Canon PowerShot A590 IS
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The PowerShot A590 is an entry-level camera that doesn't skimp on features. It has an 8 Megapixel CCD, 4X optical zoom lens, full manual controls (don't worry, there are lots of scene modes too), a VGA movie mode, and support for numerous accessories. Downsides include a slow charging flash, somewhat choppy frame rate in movie mode, and low LCD resolution.

Note: This camera has been replaced by the PowerShot A1000 IS.

Canon PowerShot S5 IS
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While its image quality isn't as good as its predecessor, the PowerShot S5 remains one of my favorite ultra zoom cameras. It offers almost every conceivable feature, including a 12X zoom lens with image stabilization, full manual controls, a hot shoe, and a rotating LCD display. Like taking movies? The S5 can record VGA quality video with stereo sound -- and you can use the zoom while recording.

Note: This camera has been replaced by the PowerShot SX10 IS.

Canon PowerShot SD1100 IS Digital ELPH
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The long-awaited follow-up to the SD1100 remains a solid choice for an entry-level, ultra-compact camera. The biggest new feature on the SD1100 is optical image stabilization, which helps to reduce blurry photos. The camera has lost some of its retro styling, but it now comes in several popular colors. In terms of features, it has a 3X zoom lens, 2.5" LCD display, point-and-shoot operation, and a VGA movie mode. As with many ultra-compacts, the SD1100 has some corner blurriness and purple fringing issues. Low light photos are on the noisy side, as well.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18
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While it's not perfect, the FZ18 is still the best mega zoom camera that I've tested. Featuring an 18X, 28 - 504 mm lens, the FZ18 is ready for any shooting situation. As you'd expect from Panasonic, the lens has optical image stabilization built in. The FZ18 is a snappy performer, and has tons of manual controls. Photo quality is good in most situations, though too much noise reduction is applied to photos. The camera's electronic viewfinder could be sharper, you can't swap memory cards while its on a tripod, and there's no support for the USB 2.0 High Speed standard.

Note: This camera has been replaced by the DMC-FZ28.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5
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The Lumix DMC-TZ5 is the replacement for the popular DMC-TZ3. It takes the things that made that camera great, and improves on them. What hasn't changed: the 10X, 28 - 280 mm lens, optical image stabilizer, and plenty of point-and-shoot features. New to the TZ5 is a super-high resolution 3-inch LCD, a 720p movie mode, and numerous "intelligent" features. Panasonic even cut back on the noise reduction, though images are now on the noisy side.

On the negative side, the camera's lens is "slow" at the wide end of things, low light focusing isn't great, and there are minimal manual controls.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W150
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The Cyber-shot DSC-W150 offers a 5X zoom lens in a relatively compact body. Other features include optical image stabilization, a 2.7" LCD display, smile detection that really works, an optical viewfinder, and best-in-class battery life. It does have its share of flaws, though, including a clunky interface, smudging of fine details due to noise reduction, redeye (which can be corrected on the camera), and a 10 minute movie clip limit. Still, the W150 offers great bang for the buck, so it's worth checking out.

Nikon D40
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The D40 is Nikon's latest entry-level digital SLR. It's compact, without being too small like the Canon Digital Rebel XTi. The build quality is also better than that camera. The D40 features a 6 Megapixel CCD, full manual controls, robust performance, and an elaborate in-camera help system that makes it the easiest to use SLR on the market. The main downside is that only AF-S lenses will support autofocus, so that 50 mm prime you have sitting around will be manual focus only.

If you want a higher resolution version of the D40, check out the D40X for a few hundred dollars more.

Olympus E-420
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The E-420 is the world's smallest digital SLR, especially when paired with Olympus' 25mm pancake lens. Its small size means that it's not for everyone, so try before you buy. The camera has a 10 Megapixel sensor, dust reduction system, live view on a 2.7" LCD, full manual controls, and great build quality. Negatives include mediocre contrast detect AF and low light focusing, heavy noise reduction at high ISOs, and the lack of an AC adapter and battery grip.

Olympus EVOLT E-520
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The E-520 is an inexpensive but full-featured digital SLR. It features a 10 Megapixel CCD, sensor-shift image stabilization, a 2.7" LCD with live view, and plenty of manual controls. There are also some nice features for beginners, including numerous scene modes and a handy Perfect Shot Preview option. Downsides include soft photos, banding at the highest sensitivities, slow focusing in live view mode, and a small optical viewfinder. The camera doesn't support an AC adapter or battery grip, either. Despite that, it's a great value for the money.

Canon Digital Rebel XSi
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The EOS Rebel XSi is a very capable digital SLR that bridges the gap between entry-level and midrange. It features a 12.2 Megapixel CMOS sensor, live view on a 3-inch LCD display, full manual controls, and great performance. Straight out of the box, images are quite soft, though with a few tweaks, you'll get excellent results. The XSi's high ISO performance is top-notch. Downsides include a relatively high price, redeye, slow contrast detect autofocus, and a body that may be too small for some folks.

Note: You can save a little money (but not much) by picking up the Rebel XS.

Nikon D90
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The D90 is an excellent camera that bridges the gap between entry-level and midrange D-SLRs. It features a 12.1 Megapixel CMOS sensor with top-notch high ISO performance, a beautiful 3-inch LCD with live view, plenty of manual controls, and a high definition (720p) movie mode. Other niceties include HDMI output, support for an optional GPS receiver, and best-in-class battery life. The only real downsides are slow autofocus in live view mode and a poor bundled RAW editor.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1
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The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 is a compact interchangeable lens camera. Since it lacks a mirror, it's not a digital SLR. Still, it offers all the benefits of a D-SLR (great image quality, fast performance, expandability) with a live view experience that's second-to-none. Downsides include a rather high price, limited lens selection, sluggish burst mode, and a few ergonomic annoyances. The camera lacks a movie mode, as well, though Panasonic promises that such a camera will be released in 2009.

Canon EOS-40D
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The EOS-40D is a significant upgrade to the 30D before it. It features a 10 Megapixel CMOS sensor, live view on a 3-inch LCD display, full manual controls, dust reduction, and the kind of performance and photo quality that you'd expect from a D-SLR. Build quality is top-notch, and the doors and covers on the camera are now weather-sealed. The 40D supports both EF and EF-S mount lenses, with a 1.6X focal length conversion ratio.

Note: The 40D has been replaced by the EOS-50D.

Nikon D300
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The D300 is a phenomenal digital SLR, and perhaps the best one in its class. It features a 12 Megapixel CMOS sensor, live view on a stunning 3-inch LCD display, a dust reduction system, impressive performance and build quality, and much more. Being a D-SLR, the D300 can be expanded to your heart's content, with a wireless transmitter and battery grip being the notable accessories. The only real weak spots are soft, occasionally overexposed images, a few missing live view features, and its hefty price.