Having dominated the compact ultrazoom market with their TZ and ZS series - shoot-anything cameras that are also thin and light enough to be taken anywhere - Panasonic’s newest ultrazoom, the ZR1, offers a similar do-everything capability in an even smaller footprint that can be tucked away into pretty much any bag, jacket, or even pants pocket.

The ZR1 features a 25-200mm (8x) lens, giving you a good ability to zoom in on far-away things (animals or building details, for instance), and allowing fantastic wide-angle ability to take in large vistas or building interiors.

The ZR1 has above-average low-light ability. Its image stabilization systems works to reduce camera shake blur for night and indoor situations, and its high ISO mode is decent at freezing motion without too much noise.

If you’re looking to record a few videos on your trip as well, the ZR1 can replace the camcorder as well - the ZR1 packs a 1280x720, 30fps video mode (720p30) that does decent video - better than most dedicated videocameras, especially at this size or price range.

The ZR1 weighs just 4.9oz and is 1 inch thick - about the size of most ultracompacts and far smaller than any other camera with its zoom capabilites and image quality. It can take 330 shots on a single battery charge, which should be good for a few days of travel.

Sony’s WX1 is one of the most polished all-around ultracompacts on the market. It features a 24-120mm, 5x zoom lens. Like most cameras in this size class, the lens can’t zoom very far, but the WX1 more than makes up for this with its very wide 24mm end, which is perfectly suited for the large vistas/landmarks and cramped shooting conditions often found while traveling.

If you’re interested in making videos, the WX1has you covered in that department as well, offering a good 1280x720, 30fps video mode that rivals many dedicated video cameras.

The WX1 is a good low-light performer - with both great high ISO ability to freeze motion and an image stabilization system to reduce camera shake for still scenes.

The WX1 weighs a tiny 4.9oz and is just 0.8 inch thick - about as small and light as you’ll find in any camera. It can take 350 shots on a single battery charge, which should be good for a few days of travel.

Canon’s SD980 is a decent all-around ultracompact with great versatility, with a 720p movie mode and a useful 24-120mm (5x) zoom lens. Image quality and low light ability are a bit above average, though not quite as impressive as some other models. The SD980 is about average size for an ultracompact camera - plenty small enough to take just about anywhere.

The battery life on the SD980 only lasts for 240 shots - still good for a short trip but a bit less than most other cameras.

Samsung is a relative newcomer to the digital camera market, but is quickly making a name selling quality cameras for prices for significantly less than the competition. The TL320, featuring a 24-120mm (5x) lens and a highly capable dual image stabilization system for low-light situations, is a solid ultracompact with good overall capability and portability. Image quality is slightly lower than some similarly spec’d cameras from Sony and Canon, but the Samsung runs about $100 less while offering the same features, making it one of the best bargains around.

At 0.8 inches thin and 5.6oz, the TL320 is one of the thinnest cameras around, and can easily be taken just about anywhere. The 280-shot battery life should be good enough to last a short to medium-length trip on one charge.