While a stylish, small digital camera that is easily slipped into your pocket may seem like the best for travel, you may want to consider a camera with larger, well-positioned controls or one that sports added features such as an optical zoom of up to 10X rather than the typical 3X.

Will you be snapping pictures of family and friends in front of the Eiffel Tower or trying to zoom in on a startlingly colorful parrot perched at a distance?

Lightweight Digital Cameras

If you come down on the side of a convenient, small format camera that you can carry any and everywhere, you'll be glad to know that some digital cameras can weigh in at a mere 7 ounces. While others may tilt the scale by a few more ounces, you might find the controls easier to handle.

Digital Camera with Zoom

Trying to capture that exotic parrot for your travel album or your child's first touchdown for posterity? You'll probably need a greater optical zoom. Most of the cameras we've listed have an optical zoom of 3X. To insure catching that dramatic and perhaps fleeting moment take a look at optical zoom capabilities from 7X to 10X.

As a traveler, keep in mind that cameras with greater optical zoom capabilities have a longer lens. You will want to weigh the ability to capture details at a distance with the greater overall size and weight of the camera.

Travel Musts for Digital Cameras

Are you setting out to experience the tranquil and exotic beauty of Tahiti, the hustle and bustle of New York City, the art and architecture of Paris, the luxurious fun and comfort of a cruise ship or the teeming wildlife in a tidal wetland? Whatever your form of travel or destination, you'll want to enjoy seamless, trouble-free shooting.

• Batteries: Don't experience the frustration of the perfectly framed shot foiled by a dead battery. To save and savor the moment you'll want to always have two sets of rechargeable batteries with you. Recharge both sets each night to be prepared for your next day of shooting.
• Memory Cards: Because the memories you want to record won't come in predictable daily numbers, you'll want to be sure to have enough memory capacity to take advantage of all the wonderful opportunities that come your way.
  
  Purchase a memory card of at least 256 MB, if not 512MB or larger. For a benchmark consider that if you are taking pictures with a 5 MP camera, shooting full size pictures with minimum compression, you will only get about 128 photos on a 256 MB card. That probably won't be enough storage for a trip of a week or two.

Remember that with a digital camera there are no film costs. This means that just like a professional, you can take a slew of pictures at each opportunity, deleting the inferior shots and saving only the best.

Perhaps you would prefer to review and cull your photographs after you return home rather than on the spot. All the more reason to purchase a larger memory card for your trip. That way you won't have to worry about the photo ops you might miss because you have a full memory card and no additional storage capacity.

You can make sure you get the twinkle in the gondolier's eyes that only appeared after several cajoling attempts or the sea otter that looked you right in the face after the three profiles you took for want of a better angle. Did the sunset hues shift from beautiful to gorgeous? Simply take another shot and you'll have the best of your travels to savor again and again.