Digital Cameras, 5x Zoom

Samsung ST1000

The 12.2-megapixel ST1000 is a classy camera, with a great design and top-notch, ultra-high-resolution touchscreen. The real stars of the show, though, are its Wi-Fi, bluetooth and GPS features. We've seen wireless cameras before, but Samsung's finally shown how it should be done

Editor's rating 9.1

Samsung PL60

The 10.2-megapixel PL60 may be inexpensive, but it's also stylish, practical and satisfying to use. You'll get good pictures whether or not you use the hi-tech shooting functions on offer, and the PL60 is capable of picking out more detail than many 12-megapixel snappers. It's a good buy at this price

Editor's rating 7.1

Canon Digital IXUS 200 IS

Canon has played it safe with the Digital IXUS 200 IS, aiming for steady evolution rather than technical innovation. The result is a perfectly decent compact camera. It offers good colours and details at low ISOs, its touchscreen is effective and its 5x extra-wideangle zoom is very useful

Editor's rating 7.5

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX550

The 12.1-megapixel Lumix DMC-FX550 compact camera offers a surprising amount of manual control and oozes hi-tech features, including a touchscreen interface and 5x super-wide zoom. It's also capable of shooting decent pictures, and offers decent value for money too

Editor's rating 6.8

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX1

Sony has packed an impressive amount of technology into the 10.2-megapixel Cyber-shot DSC-WX1, while keeping it tiny and lightweight. Capable of delivering some very good photos, it's also one of the quickest cameras we've tested in its class, making it well worth considering

Editor's rating 8.0

Canon PowerShot G11

The pro-orientated, 10-megapixel PowerShot G11 is expensive and heavy, but it's one of the best serious compacts on the market. Its cast-iron body and chunky external dials are excellent, its image quality is good, and its 5x wideangle zoom is sharp right through its focal range and right to the edges of the frame, too

Editor's rating 8.2

Nikon Coolpix S1000pj

The world's first camera with an integrated projector, the 12.1-megapixel Coolpix S1000pj's most interesting feature will either have you chortling with delight or feeling totally unimpressed. But it's not all about the projector -- the S1000pj is a pretty good compact in its own right

Editor's rating 7.8

Samsung WB1000

The 12-megapixel WB1000 offers more control over your photos than the vast majority of other compact cameras, making it a good option for digital SLR users seeking a pocket snapper. Its photo quality and performance are what you'd expect from a compact, but it's a beautifully made machine

Editor's rating 7.8

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS25

The 12-megapixel Lumix DMC-FS25 provides the chance to get all the usual Panasonic tech in a cheaper, but still very decent, package. Detail in its pictures lacks bite, but the results are still good, and the design is robust and efficient, making for a worthwhile compact camera overall

Editor's rating 7.4

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 Digital IXUS 990 IS

It's hard to tell exactly where in the line the 12.1-megapixel Canon Digital IXUS 990 IS sits, but it bears all the usual IXUS hallmarks: an elegant design and straightforward controls combined with hi-tech automation and decent picture quality. An excellent LCD screen is a welcome bonus

Editor's rating 7.0

Casio Exilim EX-FC100

Particularly suited to action photography, the 9-megapixel Exilim EX-FC100 offers continuous shooting speeds that are out of this world, as well as plenty of other hi-tech tricks. It also takes good photos, which makes up for the fact that it's not the most beautiful camera in the world

Editor's rating 8.3

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W290

The Cyber-shot DSC-W290 is a compelling package, offering a 5x wideangle zoom and 12-megapixel resolution in a compact, attractive body for a reasonable price. Photo quality and performance are also solid. Combine that with a terrific design and you've got a winner

Editor's rating 8.0

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-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

Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR

The FinePix F200EXR is a great camera, but it's Fujifilm's new EXR sensor that's the star of the show, capturing a level of detail that can't be matched by rivals. The controls can be confusing and you might notice some barrel distortion, but overall, the F200EXR sets new standards for compact-camera performance

User rating 8.0

Editor's rating 9.1

Olympus mju 5000

The 12-megapixel mju 5000 is an extremely stylish and well-made compact camera. With unusual but excellent controls, a 5x zoom and 8 frames per second shooting, it's also a pleasure to use and takes great pictures. We're not entirely sold on the supported memory-card formats though

Editor's rating 8.6

Fujifilm FinePix J110w

The FinePix J110w offers 10 megapixels, a 5x wideangle zoom and a metal body for a remarkably low price. It doesn't sacrifice style in the process either, boasting an elegant, minimalist design. It also takes good pictures, with crisp detail and strong colours, making for an impressive compact camera overall

Editor's rating 7.3

Samsung NV9

The NV9 is a very tempting 10-megapixel super-slim camera. It offers far more than you'd expect for its £120 price, including an attractively finished and robust metal body, a 5x zoom, a built-in MP3 player and surprisingly good picture quality. It's not perfect but, for the price, it's pretty close

User rating 1.0

Editor's rating 8.3

Fujifilm FinePix J150w

The 10-megapixel FinePix J150w may well be the perfect pocket-sized camera, combining smart styling with crisp, clear pictures, straightforward controls and a 5x wideangle zoom. It also represents excellent value for money. Casual snappers will be hard-pressed to find a better compact camera

Editor's rating 7.4