4 hot digital cameras under Rs 10,000

There are quite a few models that suit your needs and budget. For ease-of-use, all point-and-shoots that we have listed below come with preset scene modes (portrait, close-up, landscape, indoors, sunset, food, black and white, etc) and photo effects (toy camera, miniature, diorama, and panorama) that allow you to capture stills and even record videos with the press of a few buttons.

When it comes to output, you can expect picture quality that's better than what you'd get out of almost all phone cameras, allowing you to share your snaps on the web and even take postcard-sized prints for your family album.

Nikon Coolpix S3600 (Rs 6,000)
Nikon Coolpix S3600 is a good budget option with its 20MP sensor, 8x optical zoom, a 2.7-inch LCD display and 230-shot battery life. You get 18 scene modes, and over ten effects, including a portrait touch-up tool and face-detection.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W830 (Rs 7,000)
Alternatively, you could consider Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W830, which also sports a 20MP sensor, 8x optical zoom, a 2.7-inch LCD display and 210-shot battery life. It comes with eleven preset scene modes, four picture effects and ability to track up to eight faces in a frame.

Nikon Coolpix S6700 (Rs 7,500)
For little more, you can pick Nikon Coolpix S6700, which is another 20MP snapper, but with a larger 3-inch LCD display, 10x optical zoom, 230-shot battery rating, and the same number of scene modes and picture effects as the S3600.

Canon PowerShot SX170 IS (Rs 11,000)
Stretch your budget beyond Rs 10k, and you can opt for Canon PowerShot SX170 IS, which is a 16MP snapper with a 16x zoom lens, a 3-inch LCD display and better battery life of 300 shots. This model is slightly bulkier than the other point-and-shoots listed here, but it offers better grip.

All the cameras mentioned above are capable of recording HD (720p) videos; use image stabilization techniques to offset blur caused by shaky hands, and are powered by a lithium-ion battery. However, you should be aware that most point-and-shoot cameras do not fare very well in low light. Images tend to contain more grain (noise) at higher ISO levels (400+).