Simple controls, friendly design and a tiny size make the Nikon Coolpix S220 a great choice for summer snaps.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ6 is the best option here for pure image quality and flexibility, if you can live with its size and quirks.

The Olympus PEN E-P1 may look like a throwback to retro photography, but it’s expensive and flawed. However, it's beautiful image quality renders almost impossible to dislike.

The A330 is a competent, fully featured and easy to use DSLR, but a backward step in some respects.

Small, sleek, easy to use and capable of producing excellent results, no matter where you are.

An entry-level HD camcorder with an identity crisis, but at this price, it puts quality in the hands of everyone.

The Canon EOS 500D is capable of great results, but a wallet-draining way of getting HD video on a DSLR.

A cheap and cheerful camera, but short on elegance, quality in low light, and ease of use.

Better HD image quality than you’d expect for such a small camcorder, but the price is still a little high.

Beautiful, ultra-compact, super-slick and friendly to use, plus great quality. A winning combination from Canon.

A step forward in resolution for pocket video cameras, but it’s far too pricey for the features and quality on offer

They’re pricey, but these high end compact cameras make other power zooms look positively tubby

We've been lucky to have hands-on review time with two of the most hotly-anticipated compacts cameras we've seen for some time. See our photos and first impressions of the Powershot SX200 IS and Lumix DMC-TZ7 (also known as ZS3)

The Sony HDR-XR200VE mini cam uses gyros to provide image stabilisation, and has an inbuilt GPS receiver

A great combination of new features and the usual Nikon image and build quality make this a superb camera.

A brilliantly implemented live-view mode and high specs don’t justify the extra price over its sibling

A feature-rich SLR at a good price. If you can live with the weight and design quirks, that is

Pentax enthusiasts will be more than happy, but others may find it overwhelming

A capable enough performer, but it doesn’t offer enough for the money to come out on top.

Not the pinnacle of image quality, but superbly compact with plenty of neat features