Nearly the same size as a deck of cards, the Pentax Optio S4 ($400) delivers sharp, 4-megapixel images–near the top of what you can get in nonprofessional digital cameras.

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Pentax managed to squeeze in many high-quality features usually reserved for chunkier equipment, notably the 3x zoom lens. Many other digital cameras rely on software to do the magnification on close-ups, but that technology doesn't capture the detail you get with a zoom lens on a film camera. The Optio S4 also can capture about 60 seconds of video and attach 30 seconds of audio to a picture. For those who want to amaze the neighbors with digital photography tricks, the camera offers a 3-D picture mode and even comes with glasses.

The aluminum casing, while solid enough to protect the camera's innards, scratches easily. And don't forget: You'll have to shell out another $100 for a storage card with enough memory to hold those high-resolution pictures.

Its heavyweight features and lightweight size make it an ideal family camera.
–Kenneth Terrell