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.

Another great Canon advanced camera, the PowerShot A540 is a great choice for those looking to move up to more manual photography as it combines a strong feature set with great pictures.

Another great advanced compact camera from Canon, the PowerShot A630 is a wonderful choice for those after a little more control and versatility. It offers great image quality and comes with plenty of useful features.

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.

The FinePix S5700 is a decent but uninspiring advanced digital camera. While it will do most of what you want, it is let down by average image quality.

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.

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.

The PowerShot A640 is an excellent all round advanced camera. While its features aren't quite as robust as some more expensive models, for this price tag, it's a good buy.

While the FZ50 is a reasonably strong advanced camera, a combination of its size, price tag and issues at high sensitivities mean it is only suited to certain buyers.

A great advanced camera that offers almost all the features you'd expect in a sturdy and stylish case.

The Powershot A710 IS captures great pictures, operates extremely quickly and sports an attractive design that will appeal to many people. It does have some minor noise issues, but the rich feature set and quick burst mode make it an ideal choice for the budding photographer.

For this price, the Kodak C875 is a great bargain. It isn't as good as some of the high end advanced units from Canon or Olympus, but it more than does the job and offers a well rounded package that will satisfy a wide variety of users.