Fuji FinePix J10

You can get this in either black or silver and can find it at even the more economical end of this category. It is compact and convenient, designed for everyday usea. It’s a decent mid-range digital camera, with a powerful 8.2 megapixel sensor that would be more than enough for most users.

This is a nice extended zoom model that offers a long-range 18x lens. It’s also capable of taking 27mm wide-angle shots, for those panoramic shots. It would be a good buy for photographers interested in range and breadth. The 720p HD-resolution movie mode tops it off nicely.

This is a slight downgrade from the more advanced SP-570 UZ. It retains the incredible 20x optical zoom, but is missing some of the other bells and whistles: no RAW file format, smaller LCD display, smaller ISO range, etc. This Olympus has full manual controls to give the user complete control, but does provide some assistance with dual-image stabilization and face detection.

This camera is packed with cool features like Smile Shutter technology, which automatically takes a pic when the subject smiles. It also has Face Detection for up to 8 faces which will balance focus, exposure and color in your shot. These things and more make the H50 a solid entry into the mid range point and shoot category.

This is a great option for first time DSLR users. Though it is watered down from the 450D, the Digital Rebel SX (1000D) didn’t strip away all the features. The ‘live view’ previewing and high ISO noise reduction are both still around. JPEG and RAW file formats are both also still available and it is most importantly it is more affordable than the 450D, making the 1000D a good option for first-time DSLR users.

This is another good entry level DSLR camera featuring 10.2-megapixel resolution to capture enough detail for poster-sized prints and Custom Image functions that allow for superb control. It has a 2.7-inch LCD screen for quick and easy reviewing and editing. The K200D is compatible with any Pentax lens ever produced, can handle a variety of lighting conditions and has Shake Reduction. Features a weather and dust resistant body.

Nikon has rebuilt the D60 around the same 10.1 megapixel CCD that is the hallmark of the D40. Next generation features include built-in sensor cleaning and filter effects, the same Active D-Lighting and 3D Color Matrix Metering II from the D3/D300.

It’s here! This cameria is the next generation of the very popular 40D professional DSLR. The 50D improves on that model with an all-new, faster DIGIC 4 image processor and a 15 megapixel CMOS sensor, and still has the amenities you have grown to consider necessities like the 3.0-inch live view LCD display.