What will you be using it for? Different models have different strengths and weaknesses. Do you need long range of wide angle? Indoors or outdoors?
The whole Sony DSC W-*** series kicks butt.
My last was a W-100 and it *never* failed and the battery life is just insane.
I have a mini-tripod mount on the handlebar of my Harley for it and can record an entire day’s ride on a single 4Gig card and one battery.
[but I carry a spare, just in case]
I recently replaced that with a DSC H-50 and gave hubby the W-100.
Small, sturdy, fast response, sharp photos *and* it shoots good, clear video.
It’s a super “point and shoot” pocket rocket.
I, too, love my sony.
Buy the one with the biggest lens possible. Bigger the lens, greater the light available, better the image quality will be. Don’t bother about megapixels above 12.
There was an extensive revew of compact cameras on Engadget.com and Gizmdo.com. You should consult these two websites before making a purchase.
Personally, I like the Olympus line. I did extensive hands-on research a few years ago, and Olympus seemed to have the best display for use in direct sunlight. That can be important if you take a lot of outdoors shots.
The Canon SD series is excellent. My family and I have several and they are everything we need. About the size of a pack of cigarettes. They’ve been mistreated and never missed a beat.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/shop/8612/Digital_Cameras_Point_Shoot_Digital_Cameras.html
Doogle, I absolutely swear by the Canon IXUS range of cameras. I’m on my third one now: they look nice, they have a steel case and they take great pictures without you needing to meddle with the settings. I carry one on my duty belt when I’m doing Guardian Angels work, which can sometimes get rough-and-tumble. Now, they aren’t shockproof so it is possible to break them, but they are more rugged than others.
Point-and-shoot, zoom if you like. The default settings are all sensible and well thought-out. Shoots well at nite, shoots well during the day. My About page has a photo taken with it at nite. I’ve been asked if I used any special settings to get the picture — nope.
Highly recommended. When this one has done its duty, I will buy another Canon IXUS.
PowerShot A1000 IS Good value camera. Great pictures.Pocketable, powerful for it's size.
PowerShot SD970 IS A little more upgrade from above, also very portable.
The camera I purchased. PowerShot SX10 IS Massive amount of features in a great package. Rotating screen, 0 macro distance, all the features of an SLR without the price.
If you want samples of what this camera can do, Freepmail me.
I had/have the Canon PowerShot SX10 IS and it’s a great camera...loved it!
I upgraded about 1 1/2 years ago to the Canon EOS 350D (Digital Rebel XT) and absolutely LOVE it. It has SLR and I can take multiple pics in seconds, which is nice because it’s hard to miss the perfect shot. It’s this one:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos350d/
Both Canons are fairly easy to use, but the second one with SLR is going to cost ya about 2x the first. I chose to upgrade because I take a lot of pics of my kids for my business and need prefer the SLR function and higher megapixels.
I’ve heard good things from a lot of e-friends about the entry level Nikon SLR camera, too, but I’ve personally never used it.
The first thing you need to ask is what features you want.
If you want the smallest camera with the best zoom, then the Panasonic’s the best. It is the smallest camera with a 10x zoom. Some of the pictures I have taken with it are amazing.
Canon cameras usally have the best image quality, but if you want a better zoom their cameras are a bit bulky.
Sony also makes a nice camera, but again if you want zoom, too big.
Bottom line for me, Sony or Canon for best picture quality (without a great zoom), Pansonic for best zoom (still great picture quality, but not as nice as Sony or Canon).
Canon SD880i for just under three hundred.
Widest glass lens of the bunch with all controls on the back for one handed use.
Lens quality is superior to others in the series and that generally trumps mega pixel count.
Now, when you get ready for the SLR a Nikon 18-200 zoom on the D-90 is a real killer but we are talking major life purchase range for an outfit starting with that.
I bought a very small Kyocera camera. Although it took excellent photos, the rechargable battery was good for about 12 to 15 pictures. And before you say it was a defective battery, I bought 2 spares and none of them lasted more that the same 12 to 15 shots.
Canon Power Shot has my vote for a compact camera. Easy to operate, good opticals, VERY small. You can literally carry it in your pocket.
It has the digital display screen, too, of course, but it can be hard to see in bright light.
Depress the shutter button partially and the camera focuses automatically.
I was doing the same research as you are. My brother-in-law recommended this camera to me and I bought one.
You can't believe the quality of pictures this thing can take.
For any cameras that interest you, dig into the company’s website and look for the owner’s manual for the specific model. You can really get a lot of good info by reading the manual (how do you change the battery, how difficult is it to change settings, etc.)
When shopping for a digital camera for my Mom, I wanted one that was simple. A quick look at the size of the user manual was a clue to the complexity of the camera.
dont buy a small one
the lens’ are too small to get a really nice picture
get one of those that looks like a mini 35mm, they would be about $250 or $300 and the [picture quality is hugely better than a small digital
If you have $700, get a full size digital SLR, it is worth it
Consider the end state that you intend your images to be, then back track to the kind of digital camera you need to get there. BTW, agree with other posters ref the Canon series. My pocket camera is the Canon SD1100 IS. Great little camera. Go here for research:
I am a real estate agent, and do property valuation reports sometimes requiring multiple photos along with residential sales & listings. I also have the world’s cutest grandkids who need to be photographed frequently. < /opinion >
I bought a Fujifilm FinePix, 5.1 megapixels, small and simple, a few of years ago. I have been satisfied with the results.