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.

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

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

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

For a DSLR that does everything an amateur is ever likely to want, with a terrifyingly cheap price tag, look no further.

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.

A good price coupled with outstanding image quality – a good budget alternative to the Panasonic HDC-HS9

High resolution stills and laudable quality for the money, but image stabilisation isn’t the best

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

A significant overhaul and a great camera. At this price it’s the best all-round package on the market

An expensive camera, but one offering superb image quality, features and handling

Key improvements over the SD5 make this a still more enticing pocket HD camcorder prospect

A fully featured hard disk AVCHD camcorder with plenty of recording space

A superbly easy-to-use and feature-laden compact camera that’s well worth the price.

A great value camcorder that’s capable of some decent results.

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.

Canon are only the second manufacturer in the Australian market to provide a flash based video camera (Panasonic is the other). Daniel Long gives his first impressions.