ePHOTOzine's Best Cameras Of The Year 2011

Compact - Budget - Waterproof - Pocket Zoom - Ultra Zoom - Serious Compact	Mirrorless - Compact - SLR Style (EVF) - New Technology	DSLR - Entry level - Mid Range - Pro / Full frame

Compact Cameras

Compact cameras make up the majority of cameras on the market, due to lower prices and a large variety of options, from ultra compact, waterproof, to pocket zoom and ultra zoom cameras. View all of our compact camera reviews.

Best Budget Camera - <£90

Nikon Coolpix S3100 - £71, 26mm wide-angle 5x optical zoom lens, compact metal body, multiple colours available and 720p video. Buy online for £71. "Overall, the Coolpix S3100 is capable of taking good pictures for an extremely reasonable price and with its slim body and fantastic auto modes the Nikon Coolpix S3100 will please many a compact user."

Best Waterproof Tough Camera

Olympus Tough TG-610 - like the title, this camera is tough and as Olympus pretty much invented the tough, waterproof camera category, it comes as no surprise to see that the Olympus Tough TG-610 scored the highest in our review. Buy online for £179. "As well as being a solid camera which is waterproof, shockproof and freezeproof, it takes really good images and offers loads of features which are a pleasant surprise such as TAP control and the LED illuminator."

Best Pocket Travel Zoom Camera

Sony Cybershot HX9v - The Sony Cybershot HX9v is the modern take on the pocket zoom / travel zoom, with GPS, 16x optical zoom lens, 3 inch screen, manual controls, HDR shooting and 42.9 megapixel panoramics! Buy online for £276. "The Sony Cybershot HX9v is an extremely well built camera, with a high quality metal body and good design. The rubber grip is good and the camera performs well in every situation, thanks to low noise, built in image stabilisation and a great lens."

Best Ultra Zoom Camera

Nikon Coolpix P500 - the 36x optical zoom lens isn't the only reason why we like this camera, it comes with a backside illuminated CMOS sensor for high speed shooting, 12.1 megapixels and Full HD video recording with stereo sound. Buy online for £279. "As well as offering the most optical zoom currently available on a compact camera, the Coolpix P500 is packed full of other useful features and produces excellent results."

Best Serious Compact Camera

Panasonic Lumix LX5 - Winner of an "Editors Choice" award, this compact camera gives professional options including flash hot shoe, RAW shooting and more, in a compact metal body with good handling and a bright f/2.0 zoom lens. Buy online for £359. "The Panasonic Lumix LX5 is a great camera for anyone looking to develop their photography without the bulk, weight and potential expense of a ILC system or DSLR system. The camera provides an abundance of options and controls and more importantly expansion potential."

Mirrorless / Compact System Cameras

A rapidly growing market, with cameras from Olympus, Panasonic, Sony, Samsung, Pentax and Nikon, these offer smaller cameras, but with the flexibility of being able to change lens and the image quality of SLRs through the use of SLR sized sensors (in most cases). View all of our Mirrorless Compact System Camera Reviews.

Best Mirrorless Compact System Camera (without EVF)

Samsung NX200 - The Samsung NX200 is the latest mirrorless compact system camera from Samsung and features a high resolution 20.3 megapixel CMOS sensor, high speed shooting at 7fps and high image quality. Buy online from £499 with kit lens. "The Samsung NX200 has the second highest resolution available of any compact system camera available, with a 20.3 megapixel APS-C sensor, this is higher than many Digital SLRs and yet it manages to produces images with low noise levels."

Best DSLR Style Mirrorless Compact System Camera - with EVF

Panasonic Lumix GH2 - The Panasonic Lumix GH2 was one of the quickest micro four thirds cameras for a long time and some would argue that it still is, with 5fps shooting, ultra fast focusing, 16 megapixel sensor, Full HD video and excellent handling. Buy online from £719 with kit lens. "Panasonic has produced a camera with an abundance of external controls, buttons and switches making it easy to change options without having to delve deep into the menus. The camera focuses extremely quickly and the almost instant shutter response and 5fps continuous shooting make the camera a real joy to use."

Best New Technology

Fujifilm FinePix X100 - An APS-C sized sensor gives low noise photos and the X100 cleverly merges an optical viewfinder with an electronic overlay, giving you the best of both worlds, with the option to use a completely electronic viewfinder. Plus it looks gorgeous. Buy online for £879. "The Fujifilm FinePix X100 aims to bring the image quality of a large sensor to a smaller camera and should also bring the speed of DSLRs with it. Thankfully Fujifilm has delivered both excellent image quality with extremely low noise levels, as well as high speed performance, such as 5fps shooting, quick focusing and extremely quick shutter response. "

Digital SLRs

The Digital SLR - gives the benefit of an optical viewfinder, so you see through the lens, interchangeable lenses and access to a vast range of lenses both new and old. View our Digital SLR Reviews.

Best Entry level Digital SLR

Pentax K-r - Full 720p Video, 6fps shooting, 12.4mp, in camera Shake Reduction - Impressive specs for such an entry level price, with the only downside being the camera's lack of Full HD video. But cameras are about photography aren't they? Buy online for £398 with kit lens. "We have a well made, fully specified, compact and efficient camera in the Pentax K-r. It is attractive in appearance and handles beautifully. It can hold its head high in the company of higher priced rivals from the main manufacturers and also offers advantages in image quality, lens quality and extensive backwards compatibility."

Best Mid Level Digital SLR (~£1k-1.5k)

Sony Alpha A65 - For around £775 you get a 24.3 megapixel camera with 10fps shooting, built in GPS, swivel screen, steady-shot sensor, extremely quick focusing and high resolution electronic viewfinder. Buy online for £775. "What you get with the A65 is a 24.3 megapixel camera with 10fps shooting, built in anti-shake sensor, GPS and electronic level. You also get with the translucent mirror is extremely quick live view and focusing."

Best Pro / Full Frame Digital SLR

Nikon D3s - Highest scoring DSLR, 9fps or 11fps shooting when cropped, 12.1 megapixel Full Frame sensor, 720p video, excellent high ISO performance, and came out on top in our comparison review. Buy online from £3349. "I think the D3s is worth every penny. It is a thoroughly inspirational piece of kit to use and that in itself justifies its price tag immediately. Its high ISO sensitivity means you can carry on shooting in the poorest ambient light and without using a tripod."

Found your perfect camera? Don't forget to pick up a bag for it to protect it - have a look at our complete guide to bags. If you want a memory card for your camera, have a look at our complete guide to memory cards.