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With digicams that fit into a tin of Altoids and models the size of hockey pucks, several camera makers are unveiling tiny cameras for the spy in all of us.

Minox, SiPix, Digital Dream, and Panasonic are offering miniature, almost keychain-like devices, while, for photographers looking for a little more versatility, Casio, Fujifilm, Minolta, and Pentax are offering extra-small cameras sporting 3-megapixel resolution and optical zoom capability.

Honey, I Shrunk the Cameras

Compared to standard pocket-size cameras such as Canon's boxy Digital Elph series, the latest crop of miniature digital cameras look like toys. German camera maker Minox introduced two extremely small, atypically designed cameras.

The $279 Leica M3 is so small it resembles a Matchbox toy car. Weighing a mere 3.2 ounces, the M3 nestles nicely in the middle of your palm. Modeled after the Classic Leica M3 that was popular back in the fifties, this miniaturized, digital version is designed with a black and steel body, and even retains the levers and switches on the front of the camera.

The M3 features a 2.1-megapixel resolution, a fixed 48mm lens (35mm equivalent), and 32MB of internal memory. It comes with a tiny optical viewfinder for framing shots but lacks an LCD for viewing images; it does have an LCD image counter and mode selection. It also lacks a built-in flash, but you can buy the Minox Classic Camera Flash for $199. The M3 and the optional flash are available now.

Minox's other innovation is the $199 DD1 that will be available in June. The trendy DD1 looks like a silver metal disc resembling a hockey puck with smooth rounded edges. Only 3 inches in diameter and 3.2 ounces, the DD1 slides easily into most any pocket.

The DD1's other features are typical of a small point-and-shoot camera: 2.1-megapixel resolution, a fixed 48mm lens (35mm equivalent), and 32MB of internal memory. Like the Leica M3, the DD1 sports a tiny optical viewfinder and an LCD picture counter and mode selection, but it lacks an LCD for viewing images.

Small, Cheap Digicams

One of the least expensive and tiniest cameras is the SiPix StyleCam Blink II, available now. It costs $40, weighs less than 2 ounces, and measures only 2.4 inches in diameter, resembling a small box of matches.

The Blink II comes with a very basic set of camera features, including VGA (640-by-480) resolution, a fixed 43mm lens (35mm equivalent), 8MB of internal storage, a tiny viewfinder, and an image counter and mode selection. It is also capable of capturing 160 seconds of AVI clips at 5 frames per second, but lacks an LCD and a flash.

Another company offering low-cost, basic point-and-shoot cameras is U.K.-based Digital Dream. The company's most basic model is the $39 Epsilon, which captures up to 20 extremely low-resolution (352-by-288) snapshots. It's so small that the viewfinder pops up from the body of the camera, and it comes with a key ring--a seemingly appropriate pairing since it looks like a toy keychain camera.

On the company's high end is the $189, 2-megapixel Eclipse 2.0. It features an LCD for viewing photos, a built-in flash, and a TV-out connection. On the quirky side, Digital Dream offers the 0.5-megapixel L'espion XS, which is enclosed in a shiny steel, Zippo lighter-like shell.

Digital Dream offers a host of other digicams with features in between those of the Epsilon and Eclipse models, ranging in price from $69 to $200.

Svelte Sharpshooters

For pocket-size convenience and versatility, consider the $399 Casio Exilim EX-Z3, available in April, and the $399 Pentax Optio S, available this month.

The EX-Z3 and Optio S have many things in common: Both cameras sport a sleek, metal body and ultracompact design that resembles a fancy business card holder, and they weigh only about 4 ounces.

Both cameras are equipped with 3.2-megapixel resolution, a Pentax lens, a 3X optical zoom (35mm to 105mm lens in 35mm equivalent format), a SecureDigital/MultiMediaCard slot, a rechargeable lithium ion battery, and the ability to record 30-second AVI clips with sound. Both even double as alarm clocks.

Although their basic foundation is similar, there are a few specs that set them apart. Casio's EX-Z3, for example, comes with 10MB of internal memory, a large 2-inch LCD for viewing and framing shots, and a built-in calendar (viewable on the LCD). Meanwhile, Pentax's Optio S has 11MB of internal memory and a 1.6-inch LCD.

Slim and Square

For slightly boxier yet still slim cameras, consider the $499 Fujifilm FinePix F410 and the $449 Minolta DiMage Xi--both available now. These devices sport a brushed metal body and square design, and each measures roughly 3.3 inches wide, 2.8 inches high, and 1 inch deep.

The 6-ounce FinePix F410 features a 3.1-megapixel resolution, a 3X optical zoom lens (38mm to 114mm lens in 35mm equivalent format), AVI-video capture mode, a 1.5-inch LCD, a 16MB XD-Picture card slot, and a rechargeable lithium ion battery that can be charged inside the camera using the included AC adapter.

The 5-ounce DiMage Xi offers 3.2-megapixel resolution, a 3X optical zoom lens (37mm to 111mm in 35mm equivalent format), AVI-video capture mode, a 1.5-inch LCD, a 16MB SecureDigital memory card, and a rechargeable lithium ion battery with charger.

Also in the square form factor, though somewhat unusually designed, is the 3.2-megapixel Nikon Coolpix SQ with a rotating lens. It will be available this spring at a price that is yet to be finalized.

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