While image quality isn't the FX33's strong point, it still produces perfectly fine small prints, and thus its novice-friendly feature set and speedy operation makes it a good choice for those after a happy snap camera.

Panasonic's Lumix DMC-FX36 is an impressive compact camera combining good quality 10-megapixel images with a smooth design and some great beginner modes. Unfortunately, the price tag will put it out of reach for some users.

If you can see past the cost of the unit, it offers a 10x optical zoom and adequate built-in image stabilisation capability, as well as a 9.1-megapixel sensor. All in all, a good travel camera.

Panasonic's Lumix DMC-FX38 is a great compact camera for cashed-up consumers. It combines impressive image quality with a slim, stylish and sturdy design as well as a 25mm wide-angle lens, making it suitable for a variety of tasks.

Competent but not outstanding, the DC C50 is worth a look if you want a compact 5 megapixel camera.

A highly recommended purchase. Although the image quality was not quite up to what we were expecting from an 8 megapixel sensor, for the price it still blew the competition away.

A novelty camera that fails at its only gimmick.

Overall a solid camera, if not one that truly stands out from the crowd.

A feature-packed bundle that is a great family purchase.

This is an attractive combination of a competitive price, small size and capable imaging, with a few advanced extras thrown in. The built-in help would benefit novice photographers.

What makes this camera shine - its 10x zoom, ease of use and sleek design - may be enough to compensate for its shortcomings.

The DSC-W100 takes brilliant pictures and offers decent functionality. It is only really let down by a weak burst mode.