Nikon Coolpix L18

The Coolpix L18 is an unassuming little budget camera that offers little in the way of frills but does its job - taking pictures - remarkably well. Our biggest frustrations during testing (the lack of ISO control and custom white balance) almost certainly won't be a concern to the kind of user looking to spend under $100 on a point and shoot camera. The large, relatively high resolution screen is a real bonus and there are a few neat features hidden away in the clear, simple menus (color options, D-Lighting in playback mode), but this is about as basic as digital cameras from major manufacturers gets. We didn't expect a lot from the L18, so were pleasantly surprised that it's quite nice to use and can be depended on to produce decent results under a wide range of shooting conditions.