Much like the DSLR guide earlier, Gizmodo published an article stating the best point and shoot cameras. Given that I love Canon’s new S90 and the thin Sony, I tend to agree with their recommendations:

• Best for lowlight: Canon S90
• Best value: Samsung HZ15W
• Best video: Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ7
• Best small size: Sony TX1
• Best weatherproof: Pentax Optio W80

Gizmodo just published a buying guide for DSLR’s. They recommended four different cameras in four different price points. They were brand-agnostic, picking the best camera regardless of whether you were in the Nikon Camp or Canon Camp (sorry Olympus and Sony).

I agree with all their picks, the Nikon D3000, Canon T1i, Nikon D90 and Canon 7D do beat out their peers in their respective price points.

Both Nikon and Canon introduced new top-of-the-line SLR’s this week:

Nikon D3s – the “s” model of the D3 indicates not a new model, but more of an update to the original D3. The D3s keeps the 12MP resolution but the new sensor is capable of much cleaner high ISO ranges. A 720p/24f movie mode is added, similar to the D90 and D300s. Many other new features are listed on dpreview.

Canon 1D Mark IV – yesterday the Mark IV was announced. It features a new 16MP sensor capable of much of the same new ISO range as the D3s. Also new is a 45-point autofocus system. The Mark IV continues the 1D line’s commitment to 1.3x crop factor.

Both cameras offer the best low-light, high-ISO, fast shooting bodies that money can buy. A full comparison of both is available on dpreview’s side-by-side compare tool. However with $5000 price tags and 1200g body weights, I’m not rushing out to buy either of them.

The S90 is a camera everyone has been waiting for Canon to create for quite some time. Small, compact and fitted with a bright f2.0 lens, it competes with the Panasonic Lumix LX3 and it’s Leica brethren. With it’s 28-105mm lens (f2.0-4.9), it offers a wider telephoto range than the LX3 but not as bright. Stil, the differences should be minimal and it seems to be about $100 cheaper than the LX3.

A unique control is affixed to the base of the lens. A control ring that can be turned to change various settings on the camera, depending on what mode is selected. It harkens back to the days where you used the ring on a lens to set the aperture.

No Canadian pricing was announced. It should be in stores in late September.

New digital cameras are complicated, and my D90 is no different. With so many new, additional features from my D50, it’s pretty hard to go through the large user manual to learn all the features. Nikon has produced a great online tutorial for the d90 – and it’s free. There’s additional tutorials for their other cameras going as far back as the D50 and D70.

A while back I blogged about sling bags for carrying digital SLR’s. Future Shop has a great sale on the Lowepro 200 AW sling bag, just $80 until April 30.

At their corporate museum, Canon has a display with a 400MM f/4 DO IS USM lens on a 1Ds cut in half, similar to the Nikon I posted earlier.

Demystifying Digital has a sample video from the new Nikon D500 digital SLR.

Also with the launch of the D5000, Nikon also released a new lens: 10-24mm F3.5-4.5G ED. With the previous release of the 35mm f1.8 DX lens and now this wide angle, it seems that Nikon is focusing on lenses for the DX format with a lot of new product. Clearly Nikon is supporting their line of DX cameras with all these new lens options. Like the 35mm that came out last month, expect a lot of supply shortages of this lens when it becomes available.

Well, Nikon Europe has unveiled the new Nikon D5000 entry-level SLR. Adding Liveview and HD Video found in other Nikons, a new feature that others do not have is the vari-angle LCD monitor. This would be very useful as I found with my D90 that LiveView and HD Video all depend on looking at the screen at a very awkward angle – made worse by the fact that you normally don’t hold an SLR the same way you do a camcorder.

The North American announcements will follow today (it’s 12:03am).