Compact cameras usually fit inside a coat pocket, a purse, or even a belt case. They usually will have more advanced sensors than the ultra compacts, and tend to give better low-light performance.

Compact cameras also typically have heavier, higher quality lenses. Personally I recommend compact digital cameras for those vacationers who know that a photo will be taken every 15 or 20 minutes.

A personal favorite compact camera is the Fuji F30 (2.5″ screen; 36-108mm (equiv.) f2.8-3.5 lens). It is a very responsive camera with minimal shutter lag. Similar to professional digital SLRs, the Fuji does not have a “playback mode” in which you can get stuck. You only need to press the review button to look at photos you’ve taken.

To take a photograph you simply press the shutter release and the camera automatically switches to “recording mode”. The camera includes a lightweight rechargeable Lith-Ion battery that should be good for nearly 600 photos between charges.

There are some drawbacks to this camera since there is no optical viewfinder as well as no orientation sensor, if you take a picture while holding the camera vertically, the image will show up sideways your computer and you’ll need to rotate it using software.