The Ten Best: Digital compacts

1 Fujifilm F31fd

£249.99

The "fd" stands for face detection - hardware that can focus on up to 10 faces in 0.05 seconds. This 6.3Mp camera's battery delivers more than 500 shots per charge. Excellent.

www.fujifilm.co.uk; 08700 841 310

2 Fujifilm FinePix Z5fd £199.99

This highly pocketable 6.3Mp compact features Fujifilm's face detection. Its 2.5in screen is scratch-resistant, too. A blog mode adjusts image settings for easy posting online.

www.argos.co.uk; 08706 001 010

3 Nikon S10

£204.99

Nikon's 6Mp S10 swivels for awkward angles, and has a 10x zoom. Image quality is very good thanks to Nikon's D-Lighting feature, which brightens underexposed shots. Neat.

www.amazon.co.uk; 08002 796 620

4 Samsung NV7

£239

Slim and determinedly retro, the 7.2-megapixel (Mp) NV7 has an outsize lens and an unusually large 7x zoom. Optical stabilisation prevents the shake such a light camera produces.

www.comet.co.uk; 08705 425 425

5 Olympus mju: 750 £260

The Bright Capture feature makes it easier to see the shot you're taking in dim light. The 7Mp mju: 750 also has 23 scene settings including Beach & Snow, Sunset and Fireworks.

www.olympus.co.uk; 08000 720 070

6 Pentax T30

£199.99

Out this month, this 7Mp touchscreen-operated camera has a 3in screen. Because it's touch-sensitive, there are no buttons on the back apart from Play and Menu.

www.pentax.co.uk; 01753 792 731

7 Canon PowerShot A430 £129

This is a great first digital snapper. It's keenly priced, simple to use and has a basic-but-acceptable 4Mp. It includes 15 shooting modes, handles video and can record in widescreen.

www.canon.co.uk; 08705 143 723

8 Sony T50

£349

In addition to Sony's modish design, Carl Zeiss lens and a long-life battery, this compact has 7.2Mp, touchscreen and both extra-sensor sensitivity and a moving sensor to avoid shaky shots.

www.sony.co.uk; 08705 111 999

9 Casio Exilim Card EX-S770 £199.99

Casio's strength is exceptional ease of use - the 35 BestShot scene settings on this 7.2Mp camera are carefully explained. Pleasingly slim and neatly styled, too.

www.jacobsdigital.co.uk; 08706 091 425

10 Kodak V610

£349

This 6Mp camera has two lenses: one for regular shots and the other for those that need a long zoom. All this is squeezed into a remarkably flat camera, with a large LCD screen. www.kodak.co.uk; 08702 430 270