The combination of a wide-angle, 12x zoom lens, capable movie mode and a relatively compact body makes the ZS3 a great all-around pick if you're not sure about the recipient's specific wants or needs. Its feature set is flexible enough to handle most point-and-shoot scenarios, with performance and photo quality that should please as well.

$280-$350

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A compact camera for the night owl in your life, the F200EXR specializes in low-light shooting, but its new sensor also offers the tech junkie cutting-edge cred and lots of features to play with.

$285-$370

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For the outdoor enthusiast - or klutz - in your life, the TS1 is the best shockproof and waterproof compact we've seen.

$290-$410

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Though it's not the cheapest entry-level dSLR, the D5000's full feature set, great photo quality, and solid performance, plus an above-average kit lens, make it a terrific gift for the photographer looking to step up from a point-and-shoot. For the perfect package, throw an external flash unit in as well.

$715-$850

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When your giftee views a camera as a fashion accessory as well as a better-than-phone-quality capture device, the clear gift choice is an ultracompact. Though the flash is slow, the SD940 delivers a mix of style and substance that should please most potential recipients.

$260-$300

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A compact but high-quality flash-based AVCHD camcorder, the HF200 makes a great choice for anyone looking to capture life's important events or who deserves to step up from a direct-to-Web budget model.

$480-$750

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