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It may be the cheapest DSLR on the market, but the Pentax K100D isn’t short of advanced features, performance or image quality, and can comfortably hold its own against the Nikon D40. Build quality, design and handling are all superb, and the Shake Reduction system is as good as any on the market. If you’re looking for a good entry-level DSLR with the option to build up a kit, then look no further.

While the G7 is unquestionably a superb camera, head and shoulders above anything else at the same size or price, the slower lens, smaller profile and lack of RAW mode will deter many potential buyers from trading in their G6. Instead of the best semi-pro camera on the market, Canon has produced a well specified general purpose camera that will appeal to the more ambitious casual user, rather than as an SLR-alternative for the serious hobbyist.

The D80 is another superb camera in Nikon’s increasingly impressive DSLR range. It is expensive and complicated, but it is also extremely well made, incredibly versatile and capable of fantastic picture quality. However it is surrounded by some very strong competition most of which is equipped with shake reduction, and although it may be one of the best 10MP cameras so far, it is not necessarily the best value for money.

Ricoh proves once again that it can match and often exceed anything its rivals can produce. The Caplio R5 has a unique specification, combining wide angle and long telephoto abilities, effective image stabilisation and a usable high ISO setting, with good image quality and outstanding performance. Its only weak point is its poor low light focusing ability.

The Olympus E-400 is a very accomplished camera, a serious photographic tool that will appeal to both professionals and advanced amateurs. It offers a combination of easily controlled versatility, exceptional performance and superb image quality that should secure it a place in the top rank of mid-range digital SLRs. The kit price may seem expensive, but it includes two excellent lenses that perfectly complement this outstanding camera…

Like most Nikon cameras, the build quality is impeccable. The S7c has an all-metal body finished in an attractive matt black with chrome trim, and has a nicely understated design. The body has a wave-like shape, with a smooth curve running the length of the front panel and reprised on the left-hand trim. The camera is thinner towards the right hand end, although it flares out again right at the edge, obviously intended to provide a handgrip…