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.

A brilliantly designed unit, the MJU 780 will please a variety of consumers with its optical image stabilisation, 5x optical zoom and high ISO sensitivities. Its pictures aren't the best on the market but they are more than adequate for most uses.

The Canon PowerShot Pro 1 is a well-featured 8Mp semi-professional camera that should suit users wanting digital SLR performance in a compact package.

Olympus's MJU 820 doesn't capture brilliant pictures, but its combination of a stylish and sturdy design along with some nifty features and funky guide mode make it a reasonable happy-snap camera for novice users.

While not a perfect camera, Olympus' SP-560UZ is an excellent choice for users after an ultra-zoom. It combines good pictures with a robust feature set and a fantastic design.

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.

Not a bad camera. It looks stylish, but if you're after quality photos and a bunch of manual settings to tweak them, look elsewhere.

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

If you don't need a fast continuous shot mode, then the MJU 740 is a great camera, particularly when shooting in low light or fast paced situations.

This very nice camera package would set you back a fair bit of money, but would be worth it for many people.

If you're after a simple and easy to use compact camera that looks great, then the Z2 may be for you. However, don't expect a long list of features.

A very complete camera in a small package.