What's the Best Ultra-Compact Digital Camera? The Top Five Ranked

The laws of physics are unkind to smaller cameras. The fact is: All else being equal, the larger the lens the better the photo. So shopping for an ultra compact point-and-shoot camera requires some special care. At SpotCoolStuff.com we have tested most of the popular models currently on the market. Here's the ranking of the top five:

Weight with battery: 6.9 oz (195 g)

Zoom: 4x optical, 4x digital, 38-114mm (in 35mm equivalent)

Megapixels: 8.0, 3264 x 2448 max resolution

ISO: 80 to 1600

Video: 30 fps at 640 x 480, AVI format

Battery life: approx 230 still images

Best for: Superlative photo quality, ability to shoot in low light without a flash

The Canon SD850 takes the best photos of any ultra-compact currently on the market. It also has the best image stabilization.

So, there it is. I myself take most of my photos with a large SLR, but I also own an SD850 (to have in my pocket when carrying a large clunky camera isn't practical) and I'm often amazed how this little Canon is sometimes matches the quality of my much larger and more expensive camera. The SD850's photo quality difference is marginally better than other point-and-shoots in optimal conditions. Where it really shines is in low-light conditions -- when other ultra-compacts need a flash the SD850 often does not. I manage nearly noise-free photos all the way through 800 ISO.

Given the SD850's photo superiority why would you choose one of the other cameras on this list? It is the largest and heaviest camera of this group. Also, each of the four cameras below have advantages of their own. To learn about those continue on, Dear Reader . . .

Weight with battery: 4.1 oz (116 g)

Megapixels: 10.0, 3648 x 2736 max resolution

Zoom: 3x optical, 5.4x digital, 38 - 114mm (35mm equivalent)

ISO: 64 to 800 (auto), plus 1600 and 3200

Video: 30 fps at 640x480 pixels, any length, DivX format

Battery Life: 150 still images

Best For: Small size, very good photo quality

The S10 takes the second best photos of this group. It also takes quite good video. In fact, the image quality is comparable to the SD850 (above) in sunny conditions. This is a huge compliment to the folks at Pentax who made great strides in improving upon the S10's rather dismal predecessor, the Optio S7.

While the S10 might be a hair behind the SD850 in photo quality department there's one feature for which the S10 is far superior: size. The S10 is the smallest and lightest of the group. It isn't much wider and taller than a credit card. That a camera this small can take photos this good is rather amazing. What's doubly amazing is that the S10 is the cheapest camera of this group.

Some disadvantages of the S10: The battery life is the worst of this group. It only has a 3x optical zoom. It takes a little long to turn on, and to reset between photos, for my taste. And it has a touch screen, which some people prefer but which makes me a little crazy. Still, if you are looking for the best ultra-ultra compact camera and a very reasonable price the S10 is your best choice.

Weight with battery: 6.2 oz (175 g)

Megapixels: 10.1, 3648 x 2736 max resolution

Zoom: 5x optical, 4x digital, 25 - 125 mm (35mm equivalent)

ISO: 100 to 1600 (auto), plus 3200 and 6400

Video: 30 fps at sizes up to 1280 x 720 (HD quality), QuickTime and JPEG formats

Battery Life: approx 280 still images

Best For: video quality, wide angle lens with large zoom

The FX500's photo quality is very good. Still, it is a half-step behind the two cameras listed above. So why would you choose the FX500 over those models? Two reasons:

First, the FX500 takes the best video of this group. By far. It takes video at high definition, at a quality that rivals some much more expensive camcorders. This is not a minor advantage even if you are selecting a camera mostly for still photography -- I never expected to use my ultra-compact for video purposes until after I bought it.

Second, the FX500 is the only ultra-compact with a wide angle (as wide as 25mm). I make extensive use of a wide angle lens on my SLR -- not only for shooting landscapes but also close-up shots of people and animals -- and often wish for the same functionality in my point-and-shoot. Combine the FX500 wide angle with a 5x optical zoom and you have the most versatile ultra-compact available.

Weight (with battery): 5.8 oz (165 g)

Megapixels: 10.1, 3648 x 2432 max resolution

Zoom: 3x optical, 4x digital, 38 - 114 (35mm equivalent)

ISO: 64 to 800 (auto), plus 1600 and 3200

Video: 30 fps at 640 x 480, MPEG format, 10 mins max length

Battery Life: approx. 340 still images

Best For: ease of use, stylish color options

The Exilim's photo quality is good, though a notch below the three cameras above. It is significantly smaller than both the SD850 and the Panasonic, though a little larger than the Pentax. It also comes with one advantage not matched by the others:

The Casio is the easiest to use camera of this group.

The Casio's has a very friendly user interface not cluttered by a lot of options you probably will never use. It also has a "Program Mode" that does an outstanding job at automatically choosing the right light settings. Further, it has an eBay and YouTube mode that takes photos and videos at the perfect resolution and makes it easy to upload to those two websites.

The Casio has the best battery life of the cameras in this group. And there's another advantage too, albeit one we are a little hesitant to mention: It comes in variety of colors. The fact is that for some people a camera is a fashion accessory. If you are one of those, or if you are shopping for your first digital camera and/or you are not technically adept this Casio is a great choice.

Weight with battery: 6.2oz (175 g)

Megapixels: 10.1, 3648 x 2736 max resolution

Zoom: 5x optical zoom, 2x digital, 33mm to 165mm (35mmequivalent)

ISO: 100 to 3200

Video: 30 fps at 640 x 480, MPG format

Battery life: approx 260 still images

Best for: Large screen, ease-of-use for photographers with poor eyesight

Sorry, Sony, your DSC-T300 doesn't take great photos. They are OK, but the worst of any camera on this list by a considerable margin. This Sony's photo quality is such that, if I had written this review a few months ago, the T300 would not have made this top five list.

However, a few months ago I was shopping for an ultra-compact for my elderly father. He had never owned a digital camera and his eyes have not aged well. My initial thought was to get him a Casio Exilim (above) because of its superlative ease-of-use. In the end, though, I selected this Sony. The T300 has the largest screen of the five cameras on this list. The T300's 3.5 inch screen is larger than most digital cameras on the market. The display is very crisp and, because the menu controls on the Sony are touchscreen, there are no buttons to work out. There's not even an "on" button to find -- the Sony powers on and off using a slider in front of the camera. I'm happy to report that my father's very pleased with his Sony. Those in a similar position to him are likely to be pleased also.

_{^{Copyright © 2008, Spotcoolstuff.com, All rights reserved.}}