Nikon's budget-friendly Coolpix S4000 offers up a large, responsive touch screen, but its performance will test your patience.

Cheaper and with better photo quality than its sibling, the Sony Alpha DSLR-A500's quirky design is the only real flaw in an otherwise solid entry-level model with fast Live View shooting and a useful tilting LCD.

Cheaper and with better photo quality than its sibling, the Sony Alpha DSLR-A500's quirky design is the only real flaw in an otherwise solid entry-level model with fast Live View shooting and a useful tilting LCD.

The high-speed Casio Exilim EX-FH100 is a compelling compact megazoom camera for those constantly worried about missing a snapshot.

Samsung's HZ35W is pretty much an across-the-board improvement from its predecessor resulting in a GPS-enabled compact megazoom worth considering.

Though it doesn't offer anything beyond basics, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S2100 is a decent AA-battery-powered entry-level compact.

The Kodak EasyShare Z981 has attractive specs and pricing, but falls too short on photo quality to recommend it.

The Kodak EasyShare Z981 has attractive specs and pricing, but falls too short on photo quality to recommend it.

A bright, wide-angle lens and a high-sensitivity sensor add up to very good low-light photos and fast performance for the Canon PowerShot SD4000 IS.

The fast-shooting Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX7 is a slick, feature-laden ultracompact, but its price doesn't guarantee perfection.