Conclusion
To begin with, despite what might have been some harsh criticism in previous pages, no camera is really bad or should be outright avoided. Each have their qualities and weaknesses and in the end all produce pictures that are possible to print.
Amongst the eleven products tested here, unfortunately our choice goes to the most expensive, the Panasonic FX8. It is the only one to have an optical stabilizing device introduced with the previous FX7. It’s great when shooting pictures indoors with no flash for more natural colors and is an enormous advantage.
Three cameras without stabilizing devices provide excellent results, the Canon Ixus 50 / SD400 ($360 approx.), the Fujifilm Finepix Z1 ($400 approx.) and the EasyShare V550 ($400 approx). In short, the Canon is an excellent product suited for all uses and capable of the nicest pictures in macro mode. The Z1 and V550,a little more expensive, provided better results than the Ixus 50 for indoor color quality (the automatic white balance is more efficient). The Z1 is also the fastest of all and the V550 the best in video mode (the only one to have optic zoom active).
If we now look ahead
As these cameras are very trendy, product life is quite limited in the way that the life cycle of a film camera is approximately 10 years. I’m about to put forth a hypothesis that some of you might find quite strange. (If you are overly sensitive, don’t read on.) Photophones are going to kill ultra flat cameras. The target market is the same; immediate availability, quick to take pictures, video sequences, resistance, design etc. For now the only inconvenience is the low photo quality in cell phones. Some products, however, already stand out. For example, the Sony Ericsson K750i takes satisfactory 2 megapixel pictures comparable to entry level products available two years ago. The video mode is still dismal, but a new way is here and will continue to capture images.
 Sony Ericsson K750i |  Kodak ES-V550 |
OK I have to admit that there is still a margin of progression, before cell phones to take over cameras but one day…
