Compact digital cameras are improving all the time, making snapshots and photos easier and better all the time. And certainly the march toward digital cameras and away from film cameras is in full swing. So what features can be expected to be found on the best compact digital cameras that most people like to use?

* The megapixel rating is important to understand because it determines how much information is stored about every photo taken. In essence, it has to do with the resolution of the photo, and so higher megapixel cameras can store more information and produce larger high quality enlargements. However, most people don't use their camera for anything more than 4x6 photos, and if that is the case a 3 megapixel camera will often work just fine, and a 4-6 megapixel camera will be good for just about anything you will usually need.

* Battery usage varies considerably between compact digital camera models, with some sipping power consumption and others being relative power hogs. Even the worst cameras will provide about 50 shots from a set of batteries, but when you consider that the best cameras will take between 400-500 shots per battery set, it's a huge difference. And it's also a good idea to get a camera that uses AA batteries to save money on power in the long run as you can then use rechargeable batteries instead of throwaways each time.

* The best compact digital cameras also are fast. Each digital camera has to take some time to process an image when the shutter is pressed. Some do this very quickly, others don't. In fact, some can take up to 4-5 seconds to process a shot, during which time you have to just wait until it's done to be able to take the next shot. This can be very frustrating in rapid action sequences. Another problem with speed can be what is called the shutter lag, or time it takes for the autofocus mechanism to finish and then trip the shutter to begin with. Some do this in under a half second, others take a full second or more. When you add up the extra time taken for the shutter lag and processing the digital image afterward, you can see why getting the fastest camera you can is an important feature of the best compact digital cameras.

* The best cameras also have a flexible optical zoom rate of 5X - 10X or more which allows you more ability to zoom in and get great close-up shots when needed.

Of course, all of these top quality features do come at a cost, so you can expect to pay more for some of them as opposed to just the standard camera. But if price is not as much of a consideration in the search, and you want to find the best compact digital cameras for sale, look for the kind of features mentioned above when you shop.