If you're looking at buying a compact digital camera, or point-and-shoot, you're going for convenience. So let's keep that in mind as we go along. You want a camera that's easy and keeps photography fun. And since a compact camera typically has no add-ons, you want something versatile.

Image Quality

The quality your camera is capable of should be your main priority. Regardless of how many megapixels the camera records, your photographs need to look good. Make sure to look around online for sample images from the model you're considering. Compare them to similar models from other brands. You will notice differences in the various sensors and lenses that the different manufacturers are using.

Speed

As we mentioned, shutter lag is a huge disadvantage in a camera. Make sure your camera fires quickly after you push the button.

Comparing Lenses

Most compacts come with a zoom lens covering the approximate range of 35mm to 105mm. This is a good average range of coverage for most subjects. If you want to do any wide angle work, look for a model with a 28mm wide setting. It will make a big difference.

Another thing to think about with your camera's lens is a drawback on the telephoto side. While you may look forward to zooming in as far as it goes, most compact lenses use a smaller aperture the further you zoom. This means the image gets darker the closer you zoom. So unless you're shooting outside on a bright day, you'll find that flash is a necessity on the telephoto end of things.

Some lenses will zoom a little further using a digital zoom feature, but strike that from your decision. Digital zoom is a nothing feature (see "Picking out Your Camera").

Battery Life

Battery life is critical to digital photography. You want as much power as you can get. When buying, look at how many photographs the camera will take on a full charge. I always recommend having a fully charged backup battery in your camera bag. Another handy feature is the ability to use regular AA batteries, which are available almost anywhere.

When shooting, keep in mind that your LCD screen drains your camera's battery faster than any other feature. Never leave it on when you're not using it, and don't spend a lot of time reviewing your photos if you need to preserve power.

Features/Modes

How close does the camera focus? You'll regret not asking the first time you try to do a close-up photograph and the camera's not up to it. Look for a model that gets you in at least twelve inches, if not more. Many cameras have a macro mode that gets in really close, and I highly recommend looking for that.

Many digital cameras will shoot low-quality video clips, which can be a handy feature to have.

Media

Just about every compact camera comes with a memory card that's too small to be worth using. So plan on buying a second memory card. The bigger the better when it comes to memory, especially when you'll be photographing away from your computer, say on a trip.