Our 2009 selection of the most outstanding ultra-compacts, ultra-zooms big or small and DSLRs from entry-level to pro.

Updated Step 4 of the Digital Camera and DSLR Buying Guides with information on how to buy a digital camera, a DSLR or lens.

A feature-rich 18 megapixels DSLR with ISO up to 12800, 8 FPS drive, 1080p HD video-recording, 100% coverage viewfinder and a built-in level in a weather-sealed body.

Very low image noise, Excellent sharpness, ISO range entirely usable, up to 1600 for large prints, Super-fast autofocus speed and tacking, No shutter lag and great shot-to-shot speeds, Quick and responsive

Frequent overexposure, Poor color accuracy, Poor white-balance, both auto and preset under artificial light, Slower than average instant review speed, Slow to power-off due to sensor cleaning, LCD too bright

Detailed review of Nikon's ultra-fast ultra-compact having 12 megapixels and a 5X wide-angle optical zoom.

A unique 12 megapixels compact 12X ultra-zoom with full-manual controls and 720p HD video recording.

12 megapixels ultra-zoom with 24X optical zoom, 720p HD video-recording and manual-controls.

Ultra-zoom with a 24X stabilized wide-angle optical zoom lens and full-manual controls.

A handbook covering nearly every photography topic.

The Canon Powershot SX1 is one of two high-end ultra-zooms that Canon released last year. Both feature a 20X optical zoom lens with image stabilization and a sensor with 10 megapixels of resolution. While there are several subtle differences between ...

Accurate image colors with custom WB, Low optical distortion except at wide-angle, Reliable focus system, Excellent 0cm macro mode, Very fast continuous drive for an ultra-zoom, Quite responsive, Good LCD visibility, Solid build quality, Good battery ...

Loss of details even at low ISO, Nearly useless ISO 800 and 1600, Limited dynamic range, Poor automatic white-balance, High chromatic aberrations, 1s Shutter-speed limit in manual mode, Slow flash recharge cycle time, Poor resolution EVF, Pricey

Ultra-compact with HD movie recording, a 12 megapixels sensor and 3X optical zoom.