I already have a largish digital SLR and need a compact digital camera to carry with me for everyday shooting.  My phone camera can take simple pictures but its just not good enough.

There are so many digital cameras on the market and new ones keep appearing quite frequently. It is so difficult to decide which one to buy.
So I have made a list of criteria before buying my next compact digital camera.

compact_digital_camera

1.  Battery life.
This is the most important factor for me. I travel quite a fair bit. I need a camera to take at least a day’s worth of photos before the battery runs flat. I can carry a spare battery but I prefer not to. Unfortunately we cannot judge how long the camera will last at the camera shop. Check the web for reviews where users have left feedback on battery life and speak to friends to see if they have bought anything lately.

2.  Memory storage.
Majority are now SD/SDHC memory card. I will choose cameras which use this type of format and not the proprietary type. It will cheaper to buy and easier to locate when you need a new memory card.

3.  Megapixels.
The higher the better? Not really. Majority of photographers are casual and family snappers. Unless you are printing photos larger than A4 size, any camera with 6 megapixels is sufficient.

4.  Zoom.
Stick with optical if zooming is required. Having said that, a camera with any digital zoom is better than none. There will also be some sort of image stabilisation in modern cameras to compensate for shaky hands. For my casual snapshots, zooming is not really that important, any kind of zoom will do me.

5.  Looks and colour.
This is purely aesthetics. Everyone has a different taste. For me I will pick a bright pink camera. ;-)

6.  Cost.

Don’t think that the most expensive camera is the best camera on the market.  New and cheaper ones with new technology get released very quickly.  Get a camera you can afford without breaking the bank.  You might upgrade to a new camera in no time.