These cameras aren’t much bigger than the compact digital cameras, but they offer a lot more user control. The lenses might be bigger, heavier, and of higher optical quality. Almost all creative compact cameras offer the option of storing images in RAW format, usually proprietary but sometimes in Adobe’s standard DNG format.

You will probably find that a standard JPEG is easiest for uploading images to the Web, sharing with friends, or purchasing prints. Unfortunately you will probably find that a lot of shadow and highlight detail that was originally captured by the sensor can be lost with a standard JPEG.

When using the RAW format, the photographer has the ability to bring out the shadow or highlight detail by using an image editing program on a personal computer (or letting a professional lab do it and make a really great print).

Unless you are prepared to spend an evening reading the manual and learning the settings don’t buy one of these cameras. If you don’t do your homework first the results will be the same as if you had used a simpler compact camera.

Panasonic LX2 (28-110mm F2.8-4.9 image-stabilized Leica lens; good for wide angle). Canon G7. 35-210mm F2.8-4.8 lens; no RAW capability; very bad noise at high ISO Ricoh GR Digital. This has a fixed focal-length 28mm equivalent lens that will be superb for wide-angle scenic photos. It is not clear if this camera is going to be sold in the United States.

This product category seems to have gone out of favor and therefore there isn’t much to choose from. Camera companies are concentrating their energies on the “SLR-like” category (below) and SLR category