If picture quality is paramount, you are not going to find a much better point and shoot than the A620.

Canon's A570IS is a brilliant advanced camera, combining exceptional image quality with all the features you'd expect. It packs in two technologies, image stabilisation and face detect, that are sure to make an impression on consumers.

An absolutely brilliant ultra zoom model that combines a 12X zoom lens with exceptional picture quality and all the usual functionality.

The Canon PowerShot Pro 1 is a well-featured 8Mp semi-professional camera that should suit users wanting digital SLR performance in a compact package.

Each round of improvements to Canon's G series just makes it better. G5 owners may not be ready to upgrade; but with its great image quality and smooth controls, the G6 is very enticing.

Another great Powershot entry by Canon, the A700 fulfils all the requirements of an advanced model, offering lots of functions, superb image quality, a big zoom and decent battery life.

If you're after an enthusiast camera but don't yet want to venture into the land of SLRs, or just need a backup for your main camera, Canon's PowerShot G9 is a great choice. While there are a few minor issues for the most part, it captures brilliant shots and the feature set and build quality are sure to keep all but the most demanding professional satisfied.

A very quick advanced camera. The 1/10000th of a second shutter speed makes the S7000 very attractive for certain purposes and it is only really let down by a reasonably hefty price tag and poor wide angled shooting.

If you want a camera with a powerful zoom, a long focal length, and extensive controls, but an SLR is too big or too expensive for you, the Coolpix 8800 makes an excellent choice. Be prepared to invest some time in mastering the controls, however.

Wide-angle lens lovers will be thrilled with the shots the Coolpix 8400 can take. It's a powerful, flexible camera; but it's not the easiest or fastest camera to use.

A great advanced camera that packs a lot of features into a reasonably small package.

A great advanced camera that offers enthusiasts everything they could want.