Following on from its success in last year’s T3 Gadget Awards with the Lumix DMC-GF1 Panasonic is back: smaller, lighter and slimmer and looking to retain its Camera of the Year crown with this updated compact system camera (CSC) .

Price: £729.99 | Panasonic

The DMC-GF2 lands with a smaller price tag than its predecessor a 12.1-megapixel, Micro Four Thirds sensor and a 3-inch, 460k-dot touchscreen display, providing crisp image playback and easy access to key controls.

Featuring a pop-up inbuilt flash, there’s a top mounted hotshoe for optional flashgun attachment, while an HDMI socket allows for easy viewing of your pics and HD videos.

With outstanding picture quality, this is a compact and portable alternative to a DSLR. It even offers 3D shooting via an adaptor lens – how cool is that?