Sure, the puny digital camera in your phone works fine for the odd snapshot, but if you're hoping to capture a moment in a poorly lit room or to shoot some decent-looking video, well ... good luck. Instead, consider a serious but easy-to-use standalone camera like Samsung's SL820, a 12-megapixel point-and-shoot that has earned praise from the likes of Engadget for its "consistently crisp, well-focused" snapshots. Among the SL820's features: a 28-mm wide-angle lens, image stabilization to minimize the effects of your shaky hands and — best of all — full-on 720p HD video-recording, perfect for wanna-be Scorseses on a budget.
Price: $280