The modish study direction Canon's plain line of image-stabilized superzoom cameras, the 8-megapixel Canon PowerShot S5 IS is similar to its predecessor, the 6-megapixel PowerShot S3 IS (Canon skipped a number so there's no S4). Both have an image-stabilized 12x optical zoom lens with a focal range of 36-432mm (35mm equivalent), an SLR-like design, an articulated LCD, and a versatile feature set that mixes a full range of manual exposure controls (Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, and Manual) with easy-to-use Auto, Program, and Scene modes.

Built around a 12.8-megapixel (effective) CMOS sensor, cover the homologous apartment in that a 35mm film frame, the Canon EOS 5D provides "full frame" digital SLR technology at a tremendously more affordable assessment point than ever before. "Affordable" is definitely a relative term though, as the Canon 5D's $3500 retail price (at announcement) still puts it beyond the reach of all but the most well-heeled photo enthusiasts and professionals.

The Olympus SP-560 UltraZoom digital camera attributes a 1/2.35 inch CCD imager with a ruling of eight megapixels, coupled with an Olympus-branded 18x optical flash lens with an painfully wide-ranging fitter of 35mm angel focal lengths from 27 to 486mm and f/2.8 to 4.5 maximum aperture.