If you want a carry-around camera capable of handling a wide range of tasks, including good-quality video, the S2IS is well worth a look.

Sony's Cyber-shot DSCW1 has most of what you could wish for in a compact, easy-to-use point-and-shoot.

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.

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.

The IXUS 960 IS is a great compact camera from Canon. Consumers looking for a high-end camera to back up their SLR or to take their photography to the next level will love this unit.

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.

A solid compact camera that offers a great set of features, and is only really let down by long load and save times.

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.

Ricoh has come up with a groundbreaking compact camera that we're sure will have many of you reaching for your chequebooks. It's not pretty or fun, but it's excellent value. Bear in mind that you'll need a capacious SD card.

This point-and-shoot camera takes high-quality photos, has a big LCD, and offers some manual controls for users who want to do more than just select scene modes.

A very complete camera in a small package.

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