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The festive season is here with all its colours and images. Memories are going to be created and you will cherish them forever. To keep a record of the laughs and tender moments with friends and families, you surely need a good camera. But what is a good camera? And how does one choose one? Bringing home the best digicam is no mean task, what with a plethora of very good options available in the market. Some want compact clickers, other want budget options, and yet others want the best feature-set. Some just want to start their photographic pursuits, others want to click more "professional" images.

The G&Gteam has done the homework for you and listed the best device that you can buy in various categories, depending both on your expertise as well as on your own imaging needs. The factors we have taken in selecting the cameras are quality and price. So here are the value-for-money compacts, entry-level, superzooms, DSLRs, and cameras that offer a combo of good videos and stills.

Decide which category you belong to and select your pick.

ENTRY LEVEL

Canon A495
Price: Rs 5,595

This Canon camera is a killer in the entry-level segment. Without too much effort, you will get good images for your album. It has an easy to use interface, bigger controls and numerous automatic modes. A few of the latest features are borrowed from its siblings in the higher IXUS range. These include the Smart Auto (detects the surroundings and changes the camera settings automatically), Smart Flash Exposure (automatically triggers the flash when the light is low), Face Self Timer, automatic red eye correction (remember to activate it first via the on-board menu screens).
Specs: 10 MP sensor; 3x optical zoom; 2.5-inch LCD; SD memory card, SDHC memory and MultiMediaCard support; standard alkaline battery; 135 gm.

Nikon Coolpix S3000
Price: Rs 7,950

This entry-level camera from Nikon's stable has everything going for it-style, features and an affordable price tag. Available in a rainbow of colours and an ultra-slim and elegantly styled compact body, its 12MP Nikkor lens incorporates a wide angle and a 4x optical zoom that will ensure you never have framing problems. Also its several auto modes like Best Shot selector, Smart Portrait system with skin softening, etc, will be of immense help to amateurs. Specs: 12 MP; 4x zoom; 2.7-inch LCD; VGA video recording; SD memory cards and internal memory (approx. 47MB); rechargeable Li-ion battery; 116 gm.

COMPACTS

Canon IXUS 300HS
Price: Rs 24,995

Clad in a matte black finish (also available in glossy white and steel silver color), this digicam's sophisticated styling and minimalist design will make people nod their head in appreciation. The spec sheet looks boring at first glance-10 MP sensor, 3.8x optical zoom, 3-inch LCD-but its capabilities get unfurled once you start using it. The latest HS system and the better F/2.0 lens capture great images even in low light. This compact has the usual auto modes like Indoors, Kids & Pets, Night Snapshot, Portrait, Smart Shutter, while those who would like to fiddle around with the settings would be pleased with the efficient Program mode.
Specs: 10MP; 3.8x optical zoom; 3-inch LCD; SD and MMC card support; 3648 x 2736 pixels; HD recording; Fish-eye and Miniature effect; 175 gm

SONY TX 9
Price: 21,999
This compact camera is a revolution in its category since it bestows on the user the power to capture images in 3D. This camera hides within its very slim form a 3D processor which can capture depth in shots. It requires switching to the 3D mode, and sweeping the camera as you would when capturing a panorama shot-and it's done. 3D images can be seen on the camera's crisp 3.5-inch touchscreen or on a compatible 3D television. Apart from 3D it can take some nice stills as well. The easy-to-use features and excellent smile shutter make this camera stand out in the crowd.
Specs: 12.8 MP sensor; 4x optical zoom; 3.5-inch touchscreen LCD; 1080p video recording; 3200 ISO; 133 gm

VIDEO AND STILLS

Fujifilm S2500
Price: Rs 16,999

This camera offers the best of both worlds-videos and stills. This prosumer's body feels quite reassuringly solid in the hand. Using it is simple and playing around with settings will come to you naturally. Packing in features like an 18x optical zoom and HD video recording, and with the assistance of various modes, it helps any budding photographer turn into a pro. With automatic and manual modes and features such as Panorama, instant zoom (which crops a portion of the screen without the need to zoom in), the continuous mode and the huge zoom, you will always have the perfect armoury in hand to shoot some amazing videos and images anytime, anywhere.
Specs: 12.1 MP; 18x optical zoom; 3-inch LCD; 6400 ISO; 4000 x 3000 image resolution; 720p video recording

SUPERZOOMS

Olympus SP800UZ
Price: Rs 22,999

Travel between here and infinity with this super zoomer. It might look big and bulky, but the Olympus SP800UZ is lightweight and easy to lug around. The body of the camera itself is slim and light, but the big lenses need to zoom 30 times takes up space. The large LCD is great for taking shots and previewing them. The 14 MP sensor is able to produce very good, noise-free pictures. Also capable of taking excellent HD movies at 720p resolution, the SP800UZ comes with 2 GB of memory to store videos and stills.
Specs: 14 MP sensor; 30x optical zoom; 2GB on board memory; JPEG, MPEG4 recording; 6400 ISO level; 428 gm

FUJIFILM S1800
Price: Rs 14,999

We quite enjoyed working with the Fujifilm S series with their super zoom cameras. This one is a good entry-level prosumer camera for people who want to move on to something more challenging than a compact camera. The Fujifilm S1800 boasts an optical zoom of 18x and is able to take sharp images. Just keep the ISO level below 200 if you are in a well-lit environment to keep the digital noise out. The videos are good too. These can be recorded at 720p HD Ready resolution. The panorama feature is to die for.
Specs: 12.2 MP sensor; 18x optical zoom; JPEG, AVI recording; SD card slot; 337 gm

NIKON COOLPIX P100
Price: Rs 20, 450

Here is a camera which can put many other superzooms to shame with its elaborate feature-set and performance. An upgrade to the Nikon's not-sogreat P90, this camera has enough power under its belt to take care of the needs of the hobbyist photographer who wants to hone his skills before getting his hands on a DSLR. Several manual and semi-manual modes that Nikon has thrown in make this camera tempting for newbies. It can record HD videos with stereo sound, offers sport continuous mode, and also supports high-speed continuous shooting modes. And in the box you will get a 4GB card as well.
Specs: 10.3 MP CMOS sensor; 26x optical zoom; HD video; up to 3200 ISO supported; Sport continuous mode

DSLRS

Canon 550D
Price: Rs 51,995

This DSLR is not meant only for Canon aficionados but all serious amateurs who like to experiment. This is no Canon EOS 7D but it does pick up several features from its posher brother-and this simply adds to its desirability. A feather in the 550D's cap is its Full HD video recording capability. And if you want to get the best out of the device we would strongly suggest you avoid the provided kits lens and get a better one.
Specs: 18 MP; 3-inch LCD; 5184x3456 image resolution; Full HD video recording; 9 auto focus points; 475 gm without lens

SAMSUNG NX10
Price: Rs 42,990

You might wonder what a Samsung camera is doing in the DSLR category. But a look at the NX10 and you will realize why it is a great piece of tech. It is a micro four-thirds camera, which packs in DSLR features in point-and-shoot dimensions. It is no DSLR but has the most sought-after feature of the DSLRs-interchangeable lens. This powerful camera clicks super sharp and vivid shots. The user interface is easy to operate and navigate through. It clicks images in both JPEG and RAW formats and can also shoot videos in 720p.
Specs: 14.6 MP; 3-inch AMOLED screen; 18-55mm auto-focus lens; RAW+ JPEG shooting; 720p video; 353 gm