Samsung might not be among the first few companies that comes to mind when you start thinking about digital camera manufacturers.

However, if Samsung continues turning out point and shoot models as good as the ones they've released lately, it won't take long for the company to jump onto the short list of the top camera makers.

Samsung recently released another strong contender, as my Samsung SL820 digital camera review shows. There's a lot to like about the SL820, including its strong response times, outstanding image quality, and price tag (about $249-$299, Compare Prices). For beginning photographers, Samsung's latest cameras consistently are among the easiest to use, thanks to a sensible menu structure.

In addition to the strong SL820, Samsung's DualView TL225 is the best "wow" camera for the holiday season, and both cameras made my list of the top cameras under $300. The SL420 digital camera is a great low-priced option, too.

Photo courtesy Samsung

If you have a photographer on your holiday gift list, but purchasing a digital camera as a gift seems like overkill, digital camera accessories are a great second option.

I recently updated my Digital Camera Accessory Buying Guide for the 2009 holiday season with a dozen gift ideas for camera and photo accessories. Hopefully you can find some good gift options!

If you like the cool, retro design of the PEN E-P1 DSLR camera from Olympus, you now have a second, more powerful retro-looking option: The PEN E-P2.

The PEN series of digital cameras borrows its design from the traditional PEN film cameras. The PEN E-P2 (pictured here) will include 12.3 megapixels of resolution, HD video options, stereo linear PCM audio recording, and eight in-camera art filters.

Look for the PEN E-P2 to be available in December with a price of about $1,100, which includes the camera body and a starter lens. With its advanced features, it is slightly more expensive than the PEN E-P1, which you probably can find for about $800-$900 with a starter lens. (Compare Prices)

Photo courtesy Olympus

If stylish design and great looks are important in your next choice of a digital camera, you'll want to strongly consider Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-T90. It has a touch screen LCD, a small size, and a very interesting design.

However, before purchasing this camera, be sure to read through my Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T90 review, because some of this camera's photography features might not meet the needs of all beginning photographers.

Still, the DSC-T90 is more than good enough to be one of the best cameras for under $300. It's one of those cameras where the outstanding design features make up for the minor shortcomings in its photography features.

Photo courtesy Sony