I'm looking for a compact digital camera, which one?
I have a nikon d40 slr but I find it hard to just break it out for spur of the moment photos. I have an olympus compact but it takes around 3/4 seconds to take a picture so I'd like a compact that has very quick response. I'll probably buy it on ebay second hand but am just wondering what I should be looking out for?
You could go for a 50/50 option between the compact and SLR and get a mirrorless camera like the Panasonic GF1 and Samsung NX100. They're much smaller than an SLR but offer control and performance similar their bigger cousins.
Compacts do suffer from AF and shutter lag. Maybe the higher end compacts like the Lumix LX3/LX5 and Canon G-series might be better?
There's a shutter lag comparison table here of quite a few compact cameras: http://www.cameras.co.uk/html/shutter-lag-comparisons.cfm
I love Cameras and have quite a few. I have the Canon EOS with a "L" lens, yet I find that I usually pull out my trusty Canon SD 1100 IS, I bought my wife the SD 1200 ISlast year and now they have the Canon PowerShot SD1300 IS 12.1 MP available. It takes great pictures and also takes great videos for posting on the internet. I have fancy Cameras and Camcorders, yet this is the Camera I use the most for pictures and videos.
I have a little nylon camera case with a belt loop and I take this camera with me just about all the time.
This is very sturdy, has a long battery life, buit in flash, takes great pictures and has the buildt in video capabilities.
Well these are the compacts that I recommend.
Ultra portable
Canon S95
Panasonic LX 3 or LX 5
Samsung TL500
Portable but not quite compact
Olympus E-PL1
Panasonic GF1
Sony NEX 3 or NEX 5
These are all good cameras. The Sony NEX series are probably the most advanced but are a bit unusual in their styling and menus ( well at least for me). They take great pictures.
The Canon S95 is incredible in what they have been able to achieve in such a small camera. It take great pictures and video while being about the size of a pack of cigarettes.
Personally, I really like the Panasonic LX3. I have used it with great results but I can recommend all the cameras here.
http://cheapdslrprofessional.blogspot.com/
I would consider Olympus Stylus 9000 12 MP Digital Camera with 10x Wide Angle Optical Dual Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD (Black)
Technical Details
Color: Black
12-megapixel resolution for photo-quality, poster-size prints
10x wide-angle optical dual image stabilized zoom
2.7-inch HyperCrystal III LCD; enhances the brightness of the display by 2x
Compatible with xD Picture Cards and microSD memory cards (not included)