Ernest Shackleton would probably have been mightily taken with the shockproof, waterproof and freezeproof mju Tough-6010. Its picture quality isn't going to blow anybody's mind, but it looks smart, offers good value for money, and can withstand a fair ...

Smart and chunky styling ; 3.8x wideangle zoom range

Lens becomes hazy towards the edges ; heavy noise reduction and smoothing ; over-complicated EV compensation

Most underwater compacts have to use internal 'folded' lenses, so it's unwise to expect stellar image quality. Even so, the Olympus mju Tough-6010's pictures are rather disappointing. It's still a stylish and relatively cheap go-anywhere camera, though

Canon has played it safe with the Digital IXUS 200 IS, aiming for steady evolution rather than technical innovation. The result is a perfectly decent compact camera. It offers good colours and details at low ISOs, its touchscreen is effective and its ...

Good zoom range ; decent lens quality ; effective touchscreen controls

Black borders on the LCD display when shooting stills ; over-sensitive rear control dial ; weak definition at high ISOs

With the Digital IXUS 200 IS, Canon seems to have aimed for steady evolution rather than technical innovation. The 200 is a perfectly decent camera, but it's far from a must-have

The 10-megapixel PowerShot S90 is brilliant. At last, we have a compact camera that really does have dSLR-style features, really does approach dSLR image quality and really will fit in your pocket. As well as offering a straightforward interface, it's ...

Superb control ring on lens ; excellent image quality ; able to shoot raw files ; compact body ; straightforward design

Rear controller can be frustrating ; lack of a hi-def movie mode

The Canon PowerShot S90 is a cracker. It's not just elegant, compact and beautifully made -- it also combines high-end photographic controls with a straightforward interface, a seriously good lens and image quality that raises the bar for all other ...

The 12.1-megapixel Lumix DMC-FX550 compact camera offers a surprising amount of manual control and oozes hi-tech features, including a touchscreen interface and 5x super-wide zoom. It's also capable of shooting decent pictures, and offers decent value ...

Offers a surprising amount of manual control ; super-wideangle zoom ; good focus tracking

Poor lens quality at full zoom ; occasionally hit-and-miss touchscreen interface

We have to ask what the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX550's hybrid touchscreen interface actually achieves. It doesn't replace the usual set of buttons because you get these too. The 25-125mm zoom doesn't perform brilliantly, either. While the DMC-FX550 ...

Fujifilm deserves a substantial pat on the back for creating the FinePix Real 3D W1. Not only does it function as a normal compact camera, but it can also use its two lenses to produce strikingly effective 3D images. This snapper's not without its ...

Visually striking 3D effect when it works ; easy to use ; not that expensive given that it&apos ; s a twin-lens camera

Bulky and awkward ; 3D mode needs specific conditions to work ; expensive peripherals

We can't say how good the separate viewer is because Fujifilm didn't have one to send to us, but, judging by the images on the FinePix Real 3D W1's screen, when the 3D mode works, it works well. But the 3D effect is elusive, the camera can be awkward ...

Sony has packed an impressive amount of technology into the 10.2-megapixel Cyber-shot DSC-WX1, while keeping it tiny and lightweight. Capable of delivering some very good photos, it's also one of the quickest cameras we've tested in its class, making ...

Well-designed; offers several fun, useful features; good low-light and overall performance

Mixed photo quality

Lightweight and fun to use, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX1 is a great, fast-performing snapshot camera that falters slightly in terms of photo quality

The pro-orientated, 10-megapixel PowerShot G11 is expensive and heavy, but it's one of the best serious compacts on the market. Its cast-iron body and chunky external dials are excellent, its image quality is good, and its 5x wideangle zoom is sharp ...

Quality 5x wideangle lens ; heavy, robust build ; chunky knobs and dials ; good image quality

Expensive ; sluggish responses for a pro camera ; poor rear controller

The Canon PowerShot G11 offers excellent photograph quality and options for a compact camera, and the downshift from the old PowerShot G10's 14-megapixel sensor to a 10-megapixel one has paid dividends. But it remains a fat, heavy and expensive ...

The 9.3-megapixel CX2 compact superzoom with 10.7x zoom offers capabilities that wouldn't be out of place on a cutting-edge digital SLR, including plenty of focusing options and an excellent dynamic-range mode. It also feels very well-made and ...

Good zoom range ; solid build quality and design ; 5-frames-per-second shooting at full resolution ; plenty of focus modes

Over-smoothed detail ; poor lens quality at the edges of the frame

On the design and feature fronts, the Ricoh CX2 doesn't do too badly, but the lens just isn't up to the job. It might be alright in the centre, but the soft edges undermine all of this camera's clever features, with the result that the CX2 is much ...

The world's first camera with an integrated projector, the 12.1-megapixel Coolpix S1000pj's most interesting feature will either have you chortling with delight or feeling totally unimpressed. But it's not all about the projector -- the S1000pj is a ...

Projector sounds stupid in theory but is quite impressive in practice ; included projector stand and remote ; really easy to use

Weak projector ; expensive ; pretty ordinary as a camera

The Nikon Coolpix S1000pj is pricy and its projector is rather feeble, but, if you like your camera to sport wacky and original features, you might just be hooked

Casio's stuffed plenty of features into the 12.1-megapixel Exilim EX-Z90 compact camera, including a 3x zoom and an intelligent autofocus system that can work out what to focus on and how to adjust the exposure to match. The body's very neat and ...

Good build quality and finish ; fairly inexpensive

Poor-quality lens ; low-resolution continuous-shutter mode ; no zooming while shooting movies ; awkward controller

Either our Exilim EX-Z90 had a duff lens or Casio's spending too much on gadgets and not enough on glassware. The 'continuous shutter' tech in this camera is barely related to the real thing in Casio's high-speed models. Overall, it's a very ...