Red Digital Cameras

Olympus mju Tough-6010

Ernest Shackleton would probably have been mightily taken with the shockproof, waterproof and freezeproof mju Tough-6010. Its picture quality isn't going to blow anybody's mind, but it looks smart, offers good value for money, and can withstand a fair degree of punishment

Editor's rating 6.1

Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZX1

The 12.1-megapixel Lumix DMC-ZX1 offers an 8x super-wideangle zoom in a compact body, and manages to produce clearer and sharper pictures than the majority of its rivals. It also offers solid build quality and straightforward controls. As such, buying it is almost a no-brainer

Editor's rating 9.0

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1

Part of a new breed of camera that aims to combine the image quality and features of a digital SLR with the convenience of a compact, the 12.1-megapixel Lumix DMC-GF1 is a tantalising proposition. It costs a packet, but its photos are excellent and its build quality is really something special

Editor's rating 8.9

Samsung ST550

Its pictures are fairly ordinary, but the 12.2-megapixel ST550 is a stunningly successful exercise in interface design. With a front-mounted touchscreen that makes taking self-portraits a piece of cake, a rear-mounted touchscreen that delivers haptic feedback, and a motion-sensitive menu system, it's a joy to use

Editor's rating 8.1

Kodak EasyShare Z915

The 10-megapixel EasyShare Z915 is well worth a look if you want a pocket-friendly superzoom that offers plenty of features, simple operation, a comfortable and sturdy design, and generally good photo quality. It's reasonably priced too, and, for its class, delivers speedy performance

Editor's rating 7.6

Pentax Optio W80

The rugged, 12-megapixel Optio W80 is an attractive little beast that can withstand a good deal of physical punishment. It's over-reliant on its menu system, but it's a versatile snapper, offering a 5x wideangle zoom, a high-def movie mode and a sensitivity range that goes all the way up to ISO 6,400

User rating 6.0

Editor's rating 6.0

Canon PowerShot A480

Considering how cheap it is, the 10-megapixel PowerShot A480 takes good photos. In fact, you'd be hard-pressed to better them at this price point. You should look elsewhere if you're after anything besides basic snapshots, but, otherwise, this small, attractive and fuss-free snapper delivers the goods

Editor's rating 6.8

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T900

The 12-megapixel, touchscreen Cyber-shot DSC-T900 is expensive, but it's easy to see where your money's gone. Despite a few design quirks, it looks great, packs in plenty of hi-tech features and, most importantly, delivers good results, both in terms of stills and hi-def movies

Editor's rating 8.8

Casio Exilim EX-FS10

Judged solely as a stills camera, the 9-megapixel Exilim EX-FS10 is too expensive. But it's really all about capturing movement and action, and it does that remarkably well, thanks to some truly unique and startlingly effective high-speed shooting technology

Editor's rating 8.4

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W270

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W270's specs certainly gives this compact a fighting chance among its fierce competition. From its 5x wideangle zoom, automatic scene detection, HD movie mode, plus all kinds of face detection, this slim snapper could be one to keep handy

Editor's rating 7.1

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ7

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ7 superzoom combines a 12x zoom and 25mm-equivalent wideangle lens with 720p video recording to create an excellent follow up to the earlier TZ6 model. This 'hybrid' camera produces superb images, but does it come out on top in the sibling rivalry?

User rating 9.2

Editor's rating 9.3

Samsung ST50

The 12-megapixel ST50 super-slim camera has a real air of quality about it, thanks to a weighty stainless-steel body and high-quality LCD display. With its 'smart auto' mode, the camera can also take care of all the picture settings for you, if you fancy giving your brain a rest

User rating 8.5

Editor's rating 6.1

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX40

When you start using the 12-megapixel Lumix DMC-FX40, you'll realise why it's pricey -- the build quality and design are outstanding. Picture definition could be better, but the FX40 comes pretty close to being the perfect travel camera, thanks to a very versatile 5x super-wideangle lens

Editor's rating 7.7

Canon PowerShot SX200 IS

The 12-megapixel PowerShot SX200 IS with 12x wideangle zoom is a very versatile do-it-all camera. It's great for learning about photography too, because it has decent manual controls in addition to idiot-proof automatic modes. Its picture quality won't blow your mind, but it's not at all bad

User rating 6.0

Editor's rating 6.2

Pentax Optio P70

The 12-megapixel Optio P70 boasts an exemplary ultra-compact design, has great features and offers relatively good pictures for the target audience -- those who want to step up from taking snaps with their phone. We wish it was speedier though, and its low-light shots aren't great

Editor's rating 6.8

Pentax Optio E70

The attractive, 10-megapixel Optio E70 is an inexpensive compact camera that offers decent performance, features and image quality for the price. It doesn't offer a great deal of shooting flexibility, but the E70's simple to use and has large, easy-to-read controls, making it a good camera for beginners

Editor's rating 6.6

Nikon Coolpix S230

The 10-megapixel Coolpix S230 ultra-compact camera offers all of the point-and-shoot basics in a stylish package. It also has an intuitive touchscreen that helps it stand out from the crowd, while picture quality is generally good. It could be speedier, but the S230 is a decent snapper overall

Editor's rating 7.0

Nikon Coolpix L20

The smart-looking, 10-megapixel Coolpix L20 is a budget compact camera that's easy to handle and straightforward to use. All but very beginners will find the omission of ISO adjustment options baffling, but, otherwise, it's a simple, sturdy, practical camera that takes decent pictures

Editor's rating 6.1

Canon Digital IXUS 100 IS

The super-slim, 12-megapixel Digital IXUS 100 IS is a gem. It's easy to use, attractively styled, supremely pocket-friendly and takes much better pictures than you'd expect for a camera of this size. While most of its ultra-compact rivals are cheaper, the 100 IS has class in abundance

User rating 9.5

Editor's rating 8.2

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T500

Most compact cameras offer video as something of an afterthought, but it's central to the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T500. High-definition 720p video takes advantage of an optically stablilised 5x zoom and a decent microphone, all wrapped up in a slim but substantial metal body that sports a large 89mm touchscreen LCD

Editor's rating 6.6