$300 - $400 Digital cameras

The Bottom Line: The Canon PowerShot SX20 IS is a solid, but not standout, megazoom option for the money.

Specs: Full body, 12.1 megapixels, 20 x, 2.5 in LCD display

The Bottom Line: The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX1 is a first-rate ultracompact party companion that excels at snapshots, but those expecting superb photo quality for its price should pass on it.

Specs: Ultracompact, 10.2 megapixels, 4 x, 3 in LCD display

The Bottom Line: The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX1 is a first-rate ultracompact party companion that excels at snapshots, but those expecting superb photo quality for its price should pass on it.

Specs: Ultracompact, 10.2 megapixels, 4 x, 3 in LCD display

The Bottom Line: The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX1 is a first-rate ultracompact party companion that excels at snapshots, but those expecting superb photo quality for its price should pass on it.

Specs: Ultracompact, 10.2 megapixels, 4 x, 3 in LCD display

The Bottom Line: The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX1 is a first-rate ultracompact party companion that excels at snapshots, but those expecting superb photo quality for its price should pass on it.

Specs: Ultracompact, 10.2 megapixels, 4 x, 3 in LCD display

The Bottom Line: As long as you're not expecting dSLR speed in a tiny body, the Canon PowerShot S90 is an excellent compact camera for advanced amateurs.

Specs: Ultracompact, 10 megapixels, 3.8 x, 3 in LCD display

The Bottom Line: A better-than-average megazoom choice, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35 delivers standout video capabilities and an excellent manual feature set. Still, it suffers from a lot of the same drawbacks as its competitors, including weak photo quality.

Specs: Full body, 12.1 megapixels, 18 x, 2.7 in LCD display

The Bottom Line: The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX1 is a great, fast-performing snapshot camera that falters on photo quality.

Specs: Ultracompact, 10.2 megapixels, 5 x, 2.7 in LCD display

The Bottom Line: Its feature set is basic even by entry-level standards, but the Nikon D3000 delivers the photo quality and performance you expect when stepping up to a dSLR, with an optional interface that's very beginner friendly.

The Bottom Line: A full-featured waterproof/shockproof pocket point-and-shoot, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 is a near-perfect rugged camera for everyday use.

Specs: Ultracompact, 12.1 megapixels, 4.6 x, 2.7 in LCD display