In the last few years there have been many updated features added to compact digital cameras under $300.  Here are some things to consider when purchasing a compact digital camera.

Digital camera manufacturers will quote two types of zoom; the Optical zoom and the Digital zoom. One of the most important features of a camera is the Optical Zoom. This is the actual lens zoom. The optical zoom should be 3x or better. The digital zoom is the ability to enlarge a portion of the image that is captured. The digital zoom captures a part of the image that is captured and crops the image to that portion.  The more mega pixels your camera has the better the digital zoom will be.  You can lose some image quality when you use a digital zoom.

Always check to see what kind of media the digital camera requires. Canon, Casio and Olympus usually use a SD media card. Fuji cameras usually use XD media cards and Sony uses the Sony memory stick. The SD is the most common type and usually the cheapest. Make sure you purchase a media card that is large enough for the camera you purchase. The minimum size I would recommend is 1Gb. It is also recommended that you purchase a card that is high speed. Digital cameras need a high quality battery. Some come with a Lithium Battery made specifically for the camera.  These cameras will also come with at charger. Some cameras use AA or AAA batteries. If you use a AA or AAA battery you should use batteries specifically made for digital cameras or consider investing in rechargeable AA or AAA lithium batteries.

Canon, Casio and Sony offer a number of high tech features on their digital cameras.
Some of the features include face recognition, digital filters, and maybe one of the coolest high tech features is smile recognition. When using smile recognition you push the button to take a picture, the camera will then wait for the subject to smile before the image is captured.  Most of the newer cameras have very large view screens. The Casio Exilim EX-S10 has a 2.7" LCD that takes up ¾ of the camera. This camera along with a few Sony models is very thin and easy to use. Many of the Canon models offer image stabilization. This feature will compensate for a shaky hand.

You should consider an 8 to 10 megapixel camera. With a larger megapixel you can print large images without losing image quality. Most cameras will also allow you to record video at a rate of 32 frames per second at a resolution of 640 x 480 or better. If you are going to take pictures at a high quality or record video you want to make sure that you purchase a memory card that is 2gb or better.

About the Author
Evan Freedman is an author for The Computer Geek Custom Web Page Design and for CSSZafco.com, distributor of computers and accessories. Evan has been diagnosing and fixing computer for over 25 years. Please visit the site to view a huge assortment of Computer Technology.