Portable digital cameras are nice. They’re compact and handy. SLR cameras are nice because they take photos that look ridiculously nice. Sometimes you can’t have the best of both worlds, but it’s not impossible to get close.

The D-Lux 3 from Leica has a 10 megapixel 16:9 4x optical zoom lens (28mm-112mm) with built in stabilization. There’s a 2.8 inch color LCD display on the back. It’s a sizeable chunk of change more than the other point and shoots, but we guarantee that on your worst day with this camera you’ll take far superior photos than any of your friends econo-shooters.

What this means to you: Classic camera looks and supurb Leica lens quality in a compact, easy-to-carry digital camera form.

Cost: $600 @ J&R