To draw a simple analogy, it's probably best to think of compact digital cameras as sketchbooks for photographers: you can fit them in your pocket, they're easy to get out when you have a flash of inspiration and there's no need to produce something top-quality every time as a rough sketch will nearly always do.

They usually feature small sensors, meaning they're capable of capturing less detail and are often subjet to 'noisy' images.  It's the same story with the zoom lens included, which rarely go very far.

To do your photography justice, you need a better set of tools, and that's where digital SLRs come in.  These more powerful cameras allow you to alter many more settings yourself, and achieve more technically difficult shots--when light levels are very low, for instance.  As well as a heavier price tag, all this extra capability leads to bigger, bulkier cameras, too.

Finally, somewhere between the two--and hence the name--come bridges, bringing a lit of both worlds together.

Compacts

Budget Buyer: Canon PowerShot A590 IS Despite a few downsides, this is a very reasonable camera with good optical image stabilization.  It produces nice images with fine color rendering. The A590 will do the job for anyone on a tight budget looking for a good compact.

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	Simplicity First: Panasonic Lumix FX37 The Intelligent Auto mode chooses the scene mode for you for every photo.  Perfect to point and shoot without having to worrry about any complicated settings	Find the best price

	Demanding User: Sony DSC-W300 It's not the fastest digital camera, but it takes outstandingly good photos up to 800 ISO: both sharp and plenty of detail, this camera's shots are nearly always excellent.	Dell (UK)  26.92  Digitech Electronics  64.99  Sainsbury's Online  79.99  Dell (UK)  109.04  Sainsbury's Online  114.99  1staudiovisual.c- o.uk  198.93  Compare prices

	Expert: Canon PowerShot G10 This is a camera that you can really get to grips with: it's covered in buttons, scroll wheels and other configurations.  Beside its solid case and long list of features, it's done very well in our lab tests so far.	Find the best price

Bridges

	Budget Buyer: FujiFilm FinePix S8100fd A very talented lightweight bridge, its poweful image stabilization helps you take great photos.  The downside is that it's slow to focus.	Find the best price

	On The Go: Panasonic Lumix FZ28 Once again, Intelligent Auto mode comes to the rescue: all you have to do is turn it on and the camera will do the rest.  A long zoom lens means you can photograph just about anything.	Pixmania.co.uk  223.00  Dixons  269.98                  Compare prices

	Demanding User: Panasonic Lumix FZ28 If you know what you'red oing, you can turn Intelligent Auto off to benefit from the excellent quality lens which produces faultless images.  720 p HD video is a defnite bonus.	Pixmania.co.uk  223.00  Dixons  269.98                  Compare prices

	On The Go: Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5 Despite its small, elegant frame, this camera packs in a 10 x zoom.  It has the same Intelligent Automatic mode as the other Panasonics here, and HD video, too.	John Lewis  19.95                      Compare prices

	Expert: FujiFilm FinePix S100 fs You could be forgiven for thinking that this camera, with all its dials and switches. It has the biggest zoom on any bridge out there and a Super CCD sensor gives excellent photos.	Warehouse Express  29.35                      Compare prices

Digital SLRs

	Budget Buyer: Canon EOS 1000D Canon's first entry-level SLR, it re-uses components from other cameras to keep costs down and ensure good results.	Camerabox limited  314.99  Pixmania.co.uk  318.00  Dell (UK)  356.59  OYYY  359.61  Pixmania.co.uk  363.90  Camerabox limited  379.99  Compare prices

	On The Go: Sony Alpha 350 Perfect for those who are used to using a compact, this SLR uses a speedy Live View system so you can see the photo you're taking on the screen at the back	Find the best price

	Demanding User: Nikon D90 This is a professional camera that gives excellent results right up to 3200 ISO.  It has a clear, comfortable viewfinder and a top-quality screen which both make it hard to beat.	Pixmania.co.uk  594.00  Camerabox limited  599.99  Pixmania.co.uk  752.00  UK Digital Cameras  819.99  Pixmania.co.uk  1087.00      Compare prices

	On The Go: Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 Much lighter than a regular refelx camera, this is the first of a new generation to use a new lens system which uses much smaller optics.  The G1 has many of the same automatic features as compacts too, but is a lot more responsive.	Pixmania.co.uk  413.00  FotoSense  448.99  Warehouse Express  479.00  dabs.com  482.84          Compare prices