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Manufacturer: Sony Part number: CNETDSLRA350K Description: Attach the included DT 18-70mm f3.5-5.6 standard zoom lens and start expressing yourself. With incredible 14.2 MP detail, Sony's a (alpha) DSLR-A350 raises the bar. This model pushes the envelope, setting a standard of excellence for step-up digital photographers shooting both family memories and fine-art photos. Live preview in a large 2.7" LCD screen links you and your subject - and you'll have special features like super-quick AF response, continuous shooting at 2 fps while you see your subject in the viewfinder, Creative Style modes for quick recall of custom settings, and in-camera Super SteadyShot image stabilization that reduces blur for every Sony, Carl Zeiss and legacy Minolta a-mount lens.

With its 14-megapixel CCD, flip-up LCD, sensor-shift image stabilizer, and built-in wireless flash controller, the feature-packed Sony Alpha DSLR-A350 seems like a cornucopia of photographic goodness for the budget shopper. And you wouldn't be far off the mark: there's a lot to like in the A350, and I suspect it will garner its share of fans.

If there is such a thing as a camera with too many automatic features, the 9-megapixel Casio Exilim EX-Z250 might be it. This ultracompact is brimming with detection, recognition, and preset shooting options to the point where the camera's Auto mode ironically provides you the most control. Luckily it also produces very good photos, as long as you don't mind some softness. It's also not all that fast, but that still doesn't stop it from being a respectable sub-$250 pocket camera.

Each fall a barrage of new cameras hits the market, anticipating the year-end holidays. This year's batch of Canons includes the PowerShot SD870 IS. From its model number, you might think that it's a follow-up to the SD850 IS, but with its wider-than-normal, 28mm-to-105mm, f/2.8-to-f/5.8, 3.8x optical zoom lens, it's really more of a successor to the SD800 IS. Aside from a step up to an 8.3-megapixel CCD sensor, a larger 3-inch, 230,000-pixel LCD, and Canon's new Digic III processor, there's not much different in the SD870 IS other than some nice cosmetic enhancements.

With entry-level dSLRs getting pretty cheap and close to commoditized, competition for the attention of experienced amateur photographers is heating up the $1,000-$1,500 price range of the market. Former occupants of that segment, like the Canon EOS 40D, have dropped to entry level, posing their own competitive threat to newer, more expensive models. The meat-and-potatoes updates the EOS 50D offers over the 40D--higher resolution, one usable extra stop of sensitivity, modest single-shot performance improvements, and multiple compressed raw options--provide a compelling alternative.

Manufacturer: Nikon Inc. Part number: 26170 Description: The Coolpix L100 puts the power of a 15x telephoto zoom into a compact easy to use design. A wide variety of images can be captured with the Coolpix L100 from wide angle scenes (28mm) to telephoto (420mm). Ideal for family sports or travel photography the Coolpix L100 can shoot up to 30 consecutive pictures at 13 frames per second. The scene auto selector the Coolpix L100 automatically selects the appropriate scene mode for best results.

Nikon plays catch-up to the competition by introducing a budget megazoom model, the Coolpix L100. Characteristically, budget megazooms offer shorter lenses than their more expensive siblings and eschew the electronic viewfinder; the 10-megapixel L100 follows the pattern with its 15x f3.5-5.4 28-420mm lens, which is slower and shorter than its sister the P90's. Though it uses a 3-inch LCD, the L100's doesn't tilt like the P90's does.

Manufacturer: Canon USA Part number: 0206B003AA Description: For convenience, ease of use and no-compromise SLR performance, look no further than the EOS Digital Rebel XT. Featuring Canon's Digital Trinity - an 8.0 Megapixel CMOS sensor, Canon's own DIGIC II Image Processor and compatibility with over 50 EF Lenses-the new Digital Rebel XT has an all new lightweight and compact body, improved performance across the board and the easiest operation in its class, simplifying complex tasks and ensuring the perfect shot every time. With intuitive simplicity, powerful performance and unprecedented affordability, the Rebel XT is the EOS digital camera for everyone.

The Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT (known as the EOS 350D outside the United States) represents a leap forward from its predecessor, the original Digital Rebel, offering more than one might expect from the addition of a couple consonants to the name. The XT is a zippy performer. It offers more creative control than its predecessor and boasts an 8-megapixel CMOS sensor and Canon's Digic II processing engine.

Description: This point and shoot has it all - and then some. The DSC-W300 includes a wide range of convenient features, including Smile Shutter Mode which captures smiles the moment they happen. The compact and scratch-resistant titanium-coated body features an astounding 13.6 megapixel resolution, 2.7" Clear Photo LCD display, Carl Zeiss 3x optical zoom lens, and Sony's Double Anti-Blur solution for crisp, clear images. In addition, it has Face Detection technology that optimizes flash, focus, exposure and color for up to eight faces, as well as Intelligent Scene Recognition that automatically detects five different types of scenes and takes a picture with the optimal camera settings.