New compacts from Panasonic, Canon and Sony

Here they are then!  Five new tests have joined our ongoing survey of digital compact cameras and we've been very impressed with the results. 

The definite star was the new Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX37.  While it's only a modest impovement on the hugely-popular FX35, its new zoom lens and subject-tracking AutoFocus mode arrive just six months after the previous model.  We're glad to see an upgrade so soon after the release of what was already an excellent product.

Canon, meanwhile, have refreshed the A series of their Powershot collection, adding two cameras which offer excellent optical image stabilization.  The A1000 IS is the cheaper of the two, but only marginally so, and for not much more, the A2000 IS brings a lot more more zoom power and a much bigger screen.

We've had two very different models from Sony in our labs.  The DSC-W300 is a feisty little compact, while the DSC-T700 boasts a brand new look and a superb 3.5" touch screen.