Olympus Stylus 800

The Olympus Stylus was a legendary weather-resistant camera that quickly shed its 35mm film roots earlier this century to morph into a terrific little digicam. In the case of the Stylus 800, it’s a whopping 8-megapixel edition (the first was 3MP). Only topped by the new 9-megapixel Fuji E900 and E9000 as well as a soon-to-be-announced 10MP model from a famous company, it’s about as powerful a point-and-shoot camera as you can buy. I don’t know if we’re at a point of diminishing returns but I’ll always take more technological firepower when it’s available—especially when the price is right. With its 3x optical zoom, weather-resistant case, excellent image quality and extremely fast response, this is one of the best digital sub-$450 cameras available, especially for travelers and vacationers.