At first glance, the six-megapixel Optio WPi looks no different than any other point-and-shoot. But hidden within the metal exterior are a series of rubber gaskets that seal out water (and dust), rendering this pocket cam completely submersible. Swimming in up to five feet of water and shooting in a downpour are both fair game—the flash even fires underwater, which enabled me to capture some cool below-deck shots at the local swimming hole. www.h2ocamera.com

Bonus: A unique soft-flash setting—absent from most point-and-shoots—lets you dial down the flash for more natural-looking indoor portraits.

Bummer: Don’t expect pro-quality optics at this price.

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1. Eliminate extra gadgets: The Crossover is the first unit on the market with outdoor, marine, and advanced vehicle capabilities all crammed into a single lightweight unit. Even with the broad functions, the Crossover is simple to use, thanks to an intuitive, icon-based menu system paired with one of the largest (3.5 inches) and clearest screens we’ve seen. In other words, the do-it-all age has finally arrived.

2. Menu navigation works directly through the touch screen, so there’s no need to remember which button does what. We found our way through several cities before we even bothered to crack the owner’s manual. There’s a detour feature that helps you re-route around traffic jams and—our favorite—a simulator mode that lets you plug in departure and destination info, and then preview the route being “driven” onscreen.

3. Off the dashboard, the Crossover is up for mellow backcountry trips, thanks to wilderness-friendly features like eight to ten hours of battery life, a simple backtrack function, and a 1.5GB internal memory loaded with North American topo (and street) maps. Plus, with its media-specific SD memory-card slot (cards sold separately) and earphone jack, it doubles as a digital audio player and portable photo album.

magellangps.com

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1. A paradigm-shifting camera, the D3 has a new sensor with incredible low-light sensitivity that, with a high-speed shooting rate (nine frames per second) and a new autofocus system that locks on to moving subjects like glue, can make images that were literally impossible to capture before now.

2. Most DSLRs can shoot at up to 3200 ISO. But until now, noise, or digital grain, rendered the images unusable. With the D3, we regularly shot at 6400 ISO and higher, capturing perfectly clean images—sans flash—in situations where the camera would previously have stayed in the bag.

3. Photographing action sports is a dream. The D3 can create 64 JPEGs in just over seven seconds. A new, 51-point autofocus tracks moving subjects—like the skiers and mountain bikers we shot—using color information, yielding more tack-sharp images than any other camera we’ve tested.

4. The full-frame sensor matches the dimensions of 35mm film, so images now reflect a lens’s total field of view. More space per pixel means images with amazing detail, realistic color, and low noise. Nikon even designed a super-wide 14–24mm zoom (pictured, $1,800) for the D3 body.

5. Dual card slots allow simultaneous recording of RAW and JPEG files—great for quick editing. A built-in mike and speaker record and play back voice memos tagged to individual images. Rubber gaskets seal the body against weather, and key buttons are smartly placed.

nikonusa.com

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Like the podium-topping Canon, the D90 shoots photos and HD video, but at less than one-third the price. Consider it the Corvette to Canon’s Lamborghini—i.e., it’s not the most luxurious, but it’s still one very sweet machine: 4.5-frames-per-second shooting, a 12.3-meg sensor, and a best-in-the-industry, super-hi-res three-inch LCD screen. As if all that weren’t enough, the D90, like the Canon, also offers live-view framing on the LCD. Plus, the in-camera
retouching features are a dream come true, allowing us to straighten and crop shots, and even process RAW files, in the field—no need to lug a laptop around. Which makes us very happy. 12.3MP;

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Before you cry sticker shock, consider this: The 5D’s 12.8-megapixel sensor puts it among the very best digital SLRs available, and last year a comparable resolution would have set you back twice as much. Unlike most D-SLRs, the 5D sports a full-frame sensor that’s the same size as traditional film. The result is noticeably sharper images—we made 11-by-17-inch prints that looked better than anything from film—and the ability to use wide-angle lenses at their original focal length. www.usa.canon.com

Bonus: The extra-large sensor creates a big, clear image for crisp, saturated printing.

Bummer: Beginners beware—advanced controls are designed for advanced digital photographers.

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BEST FOR BEGINNERS

Never used a GPS before? Check out the refreshingly straightforward Venture. On day hikes and quick overnighters around British Columbia’s southern Coast Mountains, testers with limited GPS knowledge found the cell-phone-size Venture’s simple menu system the most intuitive to operate. Its relatively big (1.3-by-1.7-inch), bright color screen is also one of the easiest to read, especially in harsh sunlight. 6 oz; garmin.com

Bonus: With 32 hours of battery life, the Venture dusts the competition—at any price.

Bummer: It lacks an electronic compass and barometric altimeter.

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LITTLE PARTY ANIMAL

The T2 is as much fashion accessory as camera. The all-metal design has a nonprotruding 3x zoom and a 2.7-inch touchscreen that all but eliminates the need for external buttons. In a word, sleek. Pull it out at a soiree—as we did with our lime-green test unit—and people immediately want to lay their hands on it. When it came time to capture a candid moment, the T2 shined, proving to be one of the most responsive cameras we tested, with a fast autofocus system and no noticeable shutter lag. And with four gigs of internal memory, we never had to fuss with storage cards. 8.1MP; sony.com

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When it first emerged last year, face-recognition technology seemed hokey and didn’t even work that well. The F60fd changes all that. When we passed it around among amateurs and pros alike, it easily recognized multiple faces, even in full profile, nailing exposure, focus, and color
balance every time. The red-eye eliminator kicks in automatically if needed, saving both the original file and a corrected version. Add a 12-meg sensor, 3x zoom lens, and dual image stabilization—ISO boost and sensor shift—and, well, your cat could shoot your next party pics and come up with decent results. 12MP;

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Value never looked so good. The D50 puts a pro-quality digital SLR in reach of ambitious amateurs who want to move beyond snapshots—without shelling out more than they paid for their first car. With the ability to swap out lenses and go manual, it allows utmost creativity. And cutting-edge technology—like a smart flash that solves tricky lighting for you—ensures great pics even if you don’t know a megapixel from a memory card.

Nikon D50 $760
1. For roughly the same price as a high-end point-and-shoot, you get a host of pro features like high-speed 2.5-frame-per-second shooting, RAW-format capabilities (for the best image capture), a smart flash, and the versatility to stick any compatible Nikkor lens out front.

2. Capturing fast action is simple with the D50, thanks to a lightning-quick autofocus system that automatically tracks moving subjects. Even on dimly lit forest trails on Vancouver’s North Shore, I was able to nail perfectly sharp midair shots of my mountain-biking buddies.

3. Nikon has clearly done its ergonomics homework: With a rubberized grip, intuitively placed buttons, and a soft eyepiece, the D50 felt like an extension of my body minutes after I began shooting. Even the lens it ships with—an 18–55mm f/3.5–5.6—fits comfortably in the hand.

4. Point-and-shoot ease lets you capture impressive stuff on full automatic pilot, while manual control—over primary features such as focus and exposure, plus the option to tweak details like color saturation, white balance, and contrast—offers unbeatable creativity.

5. The 6.1-megapixel D50’s sophisticated pop-up flash simplifies candid indoor shooting by eliminating red eyes, overblown highlights, and ghostly skin tones. It’s even smart enough to read challenging backlight outdoors and compensate with a little burst of fill flash.

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ASK MORE FROM YOUR PHONE

Some friends and Web sites give great directions; others, not so great. So why not get the info straight from the pros? With a subscription to a third-party GPS application like TeleNav ($10 per month), the 8703e smartphone becomes a full-featured on-road navigator, providing onscreen maps and access to a huge database of points of interest. It’s pretty slick: Driving in Seattle, we punched in the address of our destination, and a few seconds later the 8703e displayed turn-by-turn directions.
5 oz; blackberry.com

Bonus: Should you have to call 911, emergency officials will know your location instantly.

Bummer: At the time of our test, only two networks (Sprint and AllTel) were supporting the 8703e’s GPS capabilities. And if you lose your signal you lose directions, too.

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