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.

Panasonic's Lumix DMC-LX3 is an impressive high-end compact camera with a wide-angle 24mm lens and a host of manual features.

Olympus' E-520 is a great D-SLR that is more than capable of competing with the big guns from Canon and Nikon. Its images are impressive and the feature set is robust enough to satisfy all but the most demanding photographer.

This camera feels and sounds like a beast. And it is a beast. It'll produce very good images at a 14.6Mp size, with practically no noise up to ISO 800. However, its Live View feature is worthless.

The NV4 is a camera that is average at all tasks, whether it’s photography, video recording or multimedia playback. It’s stylish and simple, so if these factors are important then it could be the camera for you.

Nikon's CoolPix L18 is a basic, entry-level compact camera that does little to separate itself from the pack. It will be fine for novice users but anyone more discerning will be frustrated by the image quality and speed issues.