Top 5: Must-have cameras

iStockphoto / Thinkstock

BEST MID-RANGE DSLR

Canon EOS 650D

Slick touchscreen
Canon

Canon has long been a major player in the digital SLR market, and their pre-eminence should continue following the release of the excellent EOS 650D in June.

Known as the Rebel T4i in the USA, this beauty has built on the strength of its popular predecessor, the EOS 600D, by adding and enhancing features without completely reinventing the wheel. A slick, user-friendly touchscreen (reminiscent of a smart phone) is the most radical development, the first of its kind for a DSLR, and makes navigating the camera’s features a great deal easier and even fun.

At 18 megapixels, the image quality is high. It also boasts an improved APS-C CMOS sensor and DIGIC 5 processor, providing excellent performance in low light and scene intelligence, meaning you can snap away happily at night. Budding filmmakers will be buoyed by its full HD video capability, continuous auto focusing, plus creative filters to apply stylish effects. And to top it all off, the EOS 650D clocks in at an affordable £699, excellent for a DSLR of this quality.

From £699.

BEST AFFORDABLE SINGLE LENS TRANSLUCENT (SLT)

Sony Alpha A77

Ultra fast shooting
Sony

The Sony Alpha A77 could perhaps be described as the Usain Bolt of the advanced digital camera world. With an ultra fast continuous shooting speed of 12fps (frames per second), this SLT camera leaves the rivals in its class trailing in its wake.

More importantly though, the picture quality produced by this fancy camera is jaw-dropping, with the Alpha A77 boasting a ridiculously high resolution of 24.3 megapixels; resulting in images that are crammed full of gorgeous colours and contrasts. The camera also produces superb quality HD video, with integrated options such as background defocus.

In truth, the Alpha A77 is chock-a-block with impressive features, including a built-in GPS system, Sony’s inspiring sweep panorama shooting mode and a highly advanced electronic viewfinder system, making it our number one pick for SLT cameras under £2,000.

From £840.

BEST “POINT AND SHOOT” COMPACT

Canon Powershot G1 X

Huge sensor
Canon

The Canon Powershot G1 X is without doubt one of the most impressive “point and shoot” digital cameras currently available. Packing a huge, 1.5-inch sensor for its size, the camera has a shooting power of 14 megapixels that is the envy of many DSLRs.

Indeed the G1 X seems to have been designed with that in mind; to offer the high image quality of a DSLR in the more convenient body of a compact. The camera offers smooth 1080p video recording, 4x zoom lens, and brags fast operation, smart controls and an enviable Digic 5 processor.

It doesn’t come particularly cheap (and in truth, it’s a bit heavier than most other compacts), but the G1 X delivers plenty of bang for your buck.

From £508.

BEST ADVENTURE CAMERA

Olympus Tough TG-1

Tough nut to crack
Olympus

The Olympus Tough TG-1 is one tough and durable customer, and much like Chuck Norris, it smashes the opposition out of sight.

The perfect outdoor adventure camera, the TG-1’s heavily armoured body can withstand a 2m (6ft) drop, freezing -10ºC (14.0ºF) temperatures, is crushproof to 100kg (220lbs), and can plunge underwater to a depth of 12m (40ft). Oh, and it boasts an impressive in-built GPS tracking system and takes pretty darn good pictures inside and outside (thanks to its 12 megapixels) as well.

Whether you're hiking, climbing, scuba-diving or skiing, the TG-1 is indispensable.

From £309.

BEST “RETRO-STYLE” COMPACT CAMERA

Fujifilm FinePix X100

Unique hybrid viewfinder
Fujifilm

The Fujifilm FinePix X100 is as cool as they come. As suave as James Bond in his tuxedo, this compact little beauty boasts an extremely stylish and proudly retro design, alongside the innovative technology we have come to expect from a Fujifilm digital camera.

The X100 features a large sensor and sophisticated hybrid viewfinder (a unique fusion of electronic and optical viewfinders that can be combined or alternated at the push of a button), making it a godsend for both advanced and traditional photographers.

The camera boasts a 23.6mm x 15.8mm sensor, HD video recording with stereo sound and is 12.3 megapixels, resulting in glorious pictures. On top of that, there are different filter options to create sepia, monochrome or slightly coloured photos that can add bags of style to otherwise mundane shots.

A perfect mix of the old and the new, the X100 is the camera for the fashion-conscious photographer.

From £799.