A solid, but not exceptional, advanced ultra-zoom camera, Kodak's Z712 IS offers a big zoom backed up by optical image stabilisation. However, its pictures aren't quite as good as some of the competing models on the market.

While it does have a few things going for it, including a big zoom and comfortable design, the soft edges and colour reproduction issues mean the FZ8 isn't as impressive as it could have been.

The DSCV3's main selling points are its quick shutter and its comparatively simple menu system, but some competing cameras take better shots.

A solid advanced ultra-zoom from Sony that takes high quality pictures and offers a variety of advanced functions that should please.

Casio's Exilim EX-V7 is a decent, but not outstanding compact camera. It comes with a large 7x optical zoom and manual features, both of which are great inclusions, but its image quality does have some issues.

A great compact camera for photo enthusiasts.

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

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.

The Olympus SP-550UZ is a great camera that will suit people after a little more zoom in their life. The images could have used some minor improvements, but the huge zoom and fantastic design make this a worthwhile choice for some buyers.

Whilst the V700 may have a solid design with an average feature-set, the image quality and shutter lag simply make it very difficult to recommend over any of the competition.

A very sturdy camera with some appealing features that make it particularly suitable for outdoors photography.

The Olympus C-7000 Zoom packs plenty of features into its small frame--and its image quality ranks among the best.