WHAT'S HOT: A low price and round-the-clock support help keep the 1.1-megapixel Epson PhotoPC 650 on the chart. However, a simple design is what really sets it apart from the competition. With its lack of complicated features, the PhotoPC 650 is extremely easy to use. Epson also throws in a handy Universal Serial Bus cable that has a CompactFlash card socket on one end, allowing you to download images to your PC without using the camera. And if you run into problems using the PhotoPC 650, Epson provides toll-free phone support 24 hours a day, seven days a week--and it is the only vendor in this Top 10 that does so.

WHAT'S NOT: We noted a few off-base colors (for example, the camera rendered navy-blue fabric as purple) and some fuzziness in 4-by-6-inch prints. The PhotoPC 650 had a hard time capturing detail in dark areas, and it tended to shift colors heavily toward reddish tones in our indoor test shots. The PhotoPC 650 is chunkier and noisier than most cameras we tested.

WHAT ELSE: In our tests, the PhotoPC 650's bundled 8MB CompactFlash card held 30 high-resolution images, and 88 images at its 640-by-480 low resolution. All images are saved in JPEG format. With an f-stop range of f2 to f11, this camera should handle most lighting situations. Its battery life is also a bit better than most: We wrung 142 shots over 1.6 hours out of its four AA batteries. Part of the PhotoPC's ease of use comes at the cost of extra features. It lacks zoom and manual controls, and there is no option for audio or video recording. At nearly a pound, it's one of the heaviest cameras on the chart.

BEST USE: The quintessential point-and-shoot camera, Epson's PhotoPC 650 is best for anyone who wants to take digital images but has no desire to learn the finer points of photography.

SUMMARY

Epson PhotoPC 650 1.1 megapixels, 1152 by 864 maximum resolution, 39mm focal range (35mm equivalent), f2 to f11 aperture range, shutter speed from 1/4 second to 1/500 second, self-timer, optical and LCD viewfinders, serial and USB connections, NTSC and PAL video outputs, bundled 8MB CompactFlash card, four AA batteries, 14.7 ounces with batteries, Picture Works Hotshots software. One-year parts and labor warranty; 24-hour, toll-free support, seven days a week. $299 800/463-7766 www.epson.com