On the market, there are thousands of camera models to suit just about any experience level. It can be incredibly daunting to select just one to use for a hobby or as an introduction to the world of photography. However, there are models out there that can be just what you are looking for, if you are prepared to pay the price.

Some models can run in at $350, and these machines should be worth every dollar. As an example, the Cyber shot by Sony boasts many of the features that a high end model claims to have, and is packed into a small case. Running to the size of a card deck, these machines will often be sleek and seductive for both average and experienced users. There are also many features that make digital photography a delight to work with. That is not to say that the novice would not appreciate the functions, rather that they would find it somewhat difficult to get to grips with the navigation.

The menu system is held on an LCD touch screen on this particular model, although on some that fall into the category of high end compacts will be cluttered on the back of the camera, or accessible through buttons on the side. This enables the point and click mechanism to run smoothly without having to stop and scroll. It would appear that the menu systems on either format can be quite slow to access, so caution is needed when selecting your purchase. As well as this, the functions such as the zoom and the preview buttons allow for greater precision when taking shots, and the high level internal storage that is boasted by several of the models will store many pictures at a high resolution.

On many of these appliances, the internal memory should be sufficient, but there will be slots for an external drive, or a memory card. This should mean that you will never have to run out of space to capture the finer moments in your life. In addition, the 8 megapixel lens means that the resolution stays constant, although for some people the images will appear grainy or blurry depending on the lighting. Of course, there are functions on several of the models that will attempt to remove this, especially with an internal or external flash, or automatic brightness sensors. On some models, the blurriness can be reduced with face detection and anti shake facilities.

Using the Cyber shot as an example, the functions on the more advanced models can be quite impressive, as the slideshow, album and scrapbook features will enable a more in depth operation of your pictures. In the case of movie making, the capturing of images is incredibly fast and high quality for a small machine. This makes things much more organized in terms of transferring and uploading a large selection of images, especially in a technological world where social networking and online photograph storage are great means of sharing your everyday life.