DIGITAL CAMERAS
INEXPENSIVE
$200 SONY DSC-U10 CYBER-SHOT U Older 1-megapixel cameras can be found for less, but nothing out there does as much for as little. This 1.3-megapixel camera comes with rechargeable batteries, movie mode and built-in photo effects. No optical zoom, but it's smaller than most cell phones. www.sonystyle.com
MODERATE
$700 FUJIFILM FINEPIX S602 ZOOM It's cameras like this one that make digital photography so popular. This 3.1-megapixel favorite comes with a 6X-optical-zoom lens, two LCD monitors and room for two memory slots. You can shoot video with sound at 30 frames a second and add voice annotation to stills. www.fujifilm.com
EXPENSIVE
$2,000 NIKON D100 So much for silver nitrate. Nikon's 6.1-megapixel wondercam blends the finesse of film photography and the precision of the digital revolution. It comes with an SLR mechanism, and it's not for amateurs. But it's a fine way to teach old shutterbugs new tricks. www.nikon.com
skimp
$30 HOMEDICS ENVIRASCAPE TABLETOP FOUNTAIN For the Superman in your life, this tiny Fortress of Solitude provides the "soothing sounds of cascading water" in a light-up glass bowl. www.wal-mart.com
splurge
$130 SOUND SOOTHER 20 RELAXATION MACHINE For anyone kept awake by snoring, this box offers 20 more pleasant soundscapes. If you miss the familiar drone, try the "fog horn" setting. www.sharperimage.com
DIGITAL CAMCORDERS
INEXPENSIVE
$500 SAMSUNG SC-D80 Yes, this digital camcorder is bulky--it won't win any design contests--but it's priced right and fully equipped. It's got 680,000-pixel resolution, 10X zoom lens, image stabilizer and "Nite Pix" for shots in the dark. Want bang for your buck? Shoot in this direction. www.samsungusa.com
MODERATE
$900 CANON ZR50MC Partygoers, take note: this machine comes with alluring features--buttons that change color and a "tiling effect" for arranging head shots in Brady Bunch fashion--but it's no toy. With 22X zoom lens, crisp images and still shots, it's worth the price. consumer.usa.canon.com
EXPENSIVE
$2,000 SONY DCR-IP220 Leave it to Sony to add a 2-megapixel still camera to a high-end camcorder. To capture DVD-quality video, the IP220 uses MicroMV tapes (instead of the more common MiniDV). Other geeky perks include Bluetooth networking and a touch-panel LCD. www.sonystyle.com
DVD RECORDERS
INEXPENSIVE
$700 PANASONIC DMR-E30 Since the advent of the DVD player, movie buffs have wondered when they would be able to record DVDs. The wait is over. Panasonic's cheapest recorder--which creates DVD-R discs that are easily recognized by most players--is as good an excuse as any to ditch the VCR. www.panasonic.com
MODERATE
$900 PHILIPS DVDR985
Plug your camcorder directly into this unit, and hit Record. That's one of the nice features about this machine. It also comes with crisp progressive-scan playback for normal DVDs. A price drop and unbeatable ease of use make it the best of this class. www.philipsusa.com
EXPENSIVE