We've reviewed some of the latest and greatest fashion cameras this spring, including models from Canon, Nikon, Sony, Panasonic, Casio and Olympus.
| Canon PowerShot SD960 IS |
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 The 12-megapixel Canon PowerShot SD960 IS belongs to Canon's motley crue of radically designed PowerShot compacts, including the PowerShot SD960 IS and PowerShot SD970 IS. The PowerShot SD960 IS is marketed as the “girly” version of the pack, thanks to its pastel color schemes and minimal controls, and we found plenty of advanced functionality under the hood. The camera also has one of the best LCDs in its class and rocks Canon's latest swanky menu system. We loved the touch-sensitive Control dial and actually didn't mind the serious drought of buttons. But most importantly, the PowerShot SD960 IS captured great images and 720P videos, and that’s really what matters at the end of the day, right? For most consumers, the camera's unconventional architecture and cute color schemes will be enough to summon the Visa from the Coach purse, but this camera will give you a lot more than you bargained for. Rock on, Canon, the PowerShot SD960 IS is another winner. Release: March 2009. Price: $330.
Pros: Highly compact and comfortable to grip. Great LCD and menu system. Solid image performance and excellent low light capability.
Cons: Flash made images look unnatural. Small shutter button zoom toggle. Some basic imaging flaws in certain shooting environments.
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| Nikon Coolpix S710 |
| Full review » Scoreboard » Features » Gallery » |
 The Nikon Coolpix S710 may appear to be just another stainless steel fashion cam, but after spending some time with this camera, we think its much more than that. The Coolpix S710's large LCD screen and spinning Control dial made shooting a blast and its packed feature set offered plenty of shot options. The 3.6x optical zoom didn't provide enough enhancement for our shooting needs, but the 28mm wide-angle lens helped us cram more content into our shots. Most importantly, the Coolpix S710 takes beautiful images, even in low light. We can't recommend this camera for full-size, 14-megapixel poster prints with professional results, but for 8x10s and web publishing, the Coolpix S710 will do the job with minimal hitches. Plus, it comes in that sexy maroon color. Release: September 2008. Price: $380.
Pros: Great image quality. Packed with features. Large LCD screen.
Cons: Lacks Mode dial. Zoom toggle needs improvement.
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70%
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| Canon PowerShot SD780 IS |
| Full review » Scoreboard » Features » Gallery » |
 This is a compact that will sell just because of its ultra portable size, but there’s no denying the fact that the Canon PowerShot SD780 IS is much more than just a pocket-friendly smooth talker. Most other tiny compacts in this class can walk the walk, but they can’t back it up with a solid image performance, or great features. The PowerShot SD780 IS churned an excellent portfolio of images in bright and low light, in addition to providing plenty of advanced features that can’t be found on most of its competitors. The 3x optical zoom and small 2.5-inch LCD are not the PowerShot SD780 IS’s strong points, and we preferred the Canon PowerShot SD960 IS’s ample widescreen LCD and control dial to its basic interface. However, this little guy is the perfect concoction of ultimate portability and quality shooting features, so if you’re in the market for a petite powerhouse, look no further than the Canon PowerShot SD780 IS. And did we mention 720P HD video? Release: March 2009. Price: $280.
Pros: Super Compact and visually appealing. Great overall image performance. Excellent menus and impressive features.
Cons: Small LCD. Difficult to stabilize due to camera’s size. Inadequate viewfinder.
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| Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX500 |
| Full review » Scoreboard » Features » Gallery » |
 Hybrid touch-screen functionality is what the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX500 is all about and we had mixed feelings about its performance within the shooting aspects of this camera. Playback with the touch-screen interface was highly intuitive, and we got much more out of the image review feature than adjusting the shutter speed and aperture via onscreen slider bars. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX500 is sleek, sexy and highly portable. We liked certain design elements like the shutter button zoom toggle and 25mm wide-angle lens. However, image quality was not up to par, even when compared to members of its own family tree. We highly recommend taking the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX500 for a test drive if you're hell-bent on a touch-screen interface, though we'd opt for Panasonic's interface over Sony's any day. Release: May 2008. Price: $400.
Pros: Great touch-screen Playback functionality. Nice 25mm wide-angle lens. Highly portable and good-looking.
Cons: Panasonic’s hybrid touch-screen compact is put to the full test. Read the full Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX500 review here.
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67%
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| Casio Exilim EX-FC100 |
| Full review » Scoreboard » Features » Gallery » |
 Migrating high-speed technology into an ultra-portable chassis seemed like the next logical step for Casio. The Casio Exilim EX-FC100 rocks most of the Exilim EX-FH20's features in its pint-sized camera body and even flaunts a 5x optical zoom range. We had a blast with the Exilim EX-FC100, thanks mostly to the cavalcade of high-speed shooting options and quirky Best Shot modes. However, most of them functioned on a mediocre level and at the end we were left with the same gimmicky feeling as with the Exilim EX-FH20. We experienced the best results in the 30fps high-speed shooting mode, but 1,000fps high-speed video yielded the same performance and Trident gum-sized resolution as the Exilim EX-FH20. Image quality was hit or miss across the board, and we discovered some crucial flaws that held the Exilim EX-FC100 hostage in the consumer realm. If lots of innovate/gimmicky features are enticing to you, then the Casio Exilim EX-FC100 is right up your alley. Release: March 2009. Price: $350.
Pros: Packed with features. Solid design. Improved color and detail in some shooting environments.
Cons: Inconsistent image quality. Most high-speed features are gimmicky. Poor LCD quality.
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65%
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| Nikon Coolpix S630 |
| Full review » Scoreboard » Features » Gallery » |
 Nikon's flagship style cam is a bit of a divergence from last year's Coolpix S710, one in which advanced shooters will not dig. The Nikon Coolpix S630 received a significant sensor and features downgrade, with only a 7x optical zoom in return. For 2009, the Coolpix S630 focuses more on ease of use and sexiness than image quality and useful tools. We liked the suave design and simple menus of the Coolpix S630, but felt shafted when it came to low light shooting and intricate field depths due to the minimal shutter speed and tight aperture range. The Nikon Coolpix S630 will fly off shelves based on its beckoning looks, but shooters looking for more out of a typical style cam will not be impressed. Furthermore, the Nikon Coolpix S710 is only a $20 hike and will offer mountains more in the realm of image quality and adjustment. We recommend sticking with last year’s sure shot or checking out Canon’s new PowerShots. Release: March 2009. Price: $280.
Pros: Digital imaging eye candy. Convenient spinning Control dial. Easy to use.
Cons: Hit or miss image performance. Light on advanced features. Downgraded imaging hardware.
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63%
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| Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T900 |
| Full review » Scoreboard » Features » Gallery » |
 Here is yet another smart looking faceplate slider from Sony, this year with even more style and a shutter button zoom toggle. But is that it? Sadly, it is. Not much has changed under the hood, other than a megapixel boost and 720P high-definition video recording. Image quality was even less impressive than last year's Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T700 and the prodigious touch-screen LCD exhibited the same testy behavior as well. At 380 smackers, its difficult to justify the purchase of this little devil dressed in red, but brand loyalists and fashion-conscious consumers will scoop this slim temptation up without a second thought. Oh, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T900 will sell, no doubt. But don't go crying on the mountain when you find out its image quality and features don't match the camera's looks. Release: April 2009. Price: $380.
Pros: Sexy design. Massive LCD. Easy to use.
Cons: Mediocre image quality. No onboard connectivity. Limited features.
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62%
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| Olympus Stylus 1040 |
| Full review » Scoreboard » Features » Gallery » |
 The Olympus Stylus 1040 is a sexy little compact fashion cam that will lure consumers with its glossy sliding faceplate and flat light-up control panel. However, we weren’t too impressed with the functionality of the flat control panel and could have used a bigger screen, perhaps a touchscreen interface. Features are minimal on the Stylus 1040, so Manual Control-hungry shooters are out of luck. This is particularly unfortunate because the Stylus 1040 has a tendency to underexpose its images and without any advanced exposure control, most shooters will be left in the dark. In optimal lighting the Stylus 1040 shines, but you’ll have to rely on the flash for most dimly lit shooting environments. With a 38mm wide lens, you’ll have to back up significantly in order to fit content into your shots. So, we’re looking at style in an alluring compact package with the Stylus 1040, which is great if that’s all you want in a camera. Release: October 2008. Price: $200.
Pros: Compact design. Great style. Decent images in optimal lighting.
Cons: Poor low light performance. Control Panel is difficult to access. Limited shooting features.
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| Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T90 |
| Full review » Scoreboard » Features » Gallery » |
 The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T90's pretty colors and sleek, sliding faceplate alone will sell this camera. Oh, there's also the 3-inch all touch-screen LCD and babbling brook of Auto features like Smile Shutter and Blink Warning. However, we discovered that the Cyber-shot DSC-T90's image quality did not have enough stamina to endure a majority of our tests. We found some echelon of failure in every image, which was a major letdown. If Facebook is your primary photo album, you'll do fine with the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T90. However, those who don't plan on snapping covert images of drunk people late at night and tagging the most embarrassing ones will feel at a loss. Advanced features are on the slim and there's no onboard connectivity. The Cyber-shot DSC-T90 is yet another vain fashion compact, but if you can live without a larger high-res touchscreen, it'll at least cost you $110 less than the DSC-T900. Release: April 2009. Price: $270.
Pros: Sexy looks. Great Auto controls. Super compact.
Cons: Sad image quality. Testy interface. Limited advanced features.
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