Fuji FinePix S9100 Digital Camera

Fujifilm's Picture Stabilization technology utilizes the heightened sensitivity of the FinePix S9100 at ISO1600 and high-speed shutter settings to prevent camera shake or freeze subject movement, keeping blur to a minimum. This easy to access feature (selectable on the mode dial) lets the FinePix S9100 choose the correct light sensitivity and best-matching shutter speed automatically, for the highest quality digital pictures. Real Photo Technology captures treasured moments just as your eye sees them. Combining the new RP Processor, 5th Generation Super CCD-HR Sensor and Fujinon Lens Optics, the S9100 delivers ultra-high sensitivity with low noise, faster operational speeds and reduced power consumption. This allows you to capture priceless memories of photographs with every nuance of light and color, even in low light situations without a flash. i-Flash fine-tunes flash output for shooting with high sensitivity settings. It recognizes scene conditions and determines the optimum flash output to ensure superb results. The S9100 has all its angles covered with a tilting 2" LCD making it easy to frame your shot from a variety of shooting positions. And thanks to the LCD gain up control, you'll be able to view the LCD in bright and low light conditions. Equipped with dual media slots for handling of xD-Picture Cards and Compact Flash/Microdrives, the S9100 lets you concentrate on shooting without worrying about storage space. You can even insert different types of media in each slot and then select which one you want to use to store each image as you shoot.

NIKON Coolpix P5100

The Coolpix P5100 from Nikon picks up where the Coolpix P5000 left off, offering a higher resolution and more advanced features while maintaining the comfortable design and feel of its predecessor.The Coolpix P5100 is equipped with a 12 million-pixel sensor and 3.5x Nikkor zoom lens for capturing images in finite detail, while the VR optical vibration reduction system and 3200 ISO sensitivity ensure snaps turn out clear and defined. Meanwhile, the Expeed processor works to improve the camera’s reaction time and enhance photo quality in general.The magnesium casing of the Coolpix P5100 was designed to provide optimum handling, while the practical command keys – including the quick mode selector – allow you to switch between exposure modes (P, S, A and M). There is even a face detection mode to bring out the best in your group photos. This camera also has a real image optical viewfinder and large 2.5” screen for optimum visual comfort as you snap and touch up your photos. In addition to these many features, you’ll also enjoy the Nikon D-Lighting and red-eye reduction functions, which even out the lighting and remove red eyes from your shots. What’s more, the Coolpix P5100 comes with a high-capacity battery (250 photos for one charge) and is compatible with SDHC memory cards. Plus, you can choose from a host of optional accessories and expand the creative possibilities even further!

Casio EXILIM Zoom EX-Z1080

The Casio EXILIM Zoom EX-Z1080 is closely related to the EX-Z1050 model that was announced back in January. Body, sensor (10.1 megapixel CCD), lens (3x 38-114mm equivalent optical zoom), LCD (2.6-inch) and all the rest of the hardware look to be identical.

EX-Z1080 changes are to be found in silicon - the video resolution now tops out at 848x480 pixels instead of VGA, ISO sensitivity has been bumped to a maximum of 3200 instead of 1600, and the addition of both Casio's YouTube video mode and face detection technology. All these changes to the camera result in 5MB less built-in memory available for photos - 11.4MB being free in the Casio Z1080.

Olympus FE-290

The Olympus FE-290 combines an seven megapixel CCD imager, an Olympus-branded 4x optical zoom lens starting at a useful 28mm wide angle equivalent, and a generous 3-inch LCD display in a pocket-friendly body. The FE290 aims to keep things simple, with thirteen scene modes that make it easy to get the shot without understanding the subtleties of shutter speeds, apertures and the suchlike. You'll want to get an xD-Picture card right away, as the FE-290 has only 6.9MB of built-in memory.

The FE-290 offers a maximum ISO sensitivity of 640, has a 15 frames-per-second VGA movie mode with sound and includes a Digital Image Stabilization (DIS) mode, which freezes action with high ISO sensitivity and fast shutter speeds to help prevent blurry images caused by a moving subject.

Power for the FE-290 comes from a proprietary Lithium-ion rechargeable battery or optional AC adapter. There's also USB 2.0 High-Speed computer connectivity, and NTSC / PAL video out to let you see your photos on a television. The FE290 product bundle includes a LI-42B Li-Ion Rechargeable Battery and Charger, USB Cable, Audio/Video Cable, Wrist Strap, Manual, CD-ROM with OLYMPUS Master 2 Software and Warranty Card.

Sony Cyber-shot DSCT70/B Black Digital Camera

The slim little camera with a big widescreen. In sleek silver, pure black, porcelain white, or pearly pink, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T70 fits your lifestyle to a T -- with a giant, 3-inch widescreen touch-panel LCD display for shooting and sharing, simple icon control and touch-and-zoom capability, Face Detection technology and Smile Shutter mode to help you capture more smiles. Carl Zeiss 3x optical and the Sony Double Anti-Blur Solution gives you great shots in low light -- and HD output lets you share memories in spectacular high definition on your Sony Bravia HDTV and other compatible HDTV models.

Nikon Coolpix P5000

Just when Nikon fans had given up on the company ever producing a serious enthusiast compact camera again (thanks to the arrival of the affordable DSLR), along came the P5000, the nearest thing to a high-end compact since the demise of the Coolpix 8800 and 8400 a couple of years back. It's a big leap forward from the previous, slightly disappointing P ('performance', apparently) series cameras, with a more complete feature set, a flash hot shoe and a much more sensible design (previous models were modeled on a bar of soap, and offered similar handling). Although nowhere near as advanced as the real big beasts of this sector, it is much more compact than cameras like the Canon G7, and it does come with a decent level of expandability (add on lenses, flash etc) - and it's very keenly priced. So is this the camera to put Nikon back on the enthusiast compact map? Let's find out, starting with the headline spec:

• 10 megapixel 1/1.8-inch CCD
  
• 3.5x Zoom-Nikkor lens
  
• Lens shift VR (Vibration Reduction)
  
• ISO 64-1600 (3200 in 5MP mode)
  
• BSS (Best Shot Selector) identifies and saves the sharpest image automatically from ten sequential shots
  
• P/A/S/M modes plus 16 scene modes
  
• Compatibility with system-expanding accessories
  
• Macro shooting enables shooting from as close as 4cm (1.6 in.)
  
• SDHC card compatibility
  
• Approx. 21 MB of internal memory
  
• Face-priority AF, In-Camera Red-Eye Fix, D-Lighting
  
• 2.5-in wide viewing angle TFT LCD with anti-reflection coating

Casio Exilim EX-V7

Announced back in January at the CES show, the EX-V7 is the latest in a long - and generally successful - range of slim, feature-packed Exilim models from Casio. As well as an impressive set of specifications (CCD shift image stabilization, 7x / 38-266mm equiv. zoom, MPEG movies and a wealth of features) and a super-slim all-metal body (under 21mm thick at its thinnest point) the EX-V7 boasts a new version of Casio's image processing engine. This brings several new technologies to the V7; motion analysis (to ensure a higher ISO and shutter speed are used if needed to freeze fast moving subjects), Auto Tracking AF and enhanced noise reduction and tonal control. As the world's slimmest 7x zoom camera the EX-V7 is certainly an enticing product for anyone wanting a bit more lens reach without losing pocketability, but is it any good? Let's find out, starting as ever with the headline features:

• 59.8 mm high, 95.5 mm wide, and 25.1 mm thin (20.8 mm at the thinnest part)
  
• Cutting-edge, non-protruding 7X internal optical zoom lens (38-266mm equiv.)
  
• New CCD shift system actually mechanically compensates for camera shake.
  
• Automatically analyzes the velocity and vector of a moving subject and sets the most appropriate ISO sensitivity and shutter speed.
  
• “Auto Tracking AF” function follows moving subjects
  
• Tonal control lets users keep bright areas of the scene bright by limiting the occurrence of dark pixels.
  
• Offers ability to selectively eliminate noise in designated color regions, such as the sky.
  
• Boasts faster image processing functions that enable instantaneous color correction or angle adjustment.
  
• High-quality movies using next-generation H.264 video encoding method
  
• Silent lens motion enables optical zooming while recording movies in stereo sound.
  
• Records 16:9 wide-aspect movies compatible with wide-screen TVs.

Olympus SP-550 UZ

Announced just before PMA in January 2007 the SP-550UZ is the first serious attempt by Olympus to take back some ground in the super zoom sector, a sector it almost single-handedly created back in 2000 with the legendary C-2100UZ, but has since struggled to make a mark in. The SP-550UZ is a significant step up from the previous models in the 'SP' range (including the current SP-510UZ), offering 7MP resolution, image stabilization (CCD-shift) and an astounding 28-500mm (equiv.) 18x optical zoom range. The 'super zoom' market is an increasingly crowded and competitive one, and the SP-550UZ goes head to head with popular and well-regarded models such as the Sony H5, Canon S3 IS and Panasonic FZ8. Rarely has a camera caused so much interest based on its specification alone... so can the SP-550UZ live up to the hype? Let's find out, starting as ever with the headline specifications:

• 18x wide optical zoom (equivalent to 28-504mm on a 35mm camera) 1:2.8-4.5
  
• Dual Image Stabilization
  
• 7.1 Megapixels
  
• 6.4cm/2.5” LCD with 230,000 pixels
  
• High burst rate (up to 15fps in 1.2 Megapixel mode )
  
• Super Macro mode (from as close as 1cm)
  
• P/A/S/M exposure modes
  
• RAW mode
  
• BrightCapture Technology for better low light photography – also available in movie mode
  
• 23 scene modes (including Portrait, Sports, Night Scene)
  
• 25 languages on board
  
• Internal memory plus xD-Picture Card slot
  
• Supplied with Olympus Master software and four AA batteries
  
• Side by side

Samsung NV7 OPS

Back in July Korean giant Samsung announced a new series of cameras, the NV (New Vision) range that finally, firmly put the 'cheap n cheerful' plastic camera image behind them with three new all-black, all-metal models packed with features and genuinely desirable designs. The unusually proportioned NV7 OPS sits at the top of the range and sports a 7MP CCD, 7x Schneider-branded zoom (38-270mm equiv.), CCD-shift stabilization and a surprisingly sophisticated feature set. It also shares (with the NV10 reviewed recently) Samsung's innovative new 'Smart Touch' user interface and control system, designed to replace pages and pages of menus with two strips of touch sensitive soft keys that offer direct access to almost all the camera's many features and options. The NV7 OPS offers a fairly unique feature set for a camera of this size, but previous Samsungs have failed to offer quite the image quality needed to propel them into the big league. Lets find out if the NV7 OPS is the camera to break the mould, starting as ever with the headline features:

• 7.4 megapixel CCD
  
• 38-270mm equiv. (7x) Schneider-KREUZNACH zoom
  
• Program, Auto, Manual, Aperture & Shutter Priority and Scene exposure modes
  
• ISO 100-1000
  
• Advanced Shake Reduction DSP
  
• In-camera special effects and editing of saved images
  
• Auto Exposure Bracketing
  
• 1cm Super Macro mode
  
• MPEG-4 VGA movie mode
  
• 43mm filter thread
  
• Optional docking cradle and remote control

Nikon D40

The Nikon D40 is an all new affordable, compact, point-and-shoot digital SLR from Nikon, it follows on from the D50 but at a significantly lower price point and with a subtly different feature set. The biggest news however is probably fact that Nikon resisted the temptation to keep chasing megapixels (hooray for that) and instead appear to have concentrated on what makes a good camera, a decent viewfinder, short shutter lag, very short viewfinder blackout. They've trimmed some of the 'less important features' (you can't change the exposure steps for example) but have squeezed a range of new features such as custom Auto ISO which we welcomed with the D80.

Key features

• 6 megapixel DX format CCD (1.5x FOV crop, as D50)
  
• Nikon Image processing engine (as D80 / D200)
  
• 3D Color Matrix Metering II, 420 pixel sensor (as D80 / D50)
  
• New Multi-CAM530 three area AF sensor
  
• ISO sensitivity range 200 - 1600 plus HI 1 (3200 equiv.)
  
• Custom Auto ISO (selectable maximum ISO, minimum shutter speed)
  
• 2.5 fps continuous shooting (as D50), unlimited in JPEG
  
• No status LCD, new LCD monitor based status / settings screens
  
• Help suggestions on LCD monitor (eg. scene too dark, try using flash)
  
• Large 2.5" 230,000 pixel LCD monitor
  
• Bigger viewfinder view (x0.8 magnification, 95% coverage)
  
• Short shutter lag and viewfinder blackout
  
• Support for SDHC (SD cards over 2 GB in capacity)
  
• In-camera retouching
  
• D-Lighting (shadow / highlight enhancement)
  
• Red-eye reduction
  
• Trimming
  
• Monochrome
  
• Filter effects
  
• Small picture
  
• Image overlay
  
• USB 2.0 with PTP and Mass Storage device support
  
• Very compact, light body (smaller, lighter than D50)
  
• Improved menu user interface (as D80 / D200)
  
• New EN-EL9 Lithium-Ion battery (7.2V, 1000 mAh)
  
• New 'Version II' AF-S DX 18-55 mm kit lens

Canon PowerShot A640

The PowerShot A640, launched in August, just before Photokina 06, replaces the popular A620 at the top of Canon's increasingly well-specified 'budget' A series range. The new model gets a bit of a facelift (and a new coat of black paint) as well as a bigger screen, major pixel boost (up from 7MP to 10MP) and a few feature tweaks. Otherwise it offers pretty much everything the A620 did; 4x zoom lens, tilt and swivel LCD, full photographic control and optional converter lenses. And like its predecessor, the A640 was launched with an almost identical twin, the A630, the only major difference being the sensor (8MP as opposed to 10MP). Therefore much of what is said in this review will also be applicable to the A630 (we will be adding A630 IQ results in the new year). The A620 was one of our favorite cameras of the last 12 months, and is a tough act to follow. So is the A640 up to the job? Let's find out, starting with the headline features...

• 10.0 million effective pixels
  
• 35-140mm (equiv.) 4x zoom lens
  
• DIGIC II, iSAPS, 9-Point AiAF, FlexiZone AF/AE
  
• Digital Tele-Converter and Safety Zoom
  
• 2.5-inch vari-angle LCD and real-image optical viewfinder
  
• 21 shooting modes
  
• 1cm macro mode
  
• Optional wide and tele converter lenses

Canon PowerShot A710 IS

Even in the 'blink and you'll miss it' world of compact digital cameras the budget-priced 6x zoom lensed Canon PowerShot A700 was a short-lived model; announced late February and replaced in August by the camera on test here, the PowerShot A710 IS. Aside from a design facelift and a few feature tweaks the biggest - and most welcome - change is that the new model adds optical image stabilization, something we bemoaned the lack of on the A700. There's also an extra million pixels ( up from 6 to 7MP) and the usual A series mix of manual and automatic features. So let's find out if the A710 IS a worthy successor to the popular A700, starting, as ever, with the headline features.

• 7.1 Megapixels
  
• 6x optical zoom with optical Image Stabilizer (35-210mm equiv.)
  
• DIGIC II, iSAPS, 9-Point AiAF, FlexiZone AF/AE
  
• Digital Tele-Converter and Safety Zoom
  
• 2.5” LCD with wide viewing angle and real-image optical viewfinder
  
• 20 shooting modes

Canon PowerShot G7

Announced just before Photokina 2006 in September 2006, the G7 came as something of a surprise to many who had written off the G series of high end PowerShots when the G6 (launched 2004) wasn't updated last year. The G series has a long and distinguished history at the top of Canon's PowerShot range, offering SLR-like functionality in a solid, compact body and high-end features such as fast lenses and external flash capabilities. The G7 continues the tradition, adding all Canon's latest gizmos (including the new Digic III processor, face detection and image stabilization), though since its announcement there has been heated discussion about some of Canon's decisions - particularly the loss of raw mode and the slower lens. So let's find out if the new model is a worthy successor to the G6, or if Canon really has - as some users feel - squandered the legacy of one of the most acclaimed cameras in the short history of digital photography. We'll start, as ever, by looking at the headline features:

Headline features

• 10.0 Megapixels
  
• 6x optical zoom lens with optical Image Stabilizer and SR coating
  
• DIGIC III and iSAPS with Advanced Noise Reduction and Face Detection AF/AE
  
• 2.5” high-resolution LCD with wide viewing angle and anti-glare coating
  
• ISO 1600 for flash-free, low light shooting
  
• Ergonomic design with dedicated ISO and Multi Control dials for fast, easy operation
  
• 25 shooting modes including full manual control and 2 custom settings
  
• Extra telephoto reach with Digital Tele-Converter and Safety Zoom
  
• Hot shoe support for Canon Speedlite flashes and optional lens accessories