It’s easier than ever to go to extremes when you buy a digital camera. Small is bountiful, and big is also booming.

This report includes an unprecedented range of pocket-sized (subcompact) cameras, including some new ­models with unusual capabilities (see Small cameras with a punch, available to subscribers).  An accompanying report (available to subscribers) covers generally bulkier and pricier models, many of them with more diverse capabilities.

In between those poles and in this report are mainstream compact cameras too big to pocket but small enough for most handbags and glove boxes. Among those, too, features such as image stabilizers and manual controls are trickling down from high-end cameras. Prices typically range from $200 to $400, so these midsized models continue to be fine values.

The perennial race to greater resolution continues, even if few amateur photographers need the editing and enlarging capability conferred by 5 or more megapixels--now the norm for new cameras. More digital cameras let you take better, longer video clips, too, thanks to the spread of MPEG-4 encoding.

A smaller, simpler camera is best for most people buying their first digital. Even many upgraders will want one, perhaps to replace an older, probably bulkier compact with a smaller model with richer features for a price that’s probably less than they paid for the old camera.

The following will help guide you to the right small camera for your needs.

Confirm that you indeed want a compact or subcompact. These cameras provide superb pictures in most conditions. But their forte is the casual snapshot. More-serious photography generally demands a more advanced camera than these, one with features such as a wider zoom range (6x to 12x) or a full complement of manual controls that let you choose the shutter speed and lens opening, rather than having the camera do it automatically. A greater proportion of advanced models also offer very high (8 megapixels and up) resolution.

Weigh the price of pocketability. The smallest, lightest cameras tend to cost more than compact models and offer fewer advanced features. Among subcompacts, manual controls are harder to find, as are zoom ranges of 4x to 6x. To reduce bulk, most use tiny, proprietary, rechargeable batteries, often with a shorter life than those on bigger models.

Also, while, as a group, subcompacts have improved in ergonomics, it still may be more difficult to manage menus and the like on some models using their smaller controls. If possible, try such cameras at the store before you buy. That way, you’ll know which ones fit your hand comfortably or can be securely gripped.

Once you’ve established your general needs in a camera, narrow your choices further by considering the following:

How much flexibility to enlarge images do you want? If you mainly want to make standard 4x6 snapshot prints, a camera with 4- or 5-megapixel resolution should be fine. Such a camera will also let you make an 8x10 print of an entire uncropped image that won’t look much different than one from a 6- or 8-megapixel model. To enlarge images more than that or blow up only parts of them, you’ll want a 6- to 8-megapixel camera.

Battery type and life. All digitals run on rechargeables, either an expensive battery pack or AAs. In our tests, neither type had a clear performance advantage. The best-performing cameras offer upward of 300 shots on a charge; the worst manage only about 50. We think it’s more convenient to own a camera that accepts AA batteries. You can buy economical, rechargeable cells (plus a charger) and drop in a set of disposable lithium or alkaline batteries if the rechargeables run down in the middle of the day’s shooting.

Camera speed. With point-and-shoot cameras like the ones we tested, there’s a delay after each shot as the camera processes the image. Most models let you shoot an image every few seconds, but a few make you wait 5 seconds or more. They may frustrate you when you’re taking photos in sequence.

Your other cameras. If you’re adding a camera to your lineup or trading up, you might want to look first for one that uses the same type of memory card or battery as other digitals you own, so that you can share them.

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