Their claims follow the testing of 54 point-and-shoot digital camera models. The top four brands of Canon, Casio, Panasonic, and Samsung continued to perform better than others year after year. They also deliver the best chance of getting a superior performance.

Consumer Reports found many bargain price models, even a few outside of the four leading brands, including the Nikon Coolpix S610 which is the only point-and-shoot tested that performed above average. The subcompact Pentax Optio M50 was also ranked highly outside of the top four brands.

For SLRs, the Canon EOS Rebel XSi with a lens is one of just two basic SLRs that produced excellent image quality.

"Our testing found digital cameras are more reasonably priced and stronger in performance," said Paul Reynolds, electronics editor at Consumer Reports. "For under $200 shoppers can purchase a point-and-shoot from a reliable brand that will provide good overall photos for all their needs."