The titanium plated, 13 Megapixel Sony Cybershot W300 is an excellent camera for photographers looking for large, highly detailed photographs. The W300 contains a host of highly advanced features such as Face Detection, Smile Shutter, and Intelligent Scene Recognition. Sony claims that its Face Detection software is so advanced, it can distinguish between the face of a child, and that of an adult. The Super SteadyShot optical image stabilization with Dynamic Range optimization allows the photographer a perfect shot, eliminating any human error such a shaky hand. Its 35 to 105mm-equivalent f/2.8-5.8 lens seems relatively normal, yet its 2.7-inch LCD screen and optical viewfinder gives it surprising flexibility in comparison to other cameras in its class. Unlike any other point-and-shoot camera out there, the W300 has a noise reduction setting. Although this noise reduction might hurt small details at low ISO settings, it is ideal when shooting at high sensitivity levels, when the noise level in a picture can get extremely high. The Sony Cybershot W300 is the top in its class of snapshot cameras, yet it comes with one of the largest price tags on the market. So, unless you are looking to take some serious photographs, you might want to consider something slightly less pricey.

Although not a top-of-the-line advanced camera, the Olympus E420 proves itself excellent support for the professional photographer, and an absolute dream camera for the beginner. The Olympus enters the Digital Camera market as the lightest in its class, weighing slightly less than a pound. This camera boasts a number of unique and highly useful features such as its 10 Mexapixel, High Quality Resolution, both RAW and JPEG file formats, a 4/3 standard lens mount, auto and manual focus, auto and manual exposure, a 2.7 Inch LCD Screen, and many other important features. The camera boasts TruePic III for a superior image quality in all types of lighting situations that far outstrips the competition. THe E420 has the capability to store images on CF, Micro Drive, or xD Picture Cards and convert them to the computer extremely quickly. Other important qualities of this camera include On-Screen Autofocus, Face Detection, Shadow Adjustment Technology, and new and improved HyperCrystal II Technology. In the high quality camera market, that are few that can match the combination of affordability, state-of-the art technology, and high-quality performance.

Over the past year, Nikon has been striving to create more advanced professional cameras for the average photographer, and the D60 is one of the first in this line. The D60 is an easy to use camera for beginners, and an excellent companion for more advanced photographers. It has many features that the older and less advanced Nikon’s did not possess such as built-in sensor cleaning and filter effects. Although Nikon has recently been moving forward, it has kept some of its older features which have proved themselves timeless such as the Active D-Lighting, 3D Color Matrix Metering II, and the same 10.2 Megapixel CCD that was the pride of the old D40. The Nikon lens mount is typical of an advanced camera, yet the D60 lens mount is not as complicated as those found on other professional cameras. The D60 boasts many other impressive features such as auto and manual exposure, auto and manual focus, and both JPEG and NEF file formats. Ultimately, the NIkon D60 is the perfect camera if you’re looking to break into the world of professional photography.

The Canon Powershot SD1100 IS is another step in Canon’s sleek, stylish ultracompact series. It’s tiny frame boasts over 20 high-quality features and realively low price makes it affordable to almost any casual photographer. This Canon comes in many different colors such as “Swing Silver” and “Pink Melody” while containing a very wide range of user-friendly capabilities. Facial and motion detection technology, tons of shooting modes, and 3X optical zoom allow you to take that perfect shot that you’ve always been searching for. Its Macro mode allows the user to take extremely detailed pictures, while maintaining a fair distance from the object. The Powershot boasts 8.3 Megapixels of High-Quality Resolution and its unlimited movie length capabilities allow for lengthy, uninterrupted videos of any kind. Its battery life of 240 images allows for long vacations full of pictures without recharge. It can be stored safely and easily in a small compartment such a purse, a small packpack, or even a pants pocket. The Canon is ideal for anybody who can’t lug around a bulky camera, but still has the desire for high-quality images.

If you’re looking for a camera that will always surprise you, the Canon Powershot 8.0 is ideal. An upgrade of the Canon Powershot 4.0, the 8.0 comes with an extremely wide range of features that the casual photographer will never tire of. Its numerous adjustable options will allow you to get the perfect lighting and focus, yet the camera holds up extremely well while set on automatic. Face detection and Image stabilization eliminate any possible error while taking any type of picture. Although not a professional camera, the Powershot is able to take higher-resolution images than almost any camera in its class. Its 4X magnification capabilities allow you to take up-close and personal shots from a distance. The Powershot’s continuous shooting mode will allow you to capture 1.4 shots per second and its video capabilities allow the photographer videos of up to 30 FPS. The Powershot’s Easy Print button for fast image transfer will have you sharing your photos with all of your friends and family in no time. This camera’s other capabilities include over 20 shooting modes, built in Auto-Flash with red eye correction, numerous playback modes, USB Interface, Multicard slot support, and much more.