Text: Dan Richards, Photos: Sam Kaplan

They help you make better pictures, solve multiple problems, and put more fun in your photography. They are Photography’s Outstanding Products for 2011, and every one has been lab and/or field tested by our thoroughly picky editors (our reject list is long). And we have a strong feeling you will love them as we do.

Best for the Flexibility
Panasonic Lumix GH2
The GH2 is the first interchangeable-lens compact (ILC) to achieve an Excellent overall image quality in our tests—no mean feat given that it uses a Micro Four Thirds sensor that’s about 40 percent smaller in area than the APS-C sensors found in cameras it outperformed. The touchscreen interface is one of the best we’ve used, but if you hate touchscreens, just turn it off and use the many dedicated buttons and well-organized, customizable menus. ($950, street, with 14–42mm f/3.5–5.6 G Vario lens, Panasonic.com)