Ultra-Compact Digital Camera Review

Sizing up reviewers of digital cameras

Ultra-compact digital cameras emphasize small size and style, and they cost more than others. They fit easily into purses and pockets, making them great go-anywhere digital cameras. Our regular report on digital cameras includes models that are only slightly larger (but still compact). Other ConsumerSearch digital camera reports focus on ultra-zoom cameras, which have optical zooms of 10x and higher, and digital SLRs (single-lens reflex cameras), which accept interchangeable lenses, have larger image sensors and deliver faster shooting performance.

The Imaging Resource and DCResource.com take the top spots in our ranking of the reviews because of their measured performance testing, sample photos and detailed, expert critiques. Steve's Digicams and DigitalPhotographyReview.com also perform detailed, in-depth digital camera reviews, and the sites are great for reading news on upcoming new cameras. However, we rate them just a notch lower because Steve's Digicams is not as helpful in identifying the best cameras overall, and DigitalPhotographyReview.com is more focused on high-end digital cameras than on point-and-shoot cameras. The ultra-compact digital camera reviews at all of these sites are chock full of specifications, performance measurements and sample photos for each of the dozens of reviewed cameras. They are also among the first to evaluate new cameras as they hit the market.

The one negative of our top-rated reviewers is that they can be a little overwhelming at first for the uninitiated. CNet.com and its sister sites (such as CNet.com Asia), on the other hand, cover ultra-compact digital cameras with reviews that are easy to read, but not as detailed as those at dedicated camera sites, making them a great first stop for beginners who don't want to be overwhelmed with technical details. PC Magazine fills much the same role. Consumer Reports makes digital camera recommendations, but it is much thinner on details and is updated less frequently.

While convenient and stylish, cameras this tiny sometimes entail some compromises. For example, many reviews note that you usually get better photo quality and features with larger cameras, some of which are barely thicker than these smallest models. Also, ultra-compact digital cameras are sometimes more expensive than mainstream digital cameras. Excellent performing but larger (though still compact) cameras can cost less than $150.

While some sacrifices might be acceptable to get the smallest and sleekest digital camera, critics say that some ultra-compact digital cameras ask for a little more in that regard than others. A case-in-point is the Casio Exilim EX-S10 (*Est. $170). At a smidgen over 1/2-inch thick, it currently holds the title as the thinnest digital camera on the market. The Casio camera has a resolution of 10.1 megapixels, a 3x optical zoom and a decent-sized 2.7-inch LCD screen. Reports say that the EX-S10 is also quick; it turns on fast with little shutter lag. Most reviewers add that the camera is also well built and straightforward to use.

So what's not to like? For starters, image quality is only so-so at best, according to digital camera reviews. Even the kindest of critics say that the Casio EX-S10 is photographically challenged under some common shooting situations. Dan Havlik at Laptop magazine says that autofocus speed is somewhat undone by its inaccuracy, with many shots not as sharp as he would have liked. Jamie Harrison at TrustedReviews.com agrees, adding in her review of the Casio EX-S10, "Where the camera falls down is sharpness, with camera shake appearing often even at relatively fast shutter speeds, and a lack of critical sharpness at the edges of the frame." In reviews, the Casio digital camera's low-light performance is also not the best.

With such a tiny camera, it's not surprising that ergonomics can be an issue as well. TrustedReviews.com's Harrison found the Casio EX-S10 digital camera hard to handle, or even hold onto. "The slippery surface combined with the slim profile doesn't suit everyone's hands and the limited grip area of the back of the camera leaves little purchase," Harrison writes, adding that the camera was nearly dropped a couple of times during testing. Laptop magazine's Havlik finds the Casio EX-S10's tiny buttons a challenge to get used to.

In the end, critics say that while the Casio Exilim EX-S10 is a decent camera in many ways, if you don't need the absolute slimmest camera available, there are a lot of other ultra-compact digital cameras that are better still.