Launched in Aug 2008, the Olympus E 520 is very much in line witch what you’d expect from the successor to the E 510. A camera that fits comfortably into Olympus’ entry level or rather mid-range SLR category, it is slightly larger, but then that’s because it has a larger battery that gives you more images per charge. It also has a much better grip, more in line with what you’d expect from a digital SLR. One of the key technical differences between the 510 and 520 is that the 520 has the all new image stabilization feature, which comes hugely appreciated of course.

The Olympus E3 came as a long awaited break for Olympus users waiting to upgrade from the E1, as far as professional SLRs go. Olympus has been known to bring forth quality lenses, matching quality with any other company. Now, we have a camera body that you can put behind those lenses to get Olympus users ‘up there’, if they aren’t there yet! Welcome E3!

Nikon has been known to bring out camera models for every genre of user, and the D5000 sits comfortably somewhere between the D60 and the D90, aimed at the moderately advanced user. It has a 12 mega pixel sensor, 720 video, live view and an LCD that is able to swivel 180 degrees.

The D 5000 features the same HD video capability as the D90, which was a groundbreaker in its own right. Using this with the in-camera editing options makes it easy to make great videos on the move. The many scene modes on the camera make it an easy process to photograph just about any subject just as you wish to, even if you do not have in-depth knowledge on photography. The ISO range from 200-3200 (extends to 100-6400) gives you the option to shoot in a variety of lighting conditions, and capture fast moving objects such as sports and wildlife subjects.

This is a camera made for the professional, no doubts about that. The Canon EOS 5D Mark II boasts of being the world’s first compact full frame SLR. By compact, of course we only mean that it is not as bulky as the usual full frame cameras. For those of you who don’t know, a full frame camera has a sensor size that bears similar dimensions to a 35mm film frame. How does this help? All your 35mm lenses would now have a true focal length. For example, a 22mm lens would not truly cover the area expected off it, if it were used on a camera having a sensor size less than the intended 35mm area.

The Canon EOS 50D was released as an upgrade to the 40D. At first sight it may look a lot like the 40D, but the 50D offers a 15 mega pixel CMOS sensor, working in conjunction with the newer DIGIC 4 processor to give you the best image quality that Canon has to offer. The unique sensor cleaning system on the 50D uses a fluorine coating to clean the CMOS, to ensure maximum efficiency during the cleaning process.

The Canon 500 D is an upper-entry-level SLR with all that you could want out of a professional model. It boasts of a 15 mega pixel CMOS sensor. The newer SLRs have the added high definition video option, and the 500 D can shoot 1080 px video at 20 frames per second. The 3 inch LCD with a high resolution 920000dot screen display gives you ultra sharp displays, and is a pleasure to view.

Canon releases yet another model in its popular Powershot range – the E1 IS. This camera is a turning point as a sub range of Powershot designs, which are especially designed with the female user in mind. This range starting with the E1 IS, offers curvy designs and colourful body shades, for the stylish user to appreciate.

While this camera may not be for the professional or advanced hobbyist user, i don’t think it was intended for these categories in the first place. The company’s ‘designed by women for women’ slogan could also be suggestive that this is more of a style camera than a true model made thoughtfully keeping the photo capabilities in mind. That said and done, the E1 IS, is by no means a lost cause.

Canon and Nikon lead the photography camera markets, and for good reason, as we will see in this review. Canon cameras have now become a mark of the professional photographer, very much like Nikon. The Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS is also known as the Powershot SD1200 IS in some regions. This is an entry level model.

The IXUS 95 boasts of 10 mega pixel resolution and a 3x zoom, a 2.5 inch LCD and the usual solid IXUS design (powershot). It is definitely a logical follow-up to its predecessor the IXUS 80. We liked the fact that it has an optical viewfinder, something that many camera makers are doing away with. If you are planning to evolve as a photographer, you need to get used to holding the camera to your eye – the next step for you being an SLR.

Over the last few years, Panasonic has been releasing a series of impressive digital cameras. They offer robust build quality, a host of features and a comparatively affordable price tage, making them a favourite with shoppers around the world. The latest in the TZ series, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ7 is no exception, and seems as promising as its predecessors the Tz6, Tz7 and Tz4. These models were released just about a year before the Tz7, but Panasonic promises that the Tz7 is more than just a more stylish version of last year’s models. The Tz7, it claims is an all new camera with new electronics, a new body of course and even a new lens.

Sleek! That is the one word that can describe the Nikon Coolpix 220 as it should be. This design and cutting edge technology join hands in this model of Nikon’s Style series. The series offers users a range of models to choose from, based on their personal tastes in terms of styles and level of photographic proficiency. For instance, the recent release of the S630 gives you the option of a wide zoom range in a pocket camera. The Coolpix series offer not just a good range of models to choose from, they also use the time tested Nikon technology which promises a good picture on every occasion.

This sleek model from Samsung boasts of 24-240mm zoom (10X), high quality video capabilities, dual image stabilization and a range of useful auto modes...

The WB550 has a body made of durable plastic, with stylish chrome buttons. This model is in line with Samsung’s video capability cameras, starting from the NV2HD. The WB prefix to the model number stands for ‘wide and big’, and by that Samsung refers to the extensive zoom range that the WB550 offers. The model is able to record video at 1280 x 720

CASIO released the Exilim EX-H10 on June 11, 2009. A ground breaking model as far as the category goes, this camera boasts of a stylish slim body, a 24mm wide (35 mm equivalent) lens with 10X optical zoom and a great battery life of 1000 images from its rechargeable cell. A pretty good camera to have around, in other words!