Three distinctive point-and-shoots

Hundreds of point-and-shoots were on view at the PhotoPlus Expo this past weekend in New York. Many offer the same ol' specs and features: 3x optical zoom, 10 megapixels. 2 1/2- to 3-inch LCD. Here are three that stood out:

The Nikon Coolpix P6000 (Click on image at right for a closer look), a pricey compact for $500, does have some advanced features, such as being able to shoot RAW files. But that's not what makes it unique: It has a built-in GPS that lets you tag photos with the geographic location at which they were shot. Here's how this works: The camera embeds location data in the EXIF data file. Once you embed this info, you can access it with any image editor and use it with online map programs such as Google Earth to see exactly where your photos are taken. (For more, check out our previous post on geotagging.)

Olympus showed a new Stylus SW point-and-shoot, the Stylus 1050 SW, $300. What makes this model (Click on the image at right for a closer look.) different is a feature Olympus calls tap technology. This innovation, which Olympus says is common in digital gaming devices, lets you control certain camera functions and features by tapping on different sides of the camera. So if you happen to be wearing gloves (a not uncommon practice in northern states this time of year) and want to view photos or engage the camera's flash, in theory, you can do it without taking off your gloves. We'll be testing this feature and reporting soon on how well it works.

Most subcompacts exclude manual features, such as manual focus or manual exposure modes, that are common on bigger, bulkier cameras. But Canon's PowerShot SD990 IS Digital Elph ($400) includes both. You do have to drill down a bit into the menus to change the camera's settings from auto to manual. But once you do, you can use shutter priority mode to change the shutter speed. Or choose between two apertures in aperture priority mode. For a subcompact, this is a nice extra. For other subcompacts that have such controls, see our Ratings of point-and-shoot cameras (available to subscribers).

If you're shopping for a digital camera this holiday season, check out our free Digital Camera Buying Guide for helpful tips. And watch our online video tutorial on How to buy a digital camera to learn what features to look for in digital point-and-shoot cameras and digital SLRs.

—Terry Sullivan