The most basic model from the PowerShot series, the main attraction of the A450 is the low price. For someone who wants the Canon name at a budget, the A450 is perfect. It's great for people who want to get a good snap at a casual party. Although it's priced less, it still has a 5 megapixel CCD and 3.2x optical zoom. There is some evidence of cost cutting (like a low res 2 inch LCD and a restrictive movie mode that takes video at 640 x 480 @ 10 fps). But the quick response thanks to the Digic II processor and low price make up for that.

While it does look similar to many of the PowerShots, the A550 also shares the plus points. It's very comfortable to hold, and all buttons and controls are ergonomically placed. While it has a 2-inch LCD, an optical viewfinder is also present (which you can use when shooting outdoors). The 7.1 megapixel CCD delivers awesome prints for the price, provided you keep the ISO setting below 200. Additionally, it has a 4x zoom, compared to 3x for most cameras in this class. To help to get along, there are 5 video modes and 13 still images modes to choose from. A SD memory card slot is provided right next to the battery slot which accommodates 2 AA size batteries. Overall, a great option for the first-time to intermediate users on a budget.

It might look similar to the A550, but it does have some tricks up it's sleeve. A 4x optical zoom, support for add-on teleconverters or wide converters, a large 2.5-inch LCD and the infinitely useful lens-shift type (optical) images stabilization. Like others, it uses 2 AA batteries and you'll get at least 300 shots (in mixed conditions) with a set of fully charged 2500 mAh Ni-MH batteries. It can take VGA (640 x 480 pixel) movies at 30 fps with mono sound and a 4 GB file size limit. Video quality was good in all aspects too, even if you view it on a TV. Indoor and outdoor pictures were a treat to capture except at ISO-400 and higher where the noise in the imagess gets a bit too much to handle. Its built for pure performance and gives you great pictures in almost any condition.

This is also a great DSLR for serious amateur photographers. You get 9 point auto focus, 10 megapixels and a 2.5-inch LCD that shows 230,000 pixels. A piezo element uses ultrasonic waves to shake off dust from the sensor. Note that this is a proper SLR and not a prosumer camera like the S5 IS – so there's no video recording. The camera is available as a kit which includes a standard battery (720 mAh rechargeable Li-ion) with charger, all necessary cables & software and a Canon EF-S 18-55 mm lens. A proximity sensor located just above the LCD detects when you hold the camera to your face, and automatically switches off the LCD. It's a good entry level option for a lot of photographers sitting on the fence between amateur and professional grades.

An update to the popular S3 IS, the S5 is a prosumer offering that tries hard to blur the distinction between DSLRs and prosumers. There are a few major differences between the S3 IS; it now has an 8 megapixel CCD (versus 6 in the S3 IS), DIGIC III processor with face detection (instead of DIGIC II), 2.5-inch LCD (up from 2-inch) and a hot shoe to attach an external flash. It uses SD/SDHC cards for storage and it can take really good video (640 x 480 @ 30 fps with stereo sound and zooming enabled). The 12x optical zoom is an absolute joy; it lets in a lot of light and makes for clear and sharp imagess. The optical images stabilization really works well too, allowing you to use a much slower shutter speed without flash and still get blur-free pics. Overall, a great buy for the serious amateur who wants both stills and video.

The M853 has a very sleek form factor and comes with a plethora of features. It's an 8.2 Megapixel camera with 3x optical zoom and 5x of continuous digital zoom. Its quite compact which makes the power and flash buttons quite small. You literally need to press them with your nails. The large 2.5-inch LCD screen is quite clear and bright and it has 16 MB internal memory with a SD card slot. M583 also gives the users to the chance to play around with white balance, exposure as well as ISO settings (between 80-1250). It also features a 5 point multi-zoom autofocus which gets you clear photos. Pictures taken, indoors and outdoors came out well, the flash filling in the shadows nicely. Bottom-line a good light camera for intermediate users.

This camera has something special for the outdoor enthusiast. It is shock-proof, water proof and weather-proof, so that you can use it at the beach, in the pool, while hiking, camping, mountain biking or even in light rain. As far as specs go, it has a 7.1 megapixel CCD, 3x optical zoom and a 2.5-inch LCD. What's nice is that you get 24 different scene modes to choose from, so that you get great pictures in any conditions. It can also record VGA video (640 x 480 pixels @ 15 fps) with sound. Now, the ruggedness that is built-in doesn't mean that it is only meant for the outdoors, but it also stand up to a lot of daily bumps and grinds really well. So, if someone in your family is a bit clumsy, or you want your kids to start photography early, this is an ideal gift.

Welcome to the world of SLR's. One of the best SLR's we have come across, this one is built for pure performance and resistance to the elements. We used a 4 GB Kingston class 4 SDHC card and got over 3 frames per second in continuous mode. You can shoot in different JPEG sizes, two types of RAW or a combination of both. With 10.2 megapixels at your disposal, the camera was pure joy to fiddle around with. Of notable mention is the dust reduction system which keeps the CCD free of dust and the anti-shake system which counters the effect of camera shake. Try as we might, we couldn't dupe the camera's built-in metering system, and the auto focus was quick on the draw too. The kit includes a Pentax 18-55 mm lens, which is adequate for daily use but you can also choose from a host of K-mount lenses..

This camera is stunningly beautiful. I've held a slider phone before, but a slider camera? Well, the i70 is a slider digicam which slides open to reveal the lens and the control buttons. When closed, all you see is the flash in front and the 3-inch widescreen LCD at the back. Not only is it a 7.1 megapixel camera with 3x optical zoom, but also a media player (photos, music and videos; just like a PMP). images quality was at par with a point-and-shoot camera, the intuitive controls falling easily to hand. While it had the option to take wide video (720 x 480 pixels), it could do so only at 15 fps. You'll be better off sticking to 640 x 480 @ 30 fps.

I suppose a camera with a large LCD and no view finder is the latest fad. Like the i70, S1030 has no viewfinder but a large 2.7 inch LCD which is very bright and sharp. The camera is quite comfortable to use with well placed keys. It works on 2 AA size alkaline or Ni-MH batteries. Thanks to its 10.1 MP CCD, max resolution is 3648 x 2736 pixels, more than enough room to crop and resize on the computer. Videos are saved in MPEG 4 format and it has got an internal memory of 45 MB and an expansion slot to accommodate a 2 GB SD card. Even with batteries inserted it felt quite light and slipped right into my jeans pocket. Now here is a camera worth taking a second look at.

This is something special. The TX1 should be on anybody's list who doesn't want to carry around a camcorder and still camera. Designed like a digital camcorder (and used vertically like one too), the TX1 also has a 10x optical which can be used for video and stills, a 7.1 megapixel CCD with optical images stabilization and a stainless steel body. It feels a little heavy when you hold it, but it's also quite sturdy with an automatic sliding metal lens cover and twist LCD. But the crowning glory is the ability to record great stills (built-in flash too) and high def video (720p; 1280 x 720 pixels @ 30 fps). The high-def video and stills combined into a small consumer package is a first.

This is the upgrade to the DC 220 and therefore has got similar features like 35x optical zoom and a 2.7-inch LCD. It also looks almost the same as the DC 220 which made me wonder what it has in addition. Basically, it just bumps up thye resolution from 0.8 megapixel to 1.1 megapixel. The rest is more-or-less the same. But it still has an easy to use and good looks. On the video front it took good quality videos both indoors and outdoors even at high zoom levels. Coming down to still photography, quality was at par with other camcorders in the 1.1 MP category. Face detection worked nicely even at high zoom levels. A good camera both for videos and still pictures.

This camera has it all. Killer looks, lightweight and a 5.1 megapixel CCD to flaunt. It stores video onto 8 cm DVDs (single or double layer, write-one or RW). This one has a 10x optical zoom lens which was a treat to work with and the images quality was definitely a step above than the others. Only this is–in a world populated with 30x and 40x optical zooms, the 10x kind of sticks out like a sore thumb. When it came to still photography the camera lived up to the Canon name and gave some really nice shots both indoors and outdoors. The 2.7 inch LCD is bright and sharp which added to the pleasant shooting experience. An LED has also been put into the camcorder for those night shots where you need bright light. All in all a great camera for videos as well as still photos but it does come at a price.

This MiniDV camcorder has enough features to keep an amateur quite busy with the world of videos. You get stunning looks, thanks to the black and silver body and ergonomically designed controls. Samsung installed a good 26x optical zoom and 1.1 MP CCD which works well both indoors and outdoors. The camcorder sports a crisp and bright 2.7-inch widescreen LCD which can rotate up to 290 degrees. The widescreen display is quite useful as the camera can record video with an aspect ratio of 16:9 (useful if you have a widescreen LCD or plasma at home). 1 megapixel photos can be saved to either MMC or SD cards.

As Sony's flagship DVD handycam, the DCR-DVD 908e is certainly a looker. Features don't disappoint–a touch screen LCD, wide-screen (16:9) or normal (4:3) video recording, 6 megapixel still photos (2848 x 2136 pixels). Just pop in an 8cm DVD (single or double layer, write once or re-writeable), power it on and you can start recording almost instantaneously. With a standard single-layer DVD (1.4 GB), you can record about 20 mins of video at the highest quality setting, 30 mins at medium quality and 60 minutes at the lowest quality setting. I liked the inclusion of a flash for still photographs and a max resolution of 6.1 megapixels (2848 x 2136 pixels). Photos are stored on a Pro Duo card. Overall, a fantastic performer, and one that comes closest to being a proper converged device if you're willing to overlook the quirks of using DVD media.