Fans of retro won’t go wrong with the Olympus E-P3. The E-P3 is the first E-P to come with a built-in flash, and it even comes with wireless flash support for additional lights. It’s also the first E-P to get a touch-screen, bringing with it the ability to touch to focus and touch to shoot (touch-screen controls are switched off by default for purists).

The E-P3 scores points for being the only camera in the list with image stabilization built into the camera body. It also has a gorgeous OLED monitor going for it, a handy control dial with scroll wheel combination for manual control, and the ability to tap left on the d-pad to manually select an AF area.

Samsung PL210 is a compact digital camera focused towards beginners. It has a resolution of 14.2 megapixel s, 10x optical zoom, focal length from 4.85 to 48.5mm and a luminous intensity of F3.3 to 5.9.

This inexpensive model is available in two colors- silver and black. Apart from the uniform controls there is a 3in screen on the back with a resolution of 230000 pixels. The Samsung PL210 has ISO sensitivity between 80 to 3200. The manufacturer claims it can record videos in HD quality (1920×720).

The camera delivers decent quality in most environments. The 10x optical zoom performs quite well. We noticed good quality up to ISO 800, at ISO 1600 an amount of visible noise starts appearing. The manual mode we took few macro shots in F3.3 with ISO 100 and a shutter speed of 1/80 and were left pleasantly surprised with the results.

The controls are nicely positioned and personally we are impressed with the logical interface of Samsung point and shoots. Functions such as creative filters allow you to add some personal touch to your photographs.

However we have a few complaints regarding the build quality and the slow autofocus. We wish that Samsung could have included a SD card slot instead of micro SD as higher capacities are difficult to procure.

Overall PL210 is a good performer, priced reasonably. The usability, price and picture quality compel us to recommend this camera to our readers.

The Canon Ixus 1100 HS is nice to handle because it offers both touch-screen maneuvering as well as buttons for operations. It has a good solid feel to it, the sort that gives you confidence you will get good pictures out of it. And it does—to the extent that compact cameras do. The pictures are adequately good, though you will notice colour disparities occasionally. One bug bear is the delete function. These days, erasing a picture is a matter of pressing a button or an icon on the display. With this one, you have to first access the delete icon via the Function menu and then proceed. But what goes most against the 1100 HS is its price. At almost ? 25,000, it is too highly ‘ tagged for a camera that offers neither manual exposure nor the shutter and aperture priority modes. Its big 12X optical zoom, though, can be helpful in day-light photography.

The Nikon P500 is one of those cameras some used to call ‘bridge’ cameras, a category which sits in between standard compacts and DSLR cameras. Of course, this was before mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras swooped onto the scene, thus becoming the new bridge cameras. Still, we think that the P500 is really a compact camera that comes with super-long zoom and manual handling.

The P500 has an impressive 36x optical zoom, which is 35mm lens focal equivalent of 22.5-8l0mm. Trying to get the same length with a DSLR would involve multiple lenses, one of which large and heavy enough to warrant its own tripod. The P500 doesn’t of course; it packs that super-long zoom into a much smaller package which you can comfortably stuff into a bag, and that’s its strongest point.

The P500 comes with Aperture, Shutter priority modes as well as full Manual controls; it even has a back control dial just like a DSLR so you can easily change manual settings. The zoom toggle surrounds the shutter release, and has a comfortably defined lever. The P500 also lets you zoom with a toggle on the side of the lens, usable with either hand. The tilt-able LCD swivels up and down, so it affords more angles to shoot from a vertical position, but doesn’t give as much leeway as an LCD which swivels from the side.

Frustratingly, in Auto mode, the AF point doesn’t shift away from the center. A rectangular center AF target is displayed which can’t be shifted with the d-pad. When you switch to other modes like Aperture Priority however, AF changes from center to multi-area, but it goes back to center focus when you switch back to Auto. It’s the first time we’ve seen a camera not offer control over such an essential element as AF mode even in Auto mode. Aside from being baffling, it’s also a pain to use; you have to center focus and shift the camera every time you want to compose an image with an off-center subject.

AF speeds are decent, but the P500 seems to have more trouble getting a lock the further you zoom out. Getting a sharp, steady shot at the furthest end is difficult, because the smallest movement of your hands triggers a large shift of the lens. The P500′s image stabilization helps some, but not a lot, so if you want to shoot racked out at 36x you’re better off with a tripod (FVI, DSLR cameras with long zoom lenses also face the same challenge).

ISO performance is average; a little image noise starts to creep in at IS0400, but images still look usable up to IS0800. Details start to smudge at IS01600, and IS03200 is a mess. Resolution scores a decent 1400x1400LPH on our resolution test chart.

Even shooting at the highest 1080p quality, video compression can be easily seen. We encountered a glitch while shooting video, there were occasional moments when the video would suddenly wobble and skew, even when the camera was relatively still and at moderate zoom. When we switched off Vibration Reduction (which produces a noticeable whirring sound when recording video) the quirk went away, but we now had to contend with jerkier video and the jelly effect as a result.

The Nikon P500 is a camera with a host of strengths, but it doesn’t feel quite finished. 36x optical zoom is an achievement and image quality suffices, but the AF system leaves more to be desired, while movie mode suffers from unexplained wobbles.

While the Panasonic FX78 sports an unassuming body with clean lines, this shooter is also the slimmest and most compact of the lot, slipping into jeans pockets with ease. Of course, its flat design also made keeping a grip a little tough while snapping photos. A whopping 3.5-inch touchscreen takes almost all of the real-estate at the back, with a short row of physical buttons residing on top. While Panasonic certainly didn’t cut any corners in terms of build, the FX78′s touch-based controls took a fair bit of getting used to. The touch interface was also sluggish at times, and can be a little complicated in terms of navigation, in contrast, the physical zoom slider switch seemed overtly sensitive, making accurate zooms a matter of trial and error.

The Canon PowerShot Elph 310 HS packs a lot of camera into a very small package. The slim 12-mega-pixel shooter manages to squeeze in an 8x zoom lens that covers a 28-224mm (35mm equivalent) field of view. Images from the camera are sharp, it performs well in lower light, and it has a bright and sharp 3-inch LCD. All of these features and its ability to capture 1080p24 HD video make it our new favorite midrange compact point-and-shoot camera.

Light and compact, the 310 HS measures just 2.2 by 3.8 by 0.9 inches (HWD) and weighs in at 4.9 ounces. Its metal body feels very sturdy. Our review unit was finished in matte black, but the camera is only available at retail in purple, green, blue, pink, and silver.

The 8x lens gives you a nice wide-angle 28mm field of view when zoomed all the way out. This is a versatile focal length that excels with landscapes, group shots, and photos in tight spaces. Zooming all the way in will give you a nice telephoto reach that works for those times when you can’t get close to the action.

The Elph 310 HS performed very well in speed tests. It starts up and takes a shot in 2 seconds, only takes 0.45 second between shots in continuous drive mode, and boasts a very respectable 0.3-second shutter lag. Our former Editors’ Choice, the Kodak EasyShare M580, takes a full 3.5 seconds to start, requires you to wait 2.3 seconds between shots, and records a 0.4-second shutter lag.

In my image-quality tests using the Ima-test software package, the camera recorded 1,857 lines per picture height, exceeding the 1,800 lines that is required for an image to be adequately sharp. The camera’s 1080p24 HD video quality is quite nice, too, preserving sharp detail. The camera also can zoom and focus while recording. Video capture is limited to 24 frames per second, which is the same frame rate at which most motion pictures are shot.

If you’re considering a compact camera with a little extra zoom, the PowerShot Elph 310 HS is worth a serious look. In its price range, the Elph 310 HS stands out for offering excellent performance and image quality along with top-notch features, which is why it’s our new Editors’ Choice for midrange compacts.

Pound for pound, the 600D is the best SLR you can buy right now. The 18MP sensor, 9 point autofocus and 1080p video recording are all well and good, but thankfully it also takes amazing photos with bags of detail and accurate colors. It’s not hugely different from its forerunner the 550D, but the addition of a flip-out 3in screen is welcome, and the menu system is both easy to get to grips with and clever enough to make the best of every shooting situation, even if you don’t have a clue what you’re doing yet. Great for new snappers and grizzled shooters alike.

Nikon’s J1 marks the company’s entry into the compact interchangeable lens camera market. Nikon’s J1 is not that much larger than a point-and-shoot, but manages to capture sharp images and focuses and fires faster than many D-SLRs, even though its image sensor and lenses are much smaller.

The JVs included zoom lens covers a 3x zoom range, matching the field of view of the lens included with our Editors’ Choice Sony Alpha NEX-C3. The NEX-C3′s larger sensor packs more pixels and delivers best-in-class low-light performance, but if you are put off by its larger lens—which is closer in size to that bundled with most D-SLRs— the J1 is worth a close look.

The J1 measures 2.4 by 4.2 by 1.2 inches (HWD), and weighs 8.3 ounces without a lens. The included 10-30mm kit lens is collapsible, which helps to conserve some room in your bag. Thanks to the compact optics, J1 is also noticeably smaller than the Sony NEX-C3, which features a kit lens that is the same size as that of a standard D-SLR.

The J1 is a compact speed demon. Although it is hindered by a just-ok 1.8-sec-ond start-up speed, autofocus speed is excellent; the camera is able to lock onto a subject in about three-tenths of a second. Shutter lag is virtually non-existent; we measured it at 0.04 second when the lens was pre-focused.

Nikon’s J1 is a very good choice if you are looking for a compact camera that delivers D-SLR-level performance. It offers a manual shooting mode that will satisfy serious photographers, and its burst-shooting capability and Smart Photo Selector mode make it possible for almost anyone to capture the perfect shot. But some shooters may feel limited by its fixed rear LCD and lack of a hot shoe or accessory port, which makes it impossible to use an EVF or a better flash. The same-priced Sony Alpha NEX-C3 offers a larger image sensor, an accessory port, and a tilting LCD.

The 14.6Mp Samsung NX11 is an interchangeable-lens camera that resembles a small digital SLR (DSLR) at roughly half the depth. As with rival products, such as the Olympus PEN, Panasonic GF and Sony NEX series, the NX11 omits the standard mirror mechanism. It updates the NX10 as Samsung’s second-generation compact system camera (CSC), but the pitch is the same: DSLR-like image quality (thanks to an APS-C sized CMOS sensor), but a smaller form-factor, plus the facility to swap lenses.

Our review unit came with an image-stabilized 18-55mm zoom lens (Samsung’s 20mm lens is the most compact alternative). This is a sound option for beginners. The 3in display on the rear is more surprising. It’s an AmoLED rather than LCD screen, which provides better contrast and clarity. A built-in VGA-quality electronic viewfinder is used as an alternative – a feature non-DSLR-style CSC cameras offer only as an option.

With the exception of the chunky 10-option shooting mode dial, we’d have preferred larger buttons for less fiddly operation – and a more prominent handgrip for shooting handheld. Inevitably, a smaller form-factor does have attendant compromises. An interesting feature of the NX11 is that functions other than zooming or focusing can be controlled from the lens itself via the ‘iFn’ (iFunction) button -adjustment of exposure, white balance or ISO light sensitivity, for example. This proves a neat time-saving solution.

The Samsung is fast to respond, with near instant startup, no discernible shutter lag, and full-resolution Jpegs committed to memory in just over a second. Raw shooting is also offered, along with 1280×720-pixel HD video at 30fps, which looks lovely: the camera’s autofocus makes swift adjustments as you zoom in or out, so the picture is soft only briefly. Stills display great colors and smooth skintones.

Sony’s follow-up to the Editors’ Choice Alpha NEX-3 is the smaller and lighter, 16-megapixel NEX-C3. Boasting better resolution and low-light performance, the NEX-C3 is able to deliver D-SLR-quality images in a compact body. It’s even smaller than the Olympus PEN E-P3 or the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2, but packs a larger sensor than any Micro Four Thirds camera.

Available in a kit with an 18-55mm zoom lens (which we tested) or a 16mm pancake prime lens ($599.99), the NEX-C3 includes a removable pop-up flash. The 9.8-ounce camera measures just 2.4 by 4.4 by 1.3 inches (HWD). The standard 18-55mm kit zoom lens adds about 7 ounces of weight; the 16mm pancake prime lens adds a scant 2.4 ounces.

Because the NEX-C3 has no eye-level viewfinder, you frame your images using the articulating 3-inch rear LCD. The display is extremely sharp, offering a tightly packed 921,600 dots, and is bright enough for use on even the sunniest of days. You can tilt it both up and down, perfect for situations when you want to use the camera at waist-level or above your head.