SHIRT-POCKET SHOOTERS Small and light enough to take anywhere, these cameras can handle anything from casual snapshots to more finely tuned exposure and setting combinations.
1. Canon PowerShot SD430 Digital Elph Wireless An included wireless adapter lets the 5-megapixel SD430 ($500) send images to a Canon photo printer ... or be remotely controlled from a PC keyboard 100 feet away.
2. Casio Exilim EXZ120 The EX-Z120 makes room for a 2-inch LCD, 7.2-megapixel resolution, an antishake image processor, and 3X optical zoom in a 2.4 x 3.5 x 1.1-inch package.
3. Pentax Optio S6 A sliding-lens system allows the Optio S6 to squeeze 3X optical zoom into a camera just seven-tenths of an inch thick. The 6-megapixel (2816 x 2112) compact also offers a 2.5-inch monitor and tracking autofocus for subjects in motion within the frame.

ADDED ATTRACTIONS The middle ground between point-andshoot and deluxe digicams is where to look for more creative controls and higher resolution and zoom
4. Canon PowerShot S80 The $550 PowerShot S80 combines 8- megapixel resolution, 3.6X optical zoom, and 21 preset shooting modes. It can capture 1024 x 768 as well as the usual 640 x 480-pixel movies.
5. Nikon Coolpix P1 Besides wireless transfer, the 8-megapixel P1 offers painless portraits with red-eye removal and facepriority autofocus.
6. Nikon Coolpix S4 The 6-megapixel S4 has a 10X optical zoom lens that swivels independently and Best Shot Selector to save the sharpest in a series of photos.
7. Olympus SP-500 Ultra Zoom The $380 SP-500 Ultra Zoom lives up to its name with 10X zoom. It offers 21 scene modes and aperture- or shutterpriority shooting.
8. Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T9 The DSC-T9 ($450) is Sony’s first compact with Super Steady Shot image stabilization and high light sensitivity for clearer shots in available light.

FOR PHOTO PROS Ranging from about $700 up, digital SLRs and similar models offer full-function, no-compromises alternatives to 35mm film photography.
9. Canon EOS-1D Mark II N First in burst? Canon says this 8.2-megapixel SLR can capture up to 48 JPEG or 22 RAW images at 8.5 frames per second and store the two file types on separate memory cards.
10. Fujifilm FinePix S9000 With 9-megapixel resolution and 10.7X zoom, the FinePix S9000 ($700) includes antiblur and natural-light settings plus noise-fighting technology that works up to ISO 1600.
11. Olympus Evolt E-500 An 8-megapixel SLR easy enough for point-and- shooters, the E-500 ($800) saves image-retouching time with a Supersonic Wave Filter that shakes dust particles off its image sensor.
12. Sony Cyber-shot DSC-R1 An image sensor more than 12 times the size of typical cameras lets the DSC-R1 ($1,000) deliver accurate live preview through both LCD and viewfinder. Ten-megapixel resolution is standard.