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If you’re on a budget and looking for a camera that allows you to experiment with the more creative side of photography as you learn more about shutter speeds, apertures and so on, then the C875 is well worth considering. Like the best cameras in Canon’s A series it offers a wealth of controls, but - cruicially - it also offers very reliable ‘point and shoot’ operation, rarely failing to get a shot even in fairly challenging conditions. That famous Kodak color - if it’s to your taste - produces great looking prints ‘straight out of the camera’, and unless you’re looking very closely at the output on-screen and stick to lower ISO settings where possible, the output is surprisingly good. 

The SD900’s biggest selling-point for us is simple; it offers some of the best (perhaps the best) image quality in this category, but if we’re being honest we’re not talking quantum leaps here, and the typical user of this type of camera, producing small prints, is unlikely to really see a significant advantage. If you like a touch of luxury (which the build and finish definitely give you) and want a ‘point and shoot’ camera that offers reliably high quality output suitable for decent enlargements, the SD900 is certainly a worthy competitor.

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So then, what Canon gives with one hand - the wider lens, better screen and other tweaks - it takes away with the other (reduced image quality). But the SD800 IS still has all the qualities I loved so much in the SD700; it’s fun, reliable, has image stabilization, is built and styled beautifully and it produces attractive, punchy results without the need for manual intervention.

In everyday use the D40 is just what it set out to be, a very capable, compact, lightweight and easy to use camera which makes a perfect first step for anyone wanting to get into digital SLR photography. It provides enough control and a large enough range of manual settings to enable you to experiment and learn but also helps you to take great pictures in the process. It’s one of those cameras you can just pick up and start shooting without fuss, that you can hand to a friend who’s never used an SLR and know they’ll be able to do the same. All of this and a pretty decent kit lens for $600, I’d say it’s a bit of a bargain. 

Compared to the other 10MP compact cameras on the market the A640 is an easy choice; there is little if any direct competition. What’s interesting is that for many users the A640 is a serious alternative to Canon’s own flagship G7 (which will set you back over $100 more). If you don’t need the extra zoom (where the G7’s image stabilization is useful) or flash hot shoe, you can get near-identical results from each camera, and there are areas where the A640 actually outperforms the G7.