In the hands of a beginner the L100 will produce acceptable shots, albeit at a lower resolution than competitors. Others will be best be served by a more advanced camera, however.

The 2000HD offers plenty of versatility in a bulky, albeit relatively easy-to-carry chassis. Give it a go if you want something that will let you take shots in almost any situation, but don't expect spectacular image quality from it.

The P6000 is capable of taking some wonderful shots, but it is also slow camera and one of its hallmark features — the built-in GPS — didn’t work during our tests. These problems, along with a high asking price, dampen our enthusiasm for what is otherwise one of Nikon’s better compact camera offerings.

The M1093 IS has good credentials and a decent lens, but a budget image sensor means that photographs are less than impressive in some situations.

The G10 is compact but it packs plenty of manual features and is ideal for an enthusiast who doesn't want to lug around a D-SLR. We found it to be very well-suited to low-light photography and macro shots, but it will perform well in any situation.

Kodak's Easyshare Z1015 IS is a fine ultra-zoom camera for users looking to upgrade. It has some image quality issues and takes a while to start up but its overall performance was pleasing.

A solid touch-screen compact camera, the Nikon CoolPix S60 will suit users after a simple yet stylish and sophisticated compact.

Canon's PowerShot SX1 IS is one of the best non-SLR units on the market. It is almost flawless in every regard, packs in every conceivable feature and even offers something new: 1080p video recording. If you are after an advanced camera, you need not look anywhere else.

Nikon's CoolPix S610c is a solid compact camera with a few notable problems. It takes fairly good snaps and has wireless connectivity; however, uploading photos can be slow. The camera itself is incredibly slow at times, which makes for a frustrating user experience.

Nikon's CoolPix S710 would be a fantastic compact if not for its incredibly slow performance. Its shots look good, with excellent detail and well-balanced colours. It also sports a bevy of nifty features. However, the speed issues really damage the user experience.

Apart from not being a particularly speedy camera, the M310W acquits itself admirably.