As with many of the models on today’s market, the facilities on a compact camera have often been average at best. With some models doing exceptionally well in terms of resolution quality and other external features, and some that are dismal even to the point of a high purchase price that can not be worth the dollars on the card, the scope for choosing an average camera at a reasonable price is often very slim.

This does not always reflect current trends, as each model boasts something different to their counterparts, and it becomes an individual choice whether or not to purchase that particular device. Market fluctuations and reviews will dictate the popularity of a particular machine, and these in turn can alter the price tag depending on how much a person is willing to pay.

For many compact models, the small designs may look and feel wonderful, and can come packed with useful features that are a delight to master. However, this can be time consuming. Many of these models have an integrated menu screen that is difficult to navigate, or complex to utilize. The time it takes to figure out the controls could mean that a number of quality image opportunities are lost, and this is incredibly disappointing.

In addition, the features themselves come with some issues. The point and shoot device can only work if the settings are manual. On many automatic models the light sensitivity can be set too high, which means that even the highest of resolution could not capture a clear picture. It does not always follow that the images will be less than excellent, but assuming that things will be perfect will lead to you being disheartened.

The positive attributes of many of these smaller models are always worth a mention. On some machines, the automatic features may work exceptionally well, especially when it comes to zoom, exposure limitations, and image stabilization or fun capture modes. But these are not always available, and you may have to scour the stores until you find a camera that has these as standard and at a reasonable price, otherwise you may find that you never find the perfect one for you.

The LCD screen has also been problematic. The differing sizes on several of the models have meant that the menu buttons have been accessed, or it takes two hands to hold it, or it simply does not show pictures clearly enough. It can also be a relatively good size so you can see the images you wish to take without showing the crop lines that can sometimes cover up the screen. These that have external buttons can also be set in areas that are easily accessible and does not cause too much hassle with the menu options.

Using these menu options on an average device, you may wish to explore any time lag that could be present. You can also hold the machine in your hand and you’ll feel that this one is for you.