The Olympus VR-340 includes all the technology you'd expect from more expensive compact cameras, including a standout 16-megapixel sensor, AF Illuminator and higher ISO for shooting in low light, designed to enhance your shots.

ENGADGET: Olympus unveils a cavalcade of point and shoot cameras and a PEN lens at CES

While competing solutions require either two sensors or multiple chips to support pen and multi-touch, N-trig is the first company to offer both on a single chip and a single sensor, providing device manufacturers with a compact, low-power solution and paving the way for N-trig to enter the handheld market.

ENGADGET: N-Trig pen tech whittled down to single DuoSense chips and sensors, shrinks scribblings to travel size

Speaking of the sensor, we got a chance to do a brief comparison between the A99 and Sony's RX1 compact that packs the same full-frame CMOS. As you can see in our sample shot, the sensor does its job regardless of form factor -- you'd be hard pressed to determine which pictures were produced with the DSLR and which came from the compact camera.

ENGADGET: Sony Alpha A99 DSLR sample shots and video, plus comparison with the RX1 full-frame compact

Featuring the compact size, full-frame, 18 megapixel 24 x 36mm sensor (35mm format), sophisticated image processing and robust construction of the highly successful Leica M9, the M9-P also incorporates features designed for professional users or photographers who prefer a pure, even more unobtrusive styling.

ENGADGET: Leica M9-P looks like it costs a fortune, doesn't disappoint

All cameras are not created equal -- not even all EOS Ms. Sure, each of the four compact flavors may carry the same 18-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, 1, 040, 000-dot 3-inch touchscreen and arguably mediocre UI, but only one has a remotely premium shell.

ENGADGET: Canon EOS M review: was Canon's first mirrorless ILC worth the four-year wait?

Designed to capture stunning images at various distances, the compact COOLPIX L820 sports a high-power 30x zoom, a 16-megapixel CMOS sensor, and Vibration Reduction (VR) technology to help keep shots steady.

ENGADGET: Nikon updates Coolpix compact lineup with S9500, sub-$200 S5200 and L28