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.

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

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

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.

A good camera but not the most inspiring. There’s better value elsewhere.

The aggressive price and Nikon design know-how mean there’s still a place for the D40

If you need professional-class ruggedness on a budget, this is a real option.

A decent enough addition to the legendary EOS range, but there are too many competitors at this price.

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

Impressive optical quality and storage space, though a touch expensive

A good price for an HD camcorder, but poor design makes it awkward to use

Cheaper than the HF10, although you need to factor in the cost of storage cards

A capable cam that'll take the knocks and matches it rival, the Panasonic HDC-SD1. It can’t quite better Canon’s HV20 on sheer performance though

Great video, tons of features, easy to use... if only there was a PAL-friendly version

It's a mini adventure with the S10. A go anywhere, shoot anything cam that won't break the bank and delivers well for its size

Not exactly a hi-def holiday shooter, but the Action Cam is perfect for creating your ‘when skiing goes wrong’ home video

The brand and the price could prove this camera’s downfall. Who’d buy a Samsung when you can get Pentax for less?

Excellent performance and features, but at a price that’s too high