Buyer's Guide HomeHoliday Buyer's Guide 2009

The holidays are here, and DCR is ready to help you outfit the photographer in your life with a new camera. We've taken a good look back at the year's offerings in digital photography to put together a list of cameras that cover every price point and interest level.

Shopping for a fashionista? Take a look at our picks in the Slim and Stylish category. The cameras we've selected for that category are good performers with a little extra flair. The serious amateur and budding photographer will be more interested in the Advanced Compact section, where we've featured several cameras with manual exposure controls. And if you're thinking of an upgrade from a basic point and shoot to something more advanced, then take a look at some of our tips.

Stepping up the scale in size, the High Zoom category highlights some of our favorite cameras that will put you in the middle of the action. This page features everything from slim 7x pocket shooters up to DSLR-like ultrazooms. And if you're going all in on an interchangeable lens system, we've picked some of our favorite DSLRs and Micro Four Thirds cameras of the year. We've chosen cameras at a variety of price points and ability levels, from the entry-level Olympus E-620 right on up to the Canon 5D Mark II.

As always, you can take a look at our in-depth review of each camera in this guide. Whether you're shopping for a seasoned photographer or someone just learning their way around a camera, we've sifted out some of the best options at every price range.