What do you get when you cram 12 megapixels and great battery life into a very tiny, very durable, and sublimely easy-to-use camera? You get the Pentax Optio S12, a solid competitor for the upper echelons of our Top 10 Point-and-Shoot Cameras chart. ...

Durable, very compact body Superior battery life

Limited manual capabilities No image stabilization

Despite these flaws, you could do a lot worse for $230. If you want a gazillion dedicated buttons and specialized functions, you'll have to look elsewhere. But if you're looking for a sturdy, toss-it-in-your-pocket camera that takes good (though not ...

The Pentax Optio A40 is the latest result of Pentax's tradition of producing simple, usable, ultracompact cameras that have high-quality optics. Retailing for about $250 (as of September 1, 2008), this 12-megapixel black-and-silver model has a serious ...

Attractive design Great features and 12-megapixel sensor

Battery door seems a little flimsy Can't get very close with macro mode

A few minor complaints: I wish that Pentax had included a RAW image option (at 12 megapixels, why not?). I'd also love to have seen a 5X (rather than 3X) optical zoom and a wider-angle lens. Despite those minor shortcomings, the Optio A40 is a good, ...

The 12-megapixel Optio A40 assembles some great features in an easy-to-use camera.

Attractive design ; Great features and 12-megapixel sensor

Battery door seems a little flimsy ; Can't get very close with macro mode

A few minor complaints: I wish that Pentax had included a RAW image option (at 12 megapixels, why not?). I'd also love to have seen a 5X (rather than 3X) optical zoom and a wider-angle lens. Despite those minor shortcomings, the Optio A40 is a good, ...

Another inexpensive, superslim pocket camera in the entry-level point-and-shoot class, the 8-megapixel Nikon Coolpix S210 isn't short on good looks. The S210 is available in an array of understated brushed-metallic colors. Priced at $180, this 0.7 ...

Very simple navigation Interval shots and time-lapse video

Power button too close to shutter button Not enough custom controls

All the same, for under $200, with its cool time-lapse features, a slim frame, and commendable ease of use, the Coolpix S210 could be just the ticket as an entry-level, all-purpose camera

This small, solid, and stylish camera is easy to use, but nothing spectacular.

Very simple navigation ; Interval shots and time-lapse video

Power button too close to shutter button ; Not enough custom controls

All the same, for under $200, with its cool time-lapse features, a slim frame, and commendable ease of use, the Coolpix S210 could be just the ticket as an entry-level, all-purpose camera

My digital camera expertise begins and ends with this fact: I cannot resist the urge to photograph a couple of fuzzballs named Chuckie and Violet. I'm a classic novice point-and-shooter, and the crème de la crème of my snapshots find their way onto ...

Easy to use, even for extreme novices Excellent optical image stabilization

Size is a bit too big Plastic body and handgrip get slippery

Though the AA batteries are great for convenience, the A590IS produced only 248 shots running on a fresh pair. Many point-and-shoots can take more than 300 shots on a single charge

The tiny Casio Exilim EX-Z80 packs a lot of features for $180, going above and beyond much of its competition. About the length and width of a credit card and just 0.5 inch thick, this camera fits into a pocket with the ease of a flip phone. Encased ...

Lots of neat, fun settings ; Huge LCD

Tiny buttons aren't easy to press ; No zoom while shooting video

Alas, like most cameras in the sub-$200 range, this Exilim doesn't have crystal-clear optics. Though color was very good and easy to alter with the camera's white balance and filter settings, photos lost sharpness at their outer edges, artifacts ...

The tiny Casio Exilim EX-Z80 packs a lot of features for $180, going above and beyond much of its competition. About the length and width of a credit card and just 0.5 inch thick, this camera fits into a pocket with the ease of a flip phone. Encased ...

Lots of neat, fun settings Huge LCD

Tiny buttons aren't easy to press No zoom while shooting video

Alas, like most cameras in the sub-$200 range, this Exilim doesn't have crystal-clear optics. Though color was very good and easy to alter with the camera's white balance and filter settings, photos lost sharpness at their outer edges, artifacts ...

The 10-megapixel Panasonic Lumix FX500 features a 25-125mm Leica 5x optical zoom and a touchscreen display. The camera has almost no lag time after pressing the shutter and it's very satisfying to shoot with.

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The 10-megapixel Panasonic Lumix FX500 has sophistication written all over it. Its brushed metallic surface, well-placed, slim flash, and 25mm-to-125mm Leica 5X optical zoom lens are appealing, but the marquee feature of this $400 point-and-shoot ...

High-quality optics Effective modes and auto exposure

A bit pricey Manual modes' interface needs finessing

The camera's responsiveness was excellent, with almost no lag time between when I pressed the shutter and when pictures wrote to the card, even at the highest quality setting. This characteristic, combined with the FX500's quick, accurate autofocus ...