Panasonic has announced the Lumix DMC-FX35 digital camera, also known in Asia as the DMC-FX36. This super-slim model features an ultra-wide 25 - 100mm zoom lens, as well as Panasonic's Intelligent Auto mode.

Good controls ; Compact ; Well-built ; Intelligent Auto mode ; 25mm wide angle with 4x zoom ; 720 pixel HD Movie mode ; 16:9 aspect ratio for still and movie captures ; A good selection of Scene modes ; Lens-shift image stabilization ; Face detection ...

Only average printed results ; Poor LCD menu system with confusing controls ; Slide show presentations disappoint ; Soft corners at all focal lengths ; High contrast in outdoor images ; Noise at even the lowest ISO leaves grainy artifacts, muddles ...

The Panasonic FX35 includes both a 1/2.33" 10.1 effective megapixel CCD image sensor and a Leica DC Vario-Elmarit branded F2.8 - F5.6 4x optical zoom lens. Images are framed and reviewed on a 2.5" LCD display with 230,000 pixel resolution, and stored ...

Designed for the beginner who wants a little more zoom than the typical 3x zoom entry-level camera provides, the Canon PowerShot A580 offers a 4x lens with fully automatic or semi-automatic settings, as well as 16 easily selectable shooting modes

DIGIC III image processor just like the big boys ; Motion detection to adjust ISO for best exposure ; Facial detection for portraits and to confirm those smiles afterwards ; Good body design, easy to hold and lightweight ; Good color saturation ; Good ...

Difficult battery/card compartment latch ; Burned out highlights with blooming ; Poor digital zoom ; Flash washes out extreme Macro shots ; High barrel distortion ; High chromatic aberration at wide angle ; Soft corners at wide angle ; High contrast ...

The Canon PowerShot A580 has an eight megapixel CCD imager coupled with a Canon-branded 4x optical zoom lens. Images are framed on the 115,000 pixel 2.5-inch LCD display, or using the optical viewfinder. Photos and movies are stored on SD / MMC cards, ...

Canon's PowerShot SD990 IS digital camera replaces the company's previous PowerShot SD950 IS model as the flagship of the Digital ELPH lineup, and updates the chassis with a curvier style while retaining exactly the same control layout. Overall, the ...

Full-frame sensor gives 1:1 crop factor, true wide angle with 35mm lenses, Very compact and relatively lightweight for a full-frame d-SLR, Dramatically less expensive than the only other full-frame d-SLR currently on the market, Canon's own 1Ds Mark ...

Full-frame, high resolution sensor is very demanding of lenses, even high-end lenses can have trouble in the corners (Plan on spending serious $$ on lenses to keep up with this body!), Color is generally good, but reds are significantly oversaturated, ...

The standard ISO sensitivity range offered by the Canon SD990 IS is unchanged from the SD950, with a minimum of ISO 100 through to a maximum of ISO 1,600, plus a high sensitivity scene mode which allows this to be boosted to a maximum of ISO 3,200. ...

The Canon SD890 IS is a 10 megapixel point-and-shoot camera that features a 5x optical zoom lens equipped with Canon's image stabilizer that actually shifts the lens elements when movement is detected to help avoid blurry images. In addition to the ...

Optical Image Stabilization ; 5x optical zoom lens extending to 185mm (35mm-equivalent) ; Face Detection ; Ability to track with Face Detection ; Good image quality, with above average detail capture ; Pleasing color ; Good macro area and quality ; ...

Extremely inaccurate optical viewfinder ; Average speed performance ; Slow full-autofocus shutter lag ; Difficult to operate On/Off button ; Awkward Control Dial ; Some adjustment controls buried deep within My Colors mode ; Soft corners at wide angle ...

On the technical side, the Canon SD890 IS is equipped with Face Detection that recognizes faces in a scene and automatically adjusts exposure, flash output, and white balance to help ensure that you take the best photo possible. The camera also ...

Joining in the trend to re-energize the staid, seemingly all-silver world of digital cameras, the Olympus FE-340 offers a fun selection of body colors (pink, red, and blue), though you can also choose more conservative silver and black styles if that ...

Small, slim size ; 5x optical zoom ; Enjoyable to use ; Light weight ; Smile Shot and Face Detection for good, in-focus pictures of kids ; Good selection of useful preset shooting modes ; Good overall color ; Large 2.7-inch LCD is usable in very ...

High lens distortion at full wide angle ; Distracting image noise at ISOs 400 and up ; Some blurring in corners at both zoom settings, especially the lower left corner ; Slightly soft detail definition overall ; Slow shot-to-shot times

With an initial MSRP of US$199.99, the Olympus FE-340 is an excellent deal. You get a lot of resolution and a good zoom lens, plus a nice array of helpful exposure modes and creative options. The available exposure modes also accommodate a wide range ...

The Canon SD1100 IS Digital ELPH includes an eight megapixel 1/2.5" CCD imager and a Canon-branded 3x optical zoom lens with image stabilization, which covers a fairly standard range of 38-114mm equivalent -- a moderate wide angle to a moderate ...

Optical image stabilization ; DIGIC III image processor just like the big boys ; Facial detection for portraits and to confirm those smiles afterwards ; Small, sleek body design ; High resolution LCD ; Good performance figures, especially for a ...

Flash washes out extreme macro shots ; Moderate chromatic aberration at wide angle ; Soft corners at wide angle ; High contrast in harsh lighting ; Flash takes just under 10 seconds to recharge after full-power shot ; Very small MMC card included ; ...

Exposure is fully automatic, but the user can tweak it with 2.0EV of exposure compensation and four metering modes to handle difficult lighting, including a mode which ties metering to the camera's face detection system

The Pentax Optio Z10 features a Pentax-branded 7x optical zoom lens, the highest magnification among current Pentax compact digital cameras. Designed with a refraction lens system, the lens never protrudes from the camera while zooming. The Pentax Z10 ...

Small, light ; 15 shooting modes ; Nice sliding lens cover ; Face recognition ; Long telephoto zoom for a small camera ; Good sharpness at wide angle and tele ; Easy menu navigation ; Good printed results

Somewhat thick ; Cramped controls on back ; Slick and hard to hold ; Collects fingerprints ; Color hue is shifted ; High pincushion distortion at telephoto ; Digital Shake Reduction really isn't ; Small, low power flash ; Auto flash boosts ISO to 800 ...

Power for the Pentax Z10 comes from a proprietary lithium-ion rechargeable battery or optional AC adapter, and the camera stores images on SD/SDHC cards or 52MB of built-in memory. There's also USB 2.0 High-Speed computer connectivity and NTSC / PAL ...

At first glance, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W130 appears to have more external controls than some of the other compact digital cameras in its class, but looks can be deceiving. The DSC-W130 is actually a breeze to use, with a host of useful automatic ...

Small, compact size ; Smile Shutter and Face Detection for good, in-focus pictures of kids ; Good selection of useful preset shooting modes ; Good overall color ; Steady Shot for reducing blur ; 9-point AF for accurate focus ; Large 2.5-inch LCD is ...

High lens distortion at full wide angle and full telephoto ; Image noise and noise suppression high at ISO 400 and up ; Slightly pinkish Caucasian skin tone, plus some oversaturation of strong blues and reds ; Some blurring in corners at both zoom ...

With an initial MSRP of US$229.99, the DSC-W130 starts out at a good price. You get a lot of resolution and a good zoom lens, plus a nice array of exposure modes and creative options for capturing unique images. The available exposure modes also ...

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W170 couples a 10.1-megapixel sensor to a Zeiss-branded 5x optical zoom and a generous 2.7" LCD display. The Sony W170 also has an optical viewfinder, an increasingly rare feature that's useful when the LCD is difficult to see, ...

Image stabilized 5x zoom lens with serious glass that starts at a 28mm equivalent ; Face Detection can tell a child from an adult ; Smile Shutter waits until someone smiles to capture the shot ; Auto Macro mode ; Dynamic Range Optimization holds ...

Menu system with Home and Menu options is confusing ; ISO over 200 is more color than detail ; Flash kicks up ISO as high as 800 ; Mediocre macro performance ; HD output but no HD movies ; No HD cable or dock included ; No zoom in Movie mode ; No ...

The Cyber-shot W170 includes Sony's latest face detection technology, which can now distinguish between the faces of children and adults. "Child priority" or "Adult priority" modes are available and the camera will detect up to eight faces in a frame ...

Compact and easily portable, the Canon PowerShot A470 is another confident, capable digital camera from this market leader. Offering 3.4x optical zoom, a large 2.5-inch LCD monitor, and 7.1-megapixel CCD, the PowerShot A470 features the ease of a ...

Small, compact size ; Good selection of useful preset shooting modes ; Very good color ; Motion Detection Technology helps with moving subjects ; Face Detection helps with focus and exposure on portraits ; Large 2.5-inch LCD is usable in very bright ...

Somewhat thick for slipping into a pants pocket ; Image noise high at ISO 800 and up ; High chromatic aberration at wide angle setting ; Some blurring in corners at both zoom settings, though not as bad as some

The 3.4x optical zoom lens offers just slightly more zoom than standard digital cameras, covering a range equivalent to 38-132mm on a 35mm camera. In addition to the 3.4x optical zoom, the Canon A470 also offers a maximum of 4x digital zoom, though it ...