Having lost my Canon SD10, I am checking out what I might buy next. I'm in the market for an ultra-compact model with at least 4mp (mega-pixels), flash, viewfinder optional, large LCD, video mode, optical zoom a big plus and SD for memory (Secure Digital, seems the most price competitive and I have an older one too).

DP Review is still the best resource online for specs and other geek photography details though I cannot discount DCRP as it is another excellent website. I actually went to a couple of Ritz Camera stores, in Rivermark and Valley Fair to have some hands on time with the cameras, this guy Michael at Valley Fair really knows his stuff

Don't be mistaken by the dimensions, all these cameras are extremely small, but that also means the picture quality suffers (basically, the thinner it is, the worse picture you'll get). The prices are from Amazon


Canon PowerShot SD300 - 4mp - $360
86 x 54 x 21 mm (3.4 x 2.1 x 0.8 in = 5.71) - 2in LCD, 118K pixels
The latest ELPH (the original compact digital camera) actually caught me by surprise because of its size, much thinner than its predecessors. The round edges make the all metal case very classy, a bit disappointed by it being 4mp, though it is quite enough. After playing with all the cameras at the store, this is the one I like most

Pentax Optio S5i - 5mp - $340
94 x 50 x 24 mm (3.7 x 2.0 x 1.0 in = 7.40) - 1.8in LCD, 85K pixels
Competitive price, really light though from friends' experience, the camera isa bit fragile

Canon SD20 - 5mp - $320
90 x 47 x 19 mm (3.5 x 1.9 x 0.7 in = 4.65) - 1.5in LCD, 78K pixels
Almost the reference camera here, updated model of my old SD10 but there are only few changes, no optical zoom or viewfinder

Sony T3 - 5mp - $400
90 x 60 x 18 mm (3.5 x 2.4 x 0.7 = 5.88) - 2.5in LCD, 230K pixels
A thinner version of the T1 with minor enhancements (new LCD, brighter flash, tripod mount, burst mode), comes with cradle (usb 2.0), very good screen quality and of course huge size, no viewfinder, expensive though

Casio Exilim EX-Z55 - 5mp - $340
87 x 57 x 23 mm (3.4 x 2.2 x 0.9 in = 6.73) - 2.5in LCD, 115K pixels

The first really small camera I've ever seen was the Exilim, solid specs, comes with docking cradle for recharge and image transfer, some user complain about weak LCD quality though it is big. I've also heard about some blueish hue associated with pics from this camera

Casio Exilim EX-S100 - 3.2mp - $270 update
88 x 57 x 17 mm (3.5 x 2.2 x 0.7 in = 5.39) - 2in LCD, 84K pixels
A late addition to this roundup, I've stumbled onto this camera released in Aug. only recently while goin to a Circuit City. It's about the same size as the SD300 but thinner, shinier metal. It's really sweet but the mp is a bit weak. It does sport a 2.8x optical zoom which is pretty amazing considering the size

Konica Minolta DiMage X50 - 5mp - $340
84 x 62 x 24 mm (3.3 x 2.4 x 0.9 in = 7.13) - 2in LCD, 115K pixels
Standout is the start up time, simply amazing, it also sports a good size LCD, has an interesting optical lens mechanism that enables zoom without protuding piece that comes out (reducing change of damage); the brand is not very popular in the US though. I have an issue with the zoom though, it switches to digital zoom after you reach the end of the optical zoom, maybe that can be turned off but if not, it's really whack. Also, the camera is kinda big

Sony DSC-L1 - 4mp - $280 update
95 x 44 x 26 mm (3.7 x 1.7 x 1 in = 3.29) - 1.5in LCD, 78K pixels
John alerted me to the ultra-compact below, looks pretty sweet, Sony's version of the Canon SD20, has a 3x optical zoom and a good price but it was so much bigger than it looked. I'm not digging the form factor either, it's rectangular but has a round face, a bit tube-like, it reminds me of the Sony U though it is thinner than those bricks


Panasonic has the Lumix FX7 which is comparable to these but about the same size as the Optio, Nikon and Olympus ultra compacts are too big in size

In the end, I miss the small form factor of my old camera which is in strict terms the smallest of all ultra-compacts, I like how it's rectangular (like a cell phone) but it needs optical zoom bad. The SD300 emerges as the top contender. Having it support SD as memory is actually a bigger factor than I thought (Sony's Memory Stick Duos or other obscure new flash memories are quite pricey)