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The Olympus E-400’s compact size might be enough to set it apart from the competition but once a protruding lens is attached it isn’t exactly pocket sized. That said, it could be the final nail in the coffin for bridge cameras like the Sony R1 and the Samsung Pro815, as it is lighter and smaller and offers all the creative benefits that an interchangeable lens camera can offer.

The Fujifilm Finepix S6500fd is a rather strange beast which ultimately doesn’t beat either the ultra-zoom bridge-style camera competition, or the entry-level DSLRs, but still manages to be an enjoyable camera to use. Fujifilm are making a big song and dance about the Face Detection feature, even appending the acronym “fd” to the model name. It’s an effective addition, making it easier for the beginner to achieve better portrait shots. 

The Nikon D40 is an attempt to make DSLR photography accessible to more people than ever before, making it one of the most important models in the company’s history. Crucially Nikon haven’t simply concentrated on reducing the price by reducing the features. Cost is obviously a key factor in this market, but accessibility also plays a large part, and Nikon have achieved both of these aims. 

The Fujifilm Finepix F31fd is an incremental upgrade of what is already a great camera, the Finepix F30, adding just a few new features and quite a significant increase in price. Face Detection is the main addition, making it easier for the beginner to achieve better portrait shots. It works well in the right situations and is also quick, something that other competitors system’s struggle with. 

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.