Superb build quality and performance make this a worthwhile upgrade for serious amateurs.

Great image quality and plenty of enthusiast features for a very reasonable price

Running costs are high, but with a high resolution and superb performance, it’s a groundbreaking product.

High performance with a matching price tag.

Canon’s first hard disk-based AVCHD camcorder gets it mostly right, with a good level of features and the best image quality we’ve yet seen from the format.

The 450D’s superb sensor makes it the best choice if quality is your priority. It doesn't beat the Sony A200 for value, but for the best quality below $1500 the 450D has the edge.

Good quality optics and lots of storage, but not the most portable of camcorders

The lack of a separate status LCD is annoying, but the 400D is great value and capable of great quality

Impressive optical quality and storage space, though a touch expensive

A brilliant performer, particularly in terms of photo image quality. It’s superb value, too.

Canon grabs the crown for the most fully featured HDV camcorder for under $1500

A superb camera that takes fantastic pictures, and offers excellent portability and versatility

Expensive but solidly built – a fast way to get superbly vibrant A3 prints.

There’s a good range of software and excellent image quality, but you pay a lot for the durability and ADF.

Forget budget DSLR, this is for serious photography. Extravagant in almost every way, the D700 is superbly responsive and produces stunning images

An affordable and stylish option that provides decent quality, but at a leisurely pace.

Cheap to buy and run, the X5470 is great for mono printing, but less so for photos and images.

A very slim digital compact that’s capable of taking superb pictures. It only just misses out on a Recommended award.

Good value thanks to a decent 18-70mm kit lens and camera-based anti-shake

Not flawless, but Sony’s debut DSLR impresses with a 10.2-megapixel resolution and built-in anti-shake.