Click 'n' Shoot

By Wilson Rothman

Sure, they can fit in your jeans pocket and still take great pictures, but what have compact digital cameras done for you lately? Three, endowed with unusual powers, stand out from among the growing pack of copycats.

SONY DSC-T50

Engineers went easy on the buttons, which lets you control most functions of this 7-megapixel beauty through its 3-in. touch screen. After you've shot some pictures, play them back in an animated musical slide show. Finger-paint all over a photo with the drawing tool, and then save a copy, doodles and all. Your choice of finish is between silver and--get this--candy-apple red. PRICE: $500

SAMSUNG NV10

This tiny brushed-black aluminum camera captures 10-megapixel images, but that's not its most startling feature. Its display is lined by unmarked buttons, and a tiny icon next to each one indicates what it does. Touch a button without pushing down, and an instructional hint appears. Slide your finger along a row of buttons to make incremental adjustments. It takes some getting used to but feels eerily like the future. PRICE: $350

NIKON COOLPIX S7C

Nikon goes the Swiss Army-- knife route with this fully loaded, 7-megapixel number. It has built-in wi-fi that comes with a free yearlong subscription to T-Mobile's wireless service that's suitable for uploading snapshots over lattes at Starbucks. It also takes time-lapse photos that can be combined into a movie. And it has an easy-to-use stop-motion tool for making Wallace & Gromit--style Claymation. PRICE: $350