Casio's EX-Z250 has a ton of preset modes to make it easier for just about anyone to take a nice-looking picture. If you are easily frustrated by gadget controls and settings, the EX-Z250 is for you. And it takes nice pictures, too.

Easy to use. Lots of shooting modes. Very good color quality. Good movie image quality using H.264 format.

Noisy lens motor. Images lack sharpness. Portions of Auto Shutter feature not reliable.

The EX-Z250 has 34 different preset shooting modes—an intimidating figure at first. Big, intuitive icons represent each mode; for example, the Self-portrait mode features a woman pointing a camera at herself, the Soft Flowing Water mode has an icon of a s

If you're looking for a good quality point-and-shoot camera, consider Canon's PowerShot SD880 IS. It's easy to use and small enough to fit in a shirt pocket, while delivering high-resolution photos with great color and detail.

Optical image stabilization; very good photo quality; sturdy and compact design.

No optical viewfinder; flash a little harsh.

Easy-as-pie to use, the SD880 IS includes 11 special shooting modes, including Aquarium, Fireworks, and Snow. There's also a high ISO setting for shooting action in low light situations without flash, though noise in the images becomes more noticeable as...

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 be

The mini camcorder market is heating up. Kodak's new HD-capable device is an impressive offering and is a definite contender amongst camcorders such as Pure Digital's Flip Ultra and Flip Mino.

720p video; larger LCD than the competition; removable storage; uses replaceable batteries; saves capture in natively Mac-compatible format.

No image stabilization, making camera shake likely; included software is Windows-only; low-light results not great.

Like the Flip camcorders, the Zi6 includes a built-in USB connector. Just press a button on the front of the camera and out pops the connector. Its 2x zoom lens lets you zoom like you can with a Flip, but the Zi6 also includes a Macro switch that, when en...

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 and...

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 the...

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 fit...

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 Goo...

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 lif...

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 photo...