Samsung GX-20 
$1,400 
The love child of the Samsung-Pentax partnership is an easy-to-use 14.6-megapixel charmer.
Pentax K200D $700 
Pentax K200D Popular-class 10.2-megapixel shooter with body-borne image stabilization yields clear, sharp pics at a price sure to be, well, popular.
Sony Alpha A350 $800 
Sneaking up fast on the major players, thanks to ease of use and feature set. But shoot above ISO 800 and quality retreats just as fast.
The super-honcho of DSLRs at 21.1 megapixels, this baby rivals monstrously pricier medium-format digitals in resolution and pummels them with its portability and ease of use. Dual Digic III processors handle the massive load of data collected by the full-frame CMOS sensor, and the resulting images make stunning large prints. The Mark III's lines approach equine elegance, and the user interface is downright refined.