Cameras too hot for 2006

The good: Great click wheel; slim design; solid color reproduction.

The bad: Irritating top buttons; extremely limited Wi-Fi capabilities.

The bottom line: The Nikon Coolpix S6 is a stylish performer with a handy control wheel, but its Wi-Fi implementation feels almost like an afterthought.

The good: Solid build quality; waterproof up to 3m and shockproof up to 1.5m; basic onboard image-editing functions.

The bad: No manual controls; no true continuous-shooting mode; noise at higher ISO levels.

The bottom line: The Olympus Mju 720SW is for those who want to carry a snapshot digicam without having to constantly take care of the unit like a baby.

The good: Wide-angle (28mm) lens; wide-aspect video recording at 30fps; dual image stabilization; High Angle LCD; uses same battery and charger as FX9 and FX8.

The bad: No manual features or optical viewfinder; slight barrel distortions at 28mm wide angle; chromatic aberrations in the form of blooming and purple fringing; unable to select desired ISO level in High Sensitivity mode.

The bottom line: The Lumix FX01 proves to be a compact shooter that performs, just like its previous incarnations, though it misses the mark in terms of image quality.

The good: Sleek design; one megapixel more superior than the previous FX8; large high-resolution (207k pixels) 2.5-inch LCD; two new scene modes.

The bad: No manual aperture or shutter speed control; tendency to accidentally press buttons with the thumb; no zoom function during movie recording.

The bottom line: The FX9 is a more promising upgrade if you haven't had the FX8 yet. Be prepared to fork out extra money for a high-speed, high-capacity memory card and an additional battery if you intend to shoot lots.

The good: Small size; attractive design; optical image stabilization; quick performance.

The bad: Lens is slow and not very wide at F3.5 and 38mm.

The bottom line: Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-T10 delivers an attractive pocket camera with decent image quality, this time in multiple colors, too.