Pentax Optio V20

Comparisons

Canon PowerShot SD1100 IS – This PowerShot comes in at the same $250 list price and 8-megapixel resolution as the Pentax Optio VR20, and provides the optical image stabilization the Pentax notably lacks. The SD1100 has a smaller LCD (2.5 inches versus 3 inches for the Pentax), but offers an optical viewfinder not found on the Pentax. The major head-to-head advantage for the VR20 is its 5x zoom, which stacks up favorably over the Canon's 3x. As for lab test results, it's a mixed bag, with the Canon well ahead in color accuracy and white balance, but outclasses when it comes to image noise and video performance.

 Casio Exilim EX-Z300 – This $300 Casio delivers higher resolution (10 megapixels) a much faster lens with 4x optical zoom, and a handsome metal body, along with a similar 3-inch LCD. Like the Pentax, it's light on manual controls and offers middling image quality based on our lab testing. Our review found the controls hard to use and the price hard to justify.

Panasonic DMC-LZ8 – The LZ8 delivers a 5x optical zoom lens at an even lower $180 price, plus shutter-priority, aperture-priority and full manual exposure controls and optical image stabilization. The 8-megapixel camera suffers from a mediocre 2.5-inch LCD, a poor flash, sub-par results in our resolution and white balance testing  and plastic construction that feels cheap. Still, bargain-hunters get a lot of features for their money.

Samsung TL34HD – Priced $50 higher than the Optio VR20, this Samsung won our annual Select award for best point-and-shoot camera of 2008. The specs tell some of the story: 14.7-megapixel resolution, practical touch-screen interface via a high-resolution 3-inch LCD, and a fast 3.6x zoom lens. It was the lab results that really sold us on the TL34HD, though, with consistently good to excellent results in every one of our tests.