The Canon Digital IXUS 85 doesn't do anything revolutionary, but it follows the trend of its predecessors by offering a combination of stylish design, great image quality and some nifty features in a petite design, making it a compelling purchase for anyone looking for a compact camera.

If you regularly shoot in JPEG then Pentax's K10D may not be the best choice for you, but those who prefer to use RAW will find it to be a powerful, versatile and sturdy camera that comes at a bargain price.

Sigma's DP-1 is a very interesting camera. On one hand it captures some of the best shots we've ever seen from a non-SLR camera, making it great for enthusiasts. However it also has slow performance, an annoying interface and lacks a viewfinder. The price will also buy you a good, entry level digital SLR.

For at least a little while it appears the Canon 40D is king of the hill. While the Nikon D80 and D200 both provide reasonable alternatives for enthusiasts, and the Nikon D40x and Canon EOS 400D are both more suitable options for amateurs, the 40D's blend of great pictures, rugged construction and speedy operation make it a great purchase.

If you don't need to swap lenses, precisely focus manually or shoot more than three frames at a time, the DSCR1 is a better bet than a budget digital SLR.

A solid advanced ultra-zoom camera, FujiFilm's FinePix S8100fd offers an 18x zoom lens with sensor shift stabilisation and captures good but not outstanding photographs.

The P80 from Nikon is an advanced camera with a very capable zoom lens. It’s not as fast as the majority of other advanced cameras we’ve looked at, but the images it captures are rich and sharp.

There is a lot to like about the Pentax K20D. It produces some of the crispest, sharpest pictures of any camera in its class. It also has a stack of features, including live view and sensor-based stabilisation. Some users will want a faster burst mode or better live view implementation. Nonetheless, this is a great option for enthusiasts.

A solid improvement on the EOS 400D, Canon's EOS 450D adds a bucket-load of new features, including 14-bit A-D, a faster burst mode and Live View. Sitting in between the 400D and 40D in price, it offers a compelling option for users looking for the middle ground between the two.

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.

It’s a slim and simple camera, but Fujifilm’s Finepix Z20fd will only suit amateur users who aren’t overly concerned with image sharpness and quality.

This camera is a good choice if you want a high resolution compact camera, combining style, size and image quality into a single package.