All of these cameras are built well and have metal bodies.

The Kodak V705 stands out because of its useful ultra-wide angle zoom lens, but it falters on image quality. The images are highly compressed (each image being compressed to have about half the size when compared to similar images from other 7 megapixel cameras like the Canon PowerShot SD800 IS. This high compression inevitably leads to smearing of some fine details even at low ISO settings. Also the camera zoom jumps abruptly from 23mm to 39mm (one lens has a fixed focal length, while the other starts after a gap).

The Panasonic DMC-FX30 scores higher than the Kodak V705 because of its image stabilization feature, continuous zoom lens and good battery life. However, there is heavy noise reduction at ISO 400 and above, leading to smearing of fine details and watercolor-like artifacts. This has been a problem with previous Panasonic cameras too.

So this leaves us with the Sony DSC-T100 and Canon SD800 IS cameras. Both have good image quality. While the Sony DSC-T100 has more resolution and more zoom, the SD800 IS scores higher because of its wider angle zoom lens (useful for landscapes/beaches/buildings photography, which normally comprises a larger portion of one’s portfolio than close-up shots), and optical viewfinder (which helps preserve battery life in extended outings as one can switch off the LCD screen). The Canon SD800 IS is therefore our Top Pick.