Kodak EasyShare C180

A digital camera that's less than $100, like the Kodak EasyShare C180, tends to garner few professional reviews and, in this case, few complaints from users. As one reviewer says, the EasyShare C180 is better than the "rubbish" you'd get if you spent even less. The EasyShare C180 is easy to use, most owner reviews say, and with a 3x lens and image stabilization, it's a decent value for a novice. Drawbacks include sluggishness -- 4.5 seconds just to power up -- a low-resolution 2.4-inch LCD screen, no dedicated viewfinder, few manual controls and mono sound on video. Don't get too gaga over the 10.2-megapixel resolution either; reviews say image quality isn't especially good and is poor in low light. Some owners also trash the EasyShare C180's battery life (it runs on two AAs).

Top professional review sources rarely cover low-end products. We found the best coverage at the U.K.'s TrustedReviews.com. We also found a good number of owner reviews at Amazon.com and Walmart.com.