Lukewarm digital camera deals at Target and Staples

The Nikon Coolpix L20 digital camera is a hot ticket for black friday 2009. We've already seen it in leaked circulars from Sears and OfficeMax, and now Target's recently leaked flyer is showing the L20 for $88. Target's price sits between those of Sears ($100) and OfficeMax ($80), both of which were deemed by us to be "no deals." While spending less than $100 for a digital camera is tempting - the L20 isn't even really worth that low price. As we've reported, the Nikon Coolpix L20 gets mixed professional reviews and many users reviews report blurry images and other issues. We recommend going with the Canon PowerShot SD480 (*Est. $105) if you're on a budget. See our cheap-digital camera report. for more best-reviewed (and affordable) cameras.

Staples is also offering a cheap digital camera for Black Friday: a 10-megapixel Kodak model bundled with a memory card and carrying case for $79.99. While the leaked flyer doesn't specify a model number, the closest match we could find is the Kodak EasyShare M340, which has 10-megapixel resolution, 3x optical zoom and a 2.7-inch LCD. It also comes in several bright colors - green, blue and red - in addition to silver. Reviewers at PCMag.com, PC World Australia and GoodGearGuide.com take a look at the EasyShare M340. The latter sources recommend the camera, though editors say it's not much of an improvement from the M320 model that it replaces.

PCMag.com's PJ Jacobowitz is more critical, noting that while the EasyShare M340 scores well on lab tests, its lack of image stabilization "cripples its shots," and rates it just 2.5 out of 5 stars. Several users contributing reviews to Amazon and Newegg complain about a whirring noise while shooting video. One user at Amazon notes that turning off the orientation sensor setting stops the noise. Not all reviews are negative; a number of users like its ease of use and intuitive menu system and report good image quality, particularly when using the smart capture feature. The EasyShare M340 typically sells for about $120-$150, so $80 for a case and memory card is a pretty good deal, though you may already have those accessories. In addition, the ad doesn't specify what size memory card you get - it could be as small as 128GB, which is hardly worth it. In any case, this is a lukewarm deal at best - if you decide to hit Staples on black friday, check the offer details at the store before you plunk down the cash for this one.