HIDDEN POWER: ‘Super’ wide angle PANASONIC LUMIX FX500

£260; www.panasonic.co.uk

The FX500’s 25mm wide-angle captures nearly double the normal viewing area of a standard lens and is an outstanding addition to an already impressive compact. The camera’s brushed metal finish is excellent and the shape and controls make it easy to handle, although the tiny joystick controller feels awkward. Beginners can set it to “intelligent auto” mode and simply start shooting, while photo experts can use the “quick menu” controls to tinker with the settings. The “intelligent ISO” feature is good at handling harsh lighting, and the picture quality overall is good with strong, vivid colours.

VERDICT:The wide-angle lens would be no disgrace on a pro camera – great for sweeping landscapes, cramped interiors or narrow city streets.

HIDDEN POWER: Wi-fi NIKON COOLPIX S52c

£210; www.nikon.co.uk

The ability to upload shots to the internet without going through your PC sounds a winner, but you’ll either need to be signed in at a wireless hotspot or, if on a home network, leave your computer running – and even then you can only e-mail your snaps to Nikon’s website at less than full resolution. Subtract the wi-fi and you’re left with an ordinary 3x zoom compact with unexceptional picture quality. The case is a little slippery to handle; a big 3in display on the back is great for shooting and playback but doesn’t leave much room for the controls; and it’s all too easy to put your finger over the lens when shooting.

VERDICT:Setup is tricky, finding a hotspot is a hassle and in practice you’ll still need to use a computer.

HIDDEN POWER: 4GB internal storage SONY CYBER-SHOT DSC-T2

£171; www.sony.co.uk

Most compacts come with piffling amounts of memory built in, but the T2 boasts 4GB – enough to store hundreds of high-resolution shots. Having to open the lens cover to power it up can be awkward, and any adjustments from the standard setup have to be made via the touchscreen LCD, which can be tricky at first, but it soon becomes second nature. Sony’s autofocus is the best in this class, and the near absence of shutter lag – the time between pressing the button and actually capturing the scene – makes this a true “snapshot” camera. Picture quality is only fair, though, with good colours but definition on the weak side.

VERDICT: 4GB sounds amazing until you realise the same memory on a card costs £10. But overall quality impresses.

HIDDEN POWER: HD movie mode SAMSUNG NV24HD

£160; www.samsungcamera.co.uk

Many compacts double as camcorders, but the Samsung promises to shoot in 720p high-definition video – much sharper and more vivid than conventional footage. You’ll find the control system, which uses rows of buttons to highlight icons on the screen, either clever or maddening. Blink and smile detection software offer novelty value. The quality of the still pictures isn’t bad but colours can look muted and overexposed. The many “photo styles” offer a range of effects, though. It comes with a wide-angle lens, although the 3.6x zoom limits its telephoto range.

VERDICT: HD video definition is clearly better than standard, but moving subjects look jerky. Stills performance is only average, and not helped by quirky controls.

HIDDEN POWER: Waterproof to 33ft OLYMPUS MJU 1030 SW

£200; www.olympus.co.uk

Most underwater snappers resemble a reject from an army surplus store, but unlike the 10ft depth limit of most waterproof cameras, the Mju 1030 not only works at a class-leading 33ft but looks just like any other superslim camera, and a particularly smart and stylish one at that. The 3.6x zoom is great for everyday shooting, and if you don’t know where to start, an on-screen guide will tell you what to do. If you already know your megapixels from your metering patterns, the adjustments are just a couple of button clicks away. Great camera, great pictures.

VERDICT: You can drown it, drop it or crush it and the Olympus soldiers on. It’s so pretty, though, that you might want to wrap it in cotton wool.

HIDDEN POWER:7.1x zoom RICOH R8

£200; www.ricohpmmc.com

Budding paparazzi won’t need to fiddle with telephoto lenses – the Ricoh’s 7.1x super-zoom cleverly packs down into the compact’s body. The camera’s plain, slab-sided design lacks style, but the controls are well thought out. Keen photographers will love the “adj” (adjust) joystick on the back, which provides quick access to common photo tweaks and works really well, as do the efficient and logical menus. The picture quality’s patchy, though: colours are good but the definition’s variable, undermining those clever features and pro appeal.

VERDICT:The lens combines both wide-angle and telephoto capability, but overall the R8 is a less than impressive performer.

GIMMICKS OR GODSENDS?

More commonplace compact features that are worth having . . . and some that aren’t

Camera presets: From “landscape” through to “fireworks” modes, compacts can offer a baffling array of shooting options. When trying a camera, test how straightforward it is to call up the modes you know you’ll want; if you get lost in a menu maze these many settings may not be worth having.

Face/smile/blink detection: Sound like a great idea, but these so-called smart features rarely make much difference to your photos and can be so slow, fiddly and complex to use that you end up missing great shots, or just give up on them.

High ISO: A camera’s ISO number is a measure of its sensitivity to light, so the option of a high ISO – 800 and above – should allow you to you shoot in dim conditions without needing a flash. The higher the number, though, the more the picture quality nosedives.

High megapixels: Digital cameras’ megapixel counts – the amount of data the electronics can capture – keep rising, but “only” 7.1Mp should be enough for A4 prints and is positive overkill for the more usual 5x4in prints. Of much greater importance are the quality of the camera’s lens and the physical size of the sensor used to capture light.

Image stabilisation: Another way to get good shots in low light, with the software sensing any movement during long exposures and counteracting it. This is one extra that’s definitely worth searching out.

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