I need to choose an ultra compact digital camera

[gazzalfc]

I'm getting a new digital camera for my birtday next month.

I need one that can fit in my pocket when I'm out. A simple point and shoot camera

Looking on the net I've found a few choices.

Fujifilm Z2[/b]

Samsung i6

Ricoh R4

Kodak V570

Casio Exilim EX-Z600

They are allin my price range (£100-£200)and all have similar specs.

What are people's opinions on these camera's? What would be the best for me?

[slipe]

If you normally carry or want to have a MP3 player with you the Samsung i6 looks to be a nice combination. I haven't seen any reviews but Samsung usually gets good photo quality.

I think my choice would be the Ricoh R4. With 28 – 200 equivalent zoom and true optical stabilization it is a nifty little camera. The only knocks I've seen on the camera is some banding in high contrast situations. But the noise seems controlled and the photos good.

The Kodak 570 has a 23mm equivalent lens plus a standard 3X zoom lens. There isn't anything between 23mm and 39mm except digital zoom though. If you want something for wide vistas or cramped spaces the 23mm is great. According to reviews it doesn't have great photo quality but the photos will look fine at screen size or normal prints. I'm not fond of the panorama mode not giving you the individual shots. You either like the way it stitches the photo or reject it, but you can't restitch it yourself. It is handy having it stitch the photos in the camera though.

I would prefer the Casio S600 to the Z600 because of the MPEG4 movies. The Fuji Z series hasn't been great – I think I would prefer either Casio based on the Z1 reviews with the same sensor and lens.

Welcome to the board. This is how your post looks on my screen. Many people have switched from the irritating black to a more standard display and some colors don't display very well. It is best to just print in black or many of the regulars will skip the thread rather than highlight the text to try to read it.