The ATC3K Waterproof Action Camera should be able to withstand most forms of punishment that you and Mother Nature can mete out. Its video quality suffers in dim conditions, but it's decent in sunlight. Overall, the ATC3K is worth considering for ...

Waterproof, shockproof design ; useful webcam and live monitor functions

VGA video is fairly low resolution by today&apos ; s standards ; front-heavy design makes the unit difficult to mount in a stable fashion ; awful low-light performance ; no still-photography mode

The Oregon Scientific ATC3K Waterproof Action Camera is rugged enough to take the knocks of extreme sports in its stride. Unfortunately, it falls flat when it comes to video quality

The 10-megapixel EasyShare Z915 is well worth a look if you want a pocket-friendly superzoom that offers plenty of features, simple operation, a comfortable and sturdy design, and generally good photo quality. It's reasonably priced too, and, for its ...

Plenty of features ; comfortable, sturdy design ; fast performance for its class

Photos can look over-processed and noisy viewed at 100 per cent ; small LCD

The pocket-friendly Kodak EasyShare Z915 superzoom is a good camera for those looking to step up from a fully automatic compact to something with more manual controls and a longer lens

In order to keep the price down, Sony's trimmed the 12-megapixel Cyber-shot DSC-W220's features, but left enough in so that it's still a worthwhile proposition. Also offering fairly speedy performance and decent photo quality, this is a well-rounded ...

Above-average feature set ; pleasing design

No optical zoom while recording video ; photo quality drops off above ISO 200 ; above-average chromatic aberration

Sony's carefully trimmed the features to keep the price down, but the Cyber-shot DSC-W220 still offers enough to make it a well-rounded pocket camera for an affordable price

The 12-megapixel Lumix DMC-FS25 provides the chance to get all the usual Panasonic tech in a cheaper, but still very decent, package. Detail in its pictures lacks bite, but the results are still good, and the design is robust and efficient, making for ...

Good design and controls ; big screen and clear interface ; quick-access button for the &apos ; intelligent auto&apos ; mode

Fine detail lacks bite ; some scene modes work at lower resolution ; focus tracking is slow to lock on

Panasonic makes some great 10-megapixel compacts, but seems to be struggling to get the best out of its 12-megapixel sensors -- the Lumix DMC-FS25, Lumix DMC-FX40 and Lumix DMC-FT1 all turn out slightly mushy detail. While the FS25 has a good lens and ...

The rugged, 12-megapixel Optio W80 is an attractive little beast that can withstand a good deal of physical punishment. It's over-reliant on its menu system, but it's a versatile snapper, offering a 5x wideangle zoom, a high-def movie mode and a ...

Shockproof up to 1m ; 5x wideangle zoom range ; high-definition movie mode

Poor lens performance ; noisy image processing ; over-reliant on menus

The dodgy lens on our Pentax Optio W80 might have been a one-off, but, even leaving that aside, the image quality is below par. It's shockproof and waterproof to a greater depth than its predecessor, the Optio W60, but it's pretty pricy and the ...

The DP2 is how cameras used to be -- a box with a lens, and just enough controls to let you get the picture you want. And the picture quality is excellent, offering clarity that's on a par with 10- to 12-megapixel digital SLRs and streets ahead of any ...

Clarity of detail ; solid and traditional design ; good Sigma Photo Pro software

Expensive ; not so good at high ISOs ; poor LCD screen

The Sigma DP2 is a camera for the cognoscenti, not beginners. It's not without its downsides, but it offers a fantastic build, great design, excellent manual controls, and a level of clarity that belies its apparently modest resolution, thanks to its ...

The 10-megapixel Coolpix S220 is a good option for those who want a straightforward, inexpensive camera that will take photos of a sufficient quality for posting online. It's also incredibly small and lightweight, and offers a very good features for ...

Great design ; very compact ; very good features for its class

Mediocre photo quality ; slow performance

The Nikon Coolpix S220 is an adequate, inexpensive choice for those who want to take photos that they can share on the Web

The 12-megapixel PowerShot A1100 IS is a good choice for people who want a straightforward, gimmick-free compact camera that's big enough to hold but can still fit inside a pocket. It also offers decent image quality, and learning how to use it will ...

Chunky and practical design ; clear and straightforward controls ; has an optical viewfinder

Mediocre lens fails to exploit sensor ; quite pricy given the quality of the competition

The Canon PowerShot A1100 IS' no-nonsense design, layout and controls are refreshing. It's easy to figure out, and anyone could use it. But it's plasticky, the image quality isn't particularly impressive and it's not especially good value for money -- ...

The 12.1-megapixel Canon PowerShot A2100 IS combines very good photo quality with the benefits of a 6x optical zoom and optical image stabilisation. Some aspects of its performance are relatively slow, but it still represents good value for a point ...

Excellent photo quality for the price ; 6x optical zoom ; simple operation ; good feature set

Occasionally sluggish performance

The Canon PowerShot A2100 IS offers good photo quality, some extra zoom range and the convenience of AA batteries in an affordable, pocketable package. It's operation is sometimes on the sluggish side, though

Considering how cheap it is, the 10-megapixel PowerShot A480 takes good photos. In fact, you'd be hard-pressed to better them at this price point. You should look elsewhere if you're after anything besides basic snapshots, but, otherwise, this small, ...

Simple ; cheap ; relatively small ; powered by AA batteries

Chunky, plastic design ; relatively slow performance

The Canon PowerShot A480 may be a basic, low-priced compact camera, but it takes good photos that you'll be hard-pressed to better at this price point