If you consider just the camera itself, Pentax's Optio A40 is a good all-around performer. It's small and sturdy enough to take anywhere, and it has very good image quality and shooting modes that make taking pictures a breeze.

Digital and optical image stabilization ; Very Good photo quality ; sturdy and compact design

No optical viewfinder ; movie format requires installing a plug-in

Pentax's Optio A40

Canon's new EOS Rebel XSi is a great digital SLR camera, no matter how you look at it. If you're shopping for a DSLR that costs less than a grand, this camera must go on your short list.

Great image quality ; excellent low-light performance ; improved body and control layout ; Live View ; big LCD screen ; very good kit lens

No top-mounted LCD screen ; limited customization

It's easy to look at the Canon DSLR product line and slot the cameras into “beginner,” “intermediate,” and “advanced” categories But to call the XSi a beginner or starter DSLR is a misnomer. The XSi is an incredibly capable camera that just happens to ...

While it's a worthy camera in most ways, the Canon PowerShot G9 doesn't offer many compelling advantages over lower-priced competitors. It's hard to recommend it as a reasonable value.

Superb image quality ; lots of control options ; reliable image stabilization ; RAW mode ; handsome chassis

Near-useless optical viewfinder ; confusing control menus ; modest zoom range ; expensive

Make no mistake-this serious-looking black brick of a camera is capable of producing great images. But the G9 is out of sync with the marketplace, offering few compelling advantages, and some distinct disadvantages compared to cheaper point-and-shoots ...

With some retailers selling the Casio Exilim EX-V7 at heavy discounts, you can get a lot of camera for your money. Just don't expect to develop a passionate attachment to it.

7x zoom lens ; manual exposure options ; excellent battery life

Ineffective image-stabilization features ; awkward controls ; clunky docking station required to recharge battery

On the mildly annoying side, there's the zoom slider control, which is awkwardly placed adjacent and vertical to the LCD screen. Also, image stabilization proved too ineffective in most situations. And the plastic docking cradle, required to recharge ...

If you can live with the Samsung NV11's portability constraints, it's an excellent choice for an all-around camera that's fun to use and equally accommodating of beginners and advanced shutterbugs.

Superior image quality ; innovative Smart Touch controls ; manual exposure settings for advanced shooters ; superb battery life ; pleasing to hold

No real image stabilization ; protruding lens not too pocket friendly

The only significant downside to the NV11 is its lack of true image stabilization; instead, it tries to compensate for shaky hands by boosting light sensitivity to potentially noise-inducing levels. In addition, its protruding lens makes it an awkward ...

The Panasonic DMC-FX100K is streamlined enough not to baffle novice users, but even seasoned shutterbugs ought to consider this is as a backup to their SLR or DSLR.

Wide-angle lens ; good detail and exposure ; easy-to-navigate interface ; 12-megapixel sensor

No manual controls ; mediocre battery life

Serious shutterbugs may be disappointed at the lack of manual exposure controls, but in our Macworld Lab tests, there was little reason to second-guess the camera's calculations. The DMC-FX100 achieved Good scores for image and flash quality, and Very ...

If you plan to do most of your shooting on outdoor adventures and don't want to schlep around high-end gear, the Olympus Stylus 770 SW will produce adequate snapshots and withstand all kinds of abuse. But if thrill-seeking is only a minor part of your ...

Waterproof ; shockproof case built for rough outdoor use

Mediocre zoom ; uses expensive xD storage card ; confusing menus

The 7.1-megapixel camera is designed for rough outdoor use, with a sealed housing that's shockproof, freeze-proof, and crush-proof, and waterproof to depths of 33 feet to boot. It even has a manometer, which records the depth or altitude at which a ...

If they had been more thoughtfully implemented, the Nikon Coolpix S50c's Wi-Fi features might have been enough to compensate for its undistinguished image quality and ease of use. As it is, you're probably better off choosing a more capable shooter.

Wi-Fi system for e-mailing photos straight from the camera ; useful in-camera editing tools

Soft images ; limited Wi-Fi connection choices ; hair-trigger power switch

If they had been more thoughtfully implemented, the Nikon Coolpix S50c's Wi-Fi features might have been enough to compensate for its undistinguished image quality and ease of use. As it is, you're probably better off choosing a more capable shooter ...

If style is a prime consideration and you plan to let the camera do all the exposure and composition work, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T100 is a capable enough shooter in a slick package. Those who care more about what's under the hood, however, can find ...

5x zoom lens ; good image stabilization ; quite a looker

Expensive ; weak flash ; mediocre image quality ; limited control options ; uses expensive Memory Stick media

Image quality was below average in Macworld Lab tests, with some lack of detail in most shots and persistent exposure miscalculations. Getting to the limited control options is a challenge, given the minimalist layout of buttons and dials

Despite Canon's ambition to combine the best of two worlds, the PowerShot TX1 has few compelling advantages as a camcorder or a still camera. And its high price and awkward configuration for still photography are serious drawbacks.

10x zoom lens ; above-average image quality ; swiveling LCD view screen ; good image stabilization

High-quality video format gobbles memory ; awkward styling ; expensive

Built with the vertical orientation and movable viewing screen that is common to camcorders, the 7.1-megapixel TX1 is Canon's attempt at creating a device that excels at both video and still shooting. As a video machine, it's no more or less capable ...