The touch-screen FX500 won't replace your digital SLR, but it's a classy little camera that handles a lot.

High-quality optics, Effective modes and auto-exposure

A bit pricey, Manual interface could use some 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 and ex...

The king of the high-zoom cameras offers sharp long-distance pics and quality ergonomics.

20X optical zoom is the highest in class, iESP focus targeting

Delayed shutter release, Autofocus sometimes searches fuzzily

We also had a bit of trouble getting the autofocus to lock onto targets in low light. The autofocus would scan from one end to the other trying to sharpen the image, and sometimes took up to 2 seconds to fully lock on to a focal point. In bright dayl

An articulable LCD, great image stabilization, and top-quality photos add up to a great megazoom.

Sturdy and fully adjustable LCD screen, Top-notch image stabilization

Poor manual focus, No RAW-format support

Despite a handy function menu for the most commonly used options, the S5 IS has an overabundance of hey-let's-just-throw-it-in features that can clog menus (a wolf-howl sound effect for the self-timer? Really?). This feels indicative of the uneasy balance...

This model shoots full-resolution bursts at up to 60 frames per second.

Unique slow-motion capabilities, Sharp telephoto shots

Wide-angle zoom could be wider, Storing so many frames takes time

At $1000, the Casio EX-F1 isn't cheap. But for subjects such as sports and wildlife photography, where high frame rates and HD video stand out, it could be worth every penny

This lightweight model has a zoom lens that plays well at both wide-angle and telephoto extremes.

18x zoom lens with image stabilization, Auto face-detection and red-eye removal

Images could be sharper, Slow startup time

The Fujifilm FinePix S8100fd is a good all-rounder at a reasonable price. It offers plenty of automated assistance, but lets you tweak settings manually when necessary. It makes a good choice for anyone seeking a single camera for all occasions

Its Carl Zeiss telephoto lens and manual features are strong, but the focus-lock is erratic, and startup is slow.

Tilting 3-inch LCD screen, Powerful 15X optical zoom

Short battery life, Slow startup speed

But the DSC-H50 has some shortcomings. The LCD produces a somewhat jumpy image when panning, which I found irksome. Battery life is less than ideal: Our lab tests yielded 291 shots on a charge; in the field, it was noticeably short. While most of the came...

Decently priced megazoom is a great learning tool for point-and-shoot graduates.

Excellent 18X optical zoom Leica lens, Burst mode returns clear photos

Zoom disabled in video mode, Battery life is disappointing

This bargain-priced, no-frills camera offers very good image quality.

High-quality images for a rock-bottom price, Fast shutter speed

No image stabilization, Too thick to put in your pocket

All in all, the A470 is a good no-frills camera at a rock-bottom price, with an easy learning curve. If a three-year-old can take good pictures with the Canon PowerShot A470, you can, too

This ultra-slim model delivers high image quality and offers an antishake feature, but its manual controls are limited.

Ultra-slim metal body, big LCD High image quality, antishake feature

Includes only basic software Buttons are very small

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Sleek design, superb image capability and intuitive controls make the SD1100 a solid buy.

Fast start-up, focus, and shutter, Maximum aperture of f2.8

Lacks a true wide-angle lens, Hard-to-find manual features

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