Go into any high street camera shop, computer shop or mobile phone shop and there will be a raft of compact cameras ranging from one or two megapixels up to and beyond eight megapixels. Many of the manufacturers have credible photography heritage while others you may ordinarily associate with kitchenware. What this tells me is the market for these small, convenient cameras is rich. That said, though, all cameras are not created equal. The following is an example of some of the better cameras available. It is nowhere near exhaustive and with this rapidly changing environment newer cameras are constantly coming on-line. Just keep in mind the camera you choose should be a combination of what your picture needs are accompanied by a realistic budget.

Digital Compact Cameras up to 4 megapixels

Not long ago cameras with 4 megapixel sensors were considered top of the line. Today, however, credible camera manufacturers aren't producing as many models under 4 megapixels. The ones that are available though do fill a gap in the market - the happy snapper, people who don't give a toss about the difference between F2.8 and F22, they just want fun pictures of friends and family without all the fuss.

Olympus Camedia C-170
This camera has a variety of features designed for those who don't take photography too seriously. With 4 megapixels and a 4x digital zoom it is more than adequate to get great holiday snaps. A big 1.5 LCD monitor allows for easy shooting and reviewing of images. It comes with PictBridge support, meaning the C-170 can be connected directly to a compatible printer for computer-free printing. High street price: £69.99

Nikon Coolpix 4800
This 3.9 megapixel camera can produce good quality prints up to A4. It is a simple camera housed in a small, light body, but with a powerful 36-300mm digital zoom means you won't miss the action. Although it lacks features like aperture priority and shutter speed modes it does have BSS (Best Shot Selector). When turned on, once the shutter button is pressed the camera shoots ten shots in quick succession and only keeps the sharpest ones. The biggest drawback to this camera is the shutter lag is pronounced. High street price: £199.

Canon Digital Ixus 40
Another 3.9 megapixel camera, this one is thin and light and perfect for hiding away in a pocket. It has less features than other similarly priced cameras but produces vibrant picture up to A4. Again, this camera comes with PictBridge making printing easy and cheap. High Street price: £180

Digital Compact Cameras from 5 to 8 megapixels

Panasonic DMC-LZ2
Like most Panansonic compact digital cameras the LZ2 comes with built-in image stabilization, making hand-held, low-light photography possible. With its 5 megapixel sensor coupled with a Lumix DC Vario lens it can produce excellent images up to A3. Unlike a lot of other compact cameras shutter lag is almost nonexistent and with a 6x optical zoom its easy to stay on top of the action. High Street price: £199.99

Fuji Finepix F10
This little camera delivers. With a 6.3 megapixel Super CCD sensor it creates excellent images with true-to-life skin tones and colour with very little noise (something akin to grain in film cameras). Its maximum 1600 ISO film speed rating allows for photography in low light without the need of flash. Start-up time is just 1.3 seconds with virtually no shutter lag when the button is pushed. High Street price: £249.99

Pentax Optio Wpi
This has to be one of the most versatile compact cameras on the market today. Not only is the tough little aluminum body dust proof it can be used underwater for up to 30-minutes in a depth of 1.5 meters - the perfect beach camera. It has a sophisticated lens grouping giving it a top notch 3x optical zoom. Combine an excellent lens with a 6 megapixel CCD and you've got the right mix for spot on point and shoot travel photography. High Street price: £269.99

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