The Canon G11 PowerShot [$441.98] is the best camera money can buy short of one of those hulky DSLRs. Forget about the Kodak crap you saw at Wal-Mart. Featuring a 10 MP sensor, 5x zoom wide angle lens, and a 2.8-inch flip-out LCD, it’s hard to go wrong with this bad boy.

The Canon G11 is unique in that it offers many features commonly found on an SLR but in a much smaller package. This includes the option for fully manual controls, a DIGIC 4 image processor, RAW shooting, and a very durable outer casing. This is a PowerShot camera I would have no problem stuffing in a bag or dropping on the beach. While the price might be difficult for some to swallow, it’s still a great buy for the money.

Buy | Amazon.com [$441.98]