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)

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

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.

Panasonic's new Lumix DMC-GF1 heats up the micro four-thirds race, by introducing another compact with interchangeable lenses

Too many flaws make this merely a sexy-looking underachiever

Good quality and with a proper li-ion battery, but expensive and bulky compared to the Olympus.

Superb, stylish, solid... but sabotaged by poor controls

It looks eerily similar to the retro 1963 PEN, yet the Olympus EP-1 is bleeding edge. Meet one of the most interesting compact cameras you'll see this year

If there's someone in your life without a digital camera, there's never been a better time to get them started. Compact cameras now offer 8-12 megapixels for under $500, and provide large LCDs for easy viewfinding and shot setup as well as automatic face recognition, multiple focal points and more!

A lovely compact cam and a decent HD camcorder in one

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

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.

A pint-sized camera that packs a punch, with consistently good performance in all conditions

So many features and so much quality, in such a tiny body. Astounding

If used properly this rugged camera is well worth the money and makes you feel a little more manly into the bargain