HITACHI DZ-MV208E

As we were dealing with entry-level DV cameras, we set a price ceiling of $2,000 and in fact, five of the seven cameras tested came in at under $1,500, with one even under $1,000. Given this, we looked at them as an average consumer would, and not as a power user, so more effort was put into looking at the basics rather than some of the fancier bells and whistles.

The digital still camera is a treat to use.

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Digital photography has made enormous strides in recent years, and as a result, the technology is being incorporated into affordable consumer products.

The first thing you notice about the Kyocera Samurai 2100DG is the shape of the camera.

Olympus first introduced SLR (single lens reflex) to digital cameras in early 1998 in the form of the Camedia C-1400L.

Canon typically puts out a good digital video camera and for a while had the market fairly well sown up. However, there is now plenty of competition and Canon can no longer just rely on its reputation to keep it at the top. The MVX250i is a mid range camera designed for average users who want something more than the bare basics. Its 860,000 pixel (effective) CCD provides a good quality picture in most cases, including in night mode. However, it can be slow to find a good colour balance.

Sony's DVD201E HandyCam is a good example of how far DVD cameras have come and what a bit of commonsense can do when selecting the right format. Unlike some of the earlier DVD cameras which opted for the unpopular DVD-RAM rewritable format, Sony elected to go with the more common DVD-RW format.

Hitachi VM-D965LE Video

The Nikon Coolpix 2500 is the latest addition to the Coolpix camera range, and is designed with the camera novice in mind.

If were to believe the hyperbole, this technology will do for digital technology what the invention of the parachute did for skydiving.

Hitachi DZ-MV100E

The Fujifilm FinePix 40i is one of a new breed that will perform both still and video capture as well as accommodate playback of MP3 digital audio

It used to be a case of whoever had the largest CCD was going to sell the most cameras.

It used to be a case of whoever had the largest CCD was going to sell the most cameras.This may have held true when there was only a handful of digital still cameras on the market, but today it is a different story.

Good things often come in small packages and that's the case with Sony's PC108E. It is only fractionally larger than the JVC GR-DX77 (the smallest camera in the lab) but weighs in 65 grams lighter. Sony has kept it compact by providing a separate docking station that contains the USB, DV and S-Video ports. There also are AV and additional microphone connectors on the camera itself.

We like this camera a lot, and for a rugged day out it’s one of the most reliable snappers out there. We just wouldn’t shoot our best mate’s wedding on it.

The selling point of this camera is that it’s cheap – and it certainly excels in that department!