Cameras update: compacts take on SLRs.(single-lens reflex )(Buyers guide)

While the single-lens reflex (SLR) design has no peer for all-around performance in a digital camera, the point-and-shoot type wins for convenience. Now, new advanced point-and-shoot cameras with SLR-like features promise to reduce the need to trade performance for ease of use.

Two advanced point-and-shoots with features previously limited to SLRs are the 5-megapixel Kodak EasyShare V570, $400, and 10-megapixel Sony Cybershot DSC-R1, $1,000. Based on our tests, both are fine performers that are good choices for specific needs. We've also updated our recommended cameras for more typical use; see "Mainstream Models," below.

WIDE VIEW: KODAK EASYSHARE

Most point-and-shoot cameras don't do well with landscapes and group portraits because their zoom is limited to about 35 mm. The dual-lens Kodak EasyShare V570 is an exception. Along with a fairly typical 39-to-117-mm optical zoom lens, it has a 23-mm fixed-length lens. That's close to what you can achieve with some wide-angle lenses for SLRs.

The V570 automatically switches to the fixed-length lens when you zoom out past the 39-mm end of the zoom's range. If you want to go wider, it can stitch two or three images into a panoramic photo, displaying a sliver of the previous shot as you shoot to help you align shots. The feature worked well enough, though not perfectly.

Overall, the image quality was good to very good, and the V570 is trim and light at 4.9 ounces. But there are compromises. It lacks manual controls and uses a proprietary battery. And like many new compacts, it lacks an optical viewfinder. The USB cable doesn't connect directly to the camera and must be connected through the camera's dock. Some chromatic aberration (discoloration along vertical edges) was visible with the fixed-length lens; with the zoom lens, it was visible only when images were greatly magnified. The flash range was poor-just a couple of feet-and coverage was uneven.

HIGH END: SONY CYBERSHOT