A great option for the more experienced photographer, the P600 offers all the functionality you could want from an advanced camera; the only downfall is the four figure price tag.

If you can live without optical zoom and want a classically designed camera to remind you of the good old days, then the GR Digital might be for you. It is, however, extremely expensive.

Panasonic's Lumix DMC-FX36 is an impressive compact camera combining good quality 10-megapixel images with a smooth design and some great beginner modes. Unfortunately, the price tag will put it out of reach for some users.

A great compact camera for photo enthusiasts.

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.

With several advanced controls and 6.3 megapixel imaging, the FinePix E550 should suit intermediate photographers on a tight budget.

If you can handle its slowness between shots and other minor flaws, you'll have yourself a great camera.

Definitely worth a look, Fujifilm's FinePix F810 is a camera that will appeal to people wanting TV connectivity with widescreen viewing.

The PowerShot A590IS is another great entry-level unit from Canon. It is fully featured, with manual shooting modes and optical image stabilisation. Its 8-megapixel sensor captures impressive pictures.

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

The DSC-W110 is simple to use and perfect to take to parties, but it's a very automatic camera and its pictures tend to look soft.