There have been so many threads on cameras here. Try going to search and typing in cameras.

Vannie,
It depends on what you want to take pictures of.

DH & I love our Canon Power Shot A series digital. We are on the second one, the first was still working but we had a chance to upgrade so we gave it to a young friend. It is great for all around photos and snapshots and is excellent indoors and out. As a simple point and shoot it is easy to learn and use. With only a 3x optical zoom it is limited for what you can do with it outside, especially taking pics of birds and animals.

My Dad just bought a Kodak Easy Shoot - I don't remember the model but it is nice in that it has a 10x optical zoom. While it is also simple to learn and use, the zoom is wonderful - you can get close-up shots without spooking birds or other animals. I didn't get a chance to play with it, but one point was really good. With a USB cable connection to the computer the included software will handle downloading the pictures to the computer and clearing the memory card all with one step - plug in the camera. For a novice or someone who does not want to fiddle with the technology, that is great.

My main camera is a Nikon Digital SLR that I can change lenses on - I've got an ultra wide angle lens, a middle range zoom and a telephoto zoom. But this is a serious camera and commitment to investment in equipment and time to learn to use. I get a lot of wildlife shots but mostly bought it to take portrait of horses. ;-)

I suspect most of the digital cameras in the $150-250 price range would be good. We generally buy our point and shoots right when the new models are being introduced. That is when we buy the previous year's models at a tremendous discount. They are new cameras, never used, still good technology. But our last Canon that listed at close to $300 cost us $125,

I've had two Kodaks. Tried a couple others and took them back because I couldn't figure out the darn instruction book. Kodak seems easy to figure out.

Canon anything...they are the best!

I will put my name with the Canon line also. The S5 is great if you are looking for something with a long zoom. Any of the powershots are easy to use.

I love my Canon Elph. I used to be a manual SLR type of person with a bag full of accessories. Now, my teeny tiny camera fits in my pocket for gardening photos and takes up less room than a wallet in my purse for traveling.

Canon PowerShot SD800 IS Digital Elph, 7.1 megapixels I bought mine last spring, so there may now be an updated model available. Easy to use. Easy to upload photos to the computer.

You can see examples in any posts that I have on the forums over the years... or in my blogs on gardening, building a house and our trip to Tuscany last year.

I describe my camera and photographing butterflies (for the Butterfly Garden Forum) in one of my blog entries (linkned directly below)

The urls of my blogs:

www.TourTuscany.blogspot.com
www.DefineBeforeDesign.blogspot.com
www.DefiningYourHome.blogspot.com

Hope this helps.
Cameron
{{gwi:1584638}}

Here is a link that might be useful: Photographs and camera