For most of us photography is not necessarily as much about being an art form as it is a way to preserve cherished memories and moments of our lives so we can go back and visit them again later. For that kind of purpose, a multi-function digital camera that has all the bells and whistles that you could ever want is overkill. And buying one could result in serious overpaying too as those kind of digital cameras are still very expensive.

But the average person just wants to be able to get great shots that they can enjoy with no muss or fuss. And if that describes you then you need to consider getting a compact digital camera for your photo needs. Here is why:

* You could get a compact film camera if you wish but why would you want to do that these days? Digital cameras will afford you so much more flexibility and control over the shots that you take. For instance, when you take a snapshot with a film camera, you just don't klnow how it's going to look until you develop the film. With a digital camera you can see what the shot looks like immediately and decide right away if it's a keeper, or if you need to just delete it and shoot all over again. What an important option to have at those special occasions that can't be redone again later like weddings, birthdays, etc.

* Compact digital cameras let you do so much with each image that you take that you just couldn't do with film. Of course, you can get scanned images of your film photos but you have to wait until the film is processed first and you have to pay extra for the processing and scanning. With a digital camera you just store the photos on a reusable media card and then pop it into a photo printer for printing, or you can also upload the photos to your home computer where you can play around with them until they are just the way you want in a photo editing program. After printing them out you can store them on your hard drive, transfer them to CDs or whatever you like. And best of all, because they are digital, they will never fade with time or how many times you make copies from those image files. Once all your files are uploaded, just wipe the camera card clean and start over again. How's that for easy and simple?

Here are a few recommendations that show up on many compact digital camera reviews by both photo websites and consumers alike:

* Fuji FinePix F10, Canon Powershot A510 & Canon Powershot A520, Olympus Stylus 800, and the Kodak EasyShare Z700.

All of these compact digital cameras produce excellent photo results and most of them have a good mix of features and options that would please the average digital camera user. And most are inexpensive units that won't break your wallet either.

So if you have struggled about making the switch to digital from film cameras, now is the time to finally let go of the old ways, and embrace the newer, better technology of compact digital cameras instead.