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The Canon Powershot G7 is the kind of camera that not only makes you feel like a better photographer, but helps you become one too, mixing both comprehensive and happily reliable hand holding features with a plethora of real photographic controls that, along with build quality, at times exceeds that offered by many – if not most – budget DSLRs.

The Nikon Coolpix L5 compact camera has a very similar feature set to its brother, the L6, which I reviewed at the same time. Of course, the extra zoom range, resolution and the inclusion of VR technology developed for Nikon’s DSLR range puts the L5 ahead of its lesser specified brother on first look. Although there are better designed and sleeker compacts out there offering similar specification and performance, the Nikon Coolpix L5 serves the point and shoot amateur market for which it’s intended, and is a more than acceptable marriage of price to build to performance.

Canon have done exactly what they had to do with their latest entry-level DSLR by adding new features like their EOS Integrated Cleaning System and the larger 2.5-inch LCD screen. There is no doubt that this camera will sell by the bucket-loads and any consumer wanting to take their first step into DSLR ownership won’t go far wrong with this DSLR, but while the 400D offers a good all round performance, it is no longer top of the class.

The Nikon Coolpix S9 would make a perfect Christmas gift for the snap-shooter in your family, but if you’re a more serious photographer you probably wouldn’t rush out and buy one for yourself. The two words that best sum-up the S9 are “stylish” and “adequate”. The “S” in Nikon Coolpix S9 stands for “Style”, and this camera certainly delivers on that promise.

The Canon PowerShot A640 is, then, a reliable all-rounder that, with that 10 megapixel resolution, sets itself up as a possible back up compact for DSLR users (if they can make do with JPEG-only capture). Shame also about the lack of a built-in image stabilization of any sort; something that would have made the A640 even more compelling for the more demanding user…

So overall, the new Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX07 is a stylish, easy to use, point and shoot camera with that 28mm lens as its main attraction, just like the older FX01. The noise issue is by no means a show-stopper, particularly if you live in a sunny climate or tend to shoot mostly outdoors, but it does stop me from recommending this camera more strongly. If only Panasonic had spent more time trying to reduce the noise levels without losing detail at ISO 200 and 400…