The Pentax Optio A40 offers first-class picture quality, with optical image stabilisation and dynamic range adjustment looking interesting, but the middling specs are uninspiring and the toy-like styling isn't for us.
Compared to the slick angles and chic lines of recent IXUS', the bubbly, bulbous curves of the Canon Digital IXUS 970 IS have us nonplussed. We hate to judge a camera just on its looks, but the lack of features don't give us much choice. Still, if you've fallen in love with this cheery snapper, you haven't wasted your money.
If you absolutely must have a 12-megapixel compact camera, the DMC-FX100 isn't a bad choice, but you can find better performing cameras with lower pixel counts for the same money.