ago all the way to low-cost point and shoots. Now, for the first time, there is a digital camera that I can recommend, that truly beats 35 mm film. The new Canon EOS 1Ds is the first digital camera I have ever used that offers noticeably sharper and better pictures than anything I was able to obtain with even the best 35 mm film systems. It uses a full frame 35mm size 11 mega-pixel CMOS (as opposed to LCD) sensor, with its images processed through proprietary Canon electronics. Obviously, this is a professional level camera and is priced accordingly, at about $7,900, but its results are outstanding. It has every feature any pro could want and then some. In fact, it is the finest camera I have ever used... and I have used many. The Canon EOS 1Ds is based on the Canon EOS 1v body from Canon's top-of-the-line 35 mm film camera and is a serious piece of work. This rugged digital SLR uses almost all of the lenses, flashes and other accessories that Canon developed for its highly regarded single-lens reflex 35 mm film cameras. You need read no further, wait no longer; the Canon EOS 1Ds is in camera stores today. www.usa.canon.com

Specialty Camera:

On to the lighter side, almost every photographer would like a really small camera that slips in a shirt-pocket, goes almost anywhere and yet still takes great pictures. The Minolta Diamage Xi is a tiny 3.3 megapixel camera that measures a petite 3.3 x 2.8 x 0.8 in. and weighs in at only 4.8 ounces. With its generous 3.3 megapixel sensor, your 4 x 6 in. shots will easily equal film-based point and shoots.

It not only offers a standard optical viewfinder but also employs a 1.5 in. LCD screen on the back. This is the best of the bunch for ultra-small digital shirt-pocket size cameras. Another plus: within its trim body hides a unique folding 3x internal zoom lens that does not protrude from the camera as you zoom in and out--- as do the lenses of almost all competitors. However, for all of its diminutive size, this camera looks as good as it shoots. It has been called a 'styling statement' by many magazines; handsome, elegant, and certain to produce envious 'wows' whenever you use it. You can find it in most camera stores for about $400.

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