NY Times has a nice articles on ultra-slim cameras (less than 0.8 inches) - These Cameras Are Lean but Not Spare. Not surprisingly Cannon and Nikon and the best. The 3 x optical zoom is the maximum due to the small size of the camera. The interesting trick is that there is no need for a telescoping obective anymore ("zoom-zoom", remember...). The manufactures created a reflecting system within the camera that takes care of the optical zoom.
Only a small percentage of the digital photos are ever printed but if you want to have a picture than you can touch, go to:
-Walmart.com - 19 cents per photo, choose the one-hour option and pick up the photos at the local Walmart store
-Snapfish just starting offering a new price - 12 cents per photo, the lowest on the market. Snapfish was bought by HP recently.
References:
Our Annual Guide to Buying A Digital Camera by Walter Mossberg in WSJ
Less Cursing, Better Pictures: 10 Suggestions - NYT 6/05
Only a small percentage of the digital photos are ever printed but if you want to have a picture than you can touch, go to:
-Walmart.com - 19 cents per photo, choose the one-hour option and pick up the photos at the local Walmart store
-Snapfish just starting offering a new price - 12 cents per photo, the lowest on the market. Snapfish was bought by HP recently.
References:
Our Annual Guide to Buying A Digital Camera by Walter Mossberg in WSJ
Less Cursing, Better Pictures: 10 Suggestions - NYT 6/05