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With the exceptions of decent lens specs and a specialty portrait mode, the Nikon Coolpix S570 is a fairly run-of-the-mill sub-$200 ultracompact. The f2.7-6.6 28-140mm-equivalent lens with a 5x zoom is nice to find at this price point and the Smart Portrait System works well. Which is good, considering its average-bordering-on-slow performance makes it better suited for still subjects than moving ones.

Photo quality is very good for its class, too, right up through ISO 400. The camera can shoot at full resolution up to ISO 3,200, but because of color shifting and complete loss of detail, the S570 is really only good to ISO 800 (which, to be fair, is better than most competing cameras). There are times when a little extra noise is preferred for consistent color and detail; this is one of those times.

Read the full review of the Nikon Coolpix S570 or see the slideshow below.

Nikon Coolpix S570 photos and review

For a little more than $150, the Pentax Optio P80 offers some extras the competition doesn't have at its price.

There are a lot of ultracompact cameras available and for many people the decision comes down to price. But picking a camera simply because you settled on spending $150 doesn't mean you shouldn't look at those slightly above and below that limit.

Saving a few dollars more might, after all, get you a model you actually want, not just one you're settling for. And maybe the cheaper one is actually plenty of camera for your needs, leaving you some surplus coin to put toward an extra battery, memory card, or case.

Take a flip through the slideshow below and see what you can get for the money you have saved and what waits for you if you pull together just a little more.

Also, I didn't stick with one manufacturer for this because, well, sometimes the other guy has the better deal and you shouldn't let brand loyalty get in the way of getting the most for your money.

For a few dollars more: Ultracompact digital cameras--photos

(Credit: Casio)

Casio's going full force after consumers shopping for digital cameras in the $100-$200 price range. First, the company announces the Exilim EX-Z450 and EX-Z90, $199.99 and $149.99, respectively. And then Monday, it announces the $179.99 EX-Z280 and $119.99 EX-Z33.

The Z280 (pictured right) is a 12-megapixel ultracompact with an f2.6-5.9 26-104mm-equivalent wide-angle lens with a 4x zoom, sensor-shift image stabilization, 2.7-inch LCD, and Casio's newest image processing engine featuring a dual-processor design for lower power consumption and better photo results. It also gives you 720p HD-quality video capture and the latest iteration of Casio's green-screen Dynamic Photo function. A very compelling package for what will probably street at around $170.

With a more entry-level feature set, the Z33 is a 10-megapixel model with a 3x optical zoom and a 2.5-inch LCD. It does the basics I expect to find on a camera at this price--VGA movie mode, face detection, lots of scene modes--but its also very thin at 0.7 of an inch and weighs roughly 4 ounces with SD card and battery. Plus, it has built-in compatibility with Eye-Fi's SD cards for wireless transfer of photos.

The EX-Z280, available this September 2009, will be offered in a silver body color (though Casio has photos of gold and pink versions so maybe those colors, too). The EX-Z33 will also be available in September in black, light pink, vivid pink, silver, and blue.

Casio Exilim EX-Z280 and Z33--photos

The Canon PowerShot S90 is the little camera made for pros

(Credit: Joshua Goldman/CNET)

Yes, there was great disappointment that no new digital SLRs were announced by Canon on Wednesday--only PowerShots. However, I was not one of the disappointed as I love point-and-shoot cameras of all shapes, sizes, and capabilities. And Canon delivered exactly that.

Though the SX20 IS and SX120 IS are only minor upgrades to their predecessors, the G11, SD980 IS, and SD940 IS all have major tweaks separating them from their previous iterations.

What was probably supposed to be the big "oh wow" camera, however, was the reintroduction of the PowerShot S series in the form of the S90. Based off of the high-end functionality of the PowerShot G-series cameras, it has several cool features including a 28mm-equivalent wide-angle f/2.0 lens with a 3.8x optical zoom, a customizable control ring around the lens for easy access and operation of manual or other shooting settings, and RAW+JPEG capture--all in a body that can fit right in your pocket.

Read more about the cameras and check out some hands-on photos in the slide shows below.

Lastly, in case you're more into camcorders than cameras, Canon announced one new HD model, the HF S11.

Canon PowerShot G11 photos

Canon PowerShot S90--photos

(Credit: Casio)

(Credit: Casio)

If you've got a point-and-shoot with face detection, you may have noticed that the feature's handy if you're shooting faces, but if left on when shooting other subjects the autofocus system is less than accurate. Casio's apparently fixed this with a new Intelligent AF found in its 12-megapixel Exilim EX-Z450 and EX-Z90 ultracompact cameras announced Tuesday.

The AF will detect faces, as well as "non-human photo subjects," so that an animal, flower, or alien invader will be in focus and properly exposed.

Also tweaked in these models is Casio's Dynamic Photo feature, which works sort of like in-camera chromakeying allowing you to cut out a subject--moving or still--and drop it into another photo. It's an interesting, innovative feature and the newest version of it simplifies the process.

The Z450 (above) is the higher end of the two models featuring a 28mm wide-angle lens with a 4x zoom, 3-inch LCD, sensor-shift image stabilization, and an extended battery life of up to 550 shots. It also has a Handheld Night Scene mode to help with camera shake and motion blur in dim lighting. It comes in the color pictured and that's it, and it will sell for $199.99.

The $149.99 Z90 comes in the three colors shown on the right. Its zoom is only 3x, its LCD is smaller at 2.7 inches, and it does not have mechanical or optical image stabilization. Its battery life is considerably shorter, too, rated at up to 230 photos. It is, however, smaller and lighter than the Z450.

Look for them both in October.

(Credit: Sony Electronics)

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX1 and DSC-WX1 are both 10-megapixel cameras, which in and of itself is not that impressive. What is impressive is the back-illuminated CMOS sensor, the Exmor R, that they use. The sensor is based on those found in Sony digital SLRs and promises to deliver improved low-light performance without help from a flash or tripod. According to Sony, the new design has "approximately twice the sensitivity compared to conventional sensors."

Both cameras incorporate the hand-held twilight and antimotion blur multishot modes introduced in the Cyber-shot DSC-HX1. They also get that model's sweeping panorama shooting capabilities. However, that thing is a large, 20x megazoom camera, whereas these are very much not. The TX1--like all of the T-series models--is a very thin camera at 0.7-inch thick and has few physical controls, instead relying on a revamped 3-inch touch-screen interface. The WX1 is only slightly thicker at 0.8 inch.

So the TX1 has its small body and touch-screen LCD going for it, but its lens specifications are less impressive than those of WX1. It is folded inside the body, which is nice, but it's a 4x f3.5-4.6 35-140mm-equivalent lens; the WX1 has a 5x f2.4-7.1 24-120mm-equivalent lens. At f2.4 you'll get a lot more light in, further improving its performance in dim lighting. Plus, 24mm is considerably wider than 35mm. You'll have to decide what's more important--portability and a flashy design and interface or shooting flexibility and $30.

The TX1 camera will come in silver, gray, pink, and blue this September for about $380. The WX1 camera will be available in black this October for about $350.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX1 photos

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX1 photos

(Credit: Pentax)

Pentax's dSLRs may be the attention-getting cameras for the company, but its point-and-shoot Optio line deserves some recognition, too. Even if it's only for their lenses and prices.

The P80 is a refresh of the Optio P70, a decent ultracompact camera that had the unique feature of letting you shoot vertically using the control pad on back for a camera phone-like experience. It looks like most of the specs are the same, too: 12 megapixels, 2.7-inch LCD, and a 4x, f2.6-5.8, 27.5-110mm-equivalent lens. There's still no optical or sensor-shift image stabilization, but at least it now records movies at 720p at 30 frames per second.

The P70 was also slow and its photo quality was lacking above ISO 200. Here's hoping those have improved a bit on the P80, too.

Available in the black, pearl, and mint, the Optio P80 will be available in September at $199.95.

(Credit: Pentax)

Also announced was an update to the company's entry-level, AA-battery-powered E70, the Optio E80. Unlike the P80, there are some noticeable spec changes.

The E80 gets a larger 2.7-inch LCD, a brighter, wider 3x, f2.9-5.2, 31.5-94.5mm-equivalent lens, and the ability to capture 720p movies, though only at 15fps. What's retained are the previous model's large controls with easy-to-read markings making this a good choice for first-time digital camera users. Unfortunately, Pentax took away its Pixel Track SR shake reduction.

Available in silver or black, the Optio E80 will also be out in September for $129.95.

(Credit: Pentax)

There's been an explosion of waterproof and rugged cameras and camcorders this year, and Wednesday Pentax added one more to the list (though it's been making them since 2003). The Optio W80 is a water/dust/shock/freezeproof 12-megapixel camera with a 2.5-inch LCD selling for less than $300.

The W80 can apparently survive an impressive dunk: down to 16 feet for up to two hours. It'll also take a decent fall of up to 3.3 feet and keep working in temperatures as low as 14 degrees Fahrenheit.

On top of its "proofing," the W80 has fairly good camera specs, too. The internal lens has a zoom range of 5x and is wide angle, too, at 28mm. It records 720p, HD-quality video at 30fps. It also has the expected convenience features such as face, smile, and blink detection; auto scene recognition; and a bunch of other automatic shooting options.

About the only thing missing is optical image stabilization; the W80 only has Pentax's digital Pixel Track SR, which though it's good, still degrades photo quality.

(Credit: Sony)

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T900 is one of those cameras that you pay more for because of its coolness. A camera so small you'll likely forget it's in your pocket, yet it has all the latest "auto" features Sony has in its point-and-shoot arsenal, a 12-megapixel resolution, and captures 720p HD movies.

The T900 may be a good, fast snapshot camera that's very attractive and extremely compact, but its battery life is a little short, its touch screen won't please everyone, and some will find the photo quality unworthy of the camera's price tag. In this case, though, you're paying for the great design more than for great photos.

Read the full review and see some sample photos taken with the T900 through the slideshow below. Or just read the review. Your call.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T900 photos