(FORTUNE Small Business) – Olympus Camedia C-3030 $999 www.olympusamerica.com 877-337-1507

CAMERA DESIGN Feels and looks like a plastic toy. Upside: It's light and small.

COOLEST FEATURES Get artsy with the ability to shoot black-and-white and sepia-tone pics.

IMAGE QUALITY So crisp that images look 3-D (left); details hold up well. Colors very bright, though less accurate.

EASE OF USE Not just for camera geeks; even advanced settings understandable by all.

Nikon Coolpix 990 $999 www.nikonusa.com 800-645-6689

[CAMERA DESIGN] Comfortable, one-hand operation; swivel lens a plus for framing shots.

[COOLEST FEATURES] 30-second idle shutoff saves batteries. Can trash bad shots immediately.

[IMAGE QUALITY] Sharp, but image could be brighter (right). Color more true to life. Using the flash flattens out image.

[EASE OF USE] More features means more complicated. Basic pics point-and-shoot simple.

AND THE WINNER IS: In this two-horse race, it's a photo finish. Image quality decides, so it's the Olympus C-3030 by a nose with images that pop, edging out Nikon's cool design and smart features.

--Ilene S. Hoffman