For every new digital camera released, there are literally hundreds of different opinions offered in reviews around the internet.  But there are a few on which the experts all agree.  Here are some of the cameras which have been best reviewed in 2010 and 2011.

The Canon PowerShot S95 has been consistently ranked as the best compact digital under four hundred dollars.  It’s noted for its high quality pictures and its impressive low light performance.  That makes it great for social occasions when you can quietly click away without the distraction of an annoying flash.  It’s got an advanced Smart Auto focus system and can be used in a fully manual mode.  This is one that has consistently had the critics smiling.

Also a regular winner in the under four hundred dollar range is the very popular Sony Cybershot DSC-H55.  Reviewers praise this for its big 14.1 megapixel sensor and Sony’s renowned BIONZ image processor which makes this camera lighting fast.  It’s also got a full range of Sony’s advanced features which make shooting easy.  It’s also got a 10x optical zoom and a wide angle lens.  This camera is regularly rated as one of the best buys around.

Still in the under four hundred dollar category, Nikon’s Coolpix P7000 is frequently cited as one of the best point and shoot cameras on the market.  Nikon has designed it to be compact and portable but built in plenty of features to ensure that you can get really excellent results in a variety of conditions.  And if you want to do more than just point and shoot, there’s a full manual override function which lets you shoot exactly the picture you want.  And one other great feature here is the ability to use an external flash to get the lighting just right.

Samsung has one of the best reviewed cameras around with its TL500.  The specifications here look fairly ordinary, 10 megapixels, a 24mm lens and 3x optical zoom.  But what makes this Samsung gem stand out from the crowd is its amazing low light capability.  That 24mm lens is matched with a f1.8 aperture which really comes into its own when you don’t want to use a flash.  Reviewers have constantly praised the TL500 as the best camera for photographers who want to be able to shoot discreetly in intimate situations with little light.

Another compact which has won consistently good reviews is the Olympus 720SW.  This is a great go-anywhere camera.  It’s waterproof and shockproof, pocket sized and easy to use.  This is an excellent pocket camera for the serious photographer who wants a second camera.  It regularly wins points for simple operation and the ease with which you can go from playback to shutter mode.  It’s also extremely rugged.

Last but not least among reviewers’ current favourites is the tiny Panasonic DMC TZ20.  This little gem has a 16x zoom and can record HD video with stereo sound.  Not your average compact camera and it shows in consistently good reviews.

Sony’s new Cybershot DSC-TX100V is a stunning camera and I don’t believe there’s anything to touch it in the high-end compact class.

The camera starts with a Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens which gives high speed, high resolutions and excellent low light response.  Combined with the Exmor R CMOS 16.2 megapixel sensor, this gives brilliant clarity and much less graininess.  In combination with Sony’s excellent BIONZ image processor, the Exmor R sensor is able to process image stability, an excellent Twilight mode and high quality video.  Full 16.2 megapixel resolution pictures can be captured at up to ten frames per second to ensure catching the crucial shot in a fast action sequence.  The mechanical shutter system ensures that distortion is minimised with continuous capture.

This brilliant little compact also has a huge 3.5 inch Organic LED touch screen which is vivid and clear even in any lighting conditions which takes the guesswork out of photography by ensuring that you always see exactly what the camera is capturing.  This is particularly useful for manual focusing, although with the brilliant autofocus, which works down to one centimetre distance in wide angle mode or fifty centimetres in telephoto, you’re hardly ever going to need that.  The touch screen allows easy autofocus point selection.  The nine-spot autofocus system includes face detection which can identify up to eight individual faces and distinguish between adults and children.  This also drives smile shutter and blink detection features.

The DSC-TX100V has brilliant video capability, capturing 1080p HD video at up to 60 frames per second.  This is the first compact digital which can shoot full HD to produce video which can be played back virtually distortion-free on a high definition television.

Sony has greatly improved on its Sweep Panorama function.  This camera can capture a series of photographs then composite them automatically when the lens is swept across the scene.  This produces panoramas up to an angle of 238 degrees.  It also has a single-lens 3D system which

The excellent flash has red-eye reduction and a range of up to 5.1 metres.  Other features include an adjustable delay time and a backlight correction system to control lighting contrast problems and a manual override for the nine-setting white balance system.

The new Sony Cybershot DSC-TX100V is sturdily built and rugged without sacrificing its cosmetic good looks.  This camera is smaller than a cigarette case, light enough to carry comfortably in a shirt pocket and comes in a range of stylish colours, but don’t be fooled into thinking it’s a trendy compact more for display than displaying.  The sleek good looks hide a thoroughly powerful camera which takes excellent photographs, is easy to operate, while providing adequate manual control when needed, and breaks considerable new ground in its high speed, high definition video capability.

There are cheaper cameras with less features, and there are much more expensive cameras with greater photographic possibilities, but the digital compact market is all about a balance between the two and that’s what Sony has achieved in this stylish compact.