I have a Fuji FinePix F700 which I really love. Besides taking great digital photos, it also has the capacity to take 15 minutes movies with sound (I had to upgrade the Picture Card for that length of movie but it was worth it). Also with the upgraded Picture Card, I can take 1001 pics. At my nephew's wedding, I took over 280 pics and about 10 or so movies, before the battery stopped. I got pics and movies the hired professional photograph did not. My nephew and his new bride especially loved the close-up movie of their wedding vows. I took a movie of the neighbor kids playing football and could play it back frame by frame. It was great and the kids loved it. It can also do night photos, wide range, macro pics (for closeups of flowers, bugs), etc. I really love it. One of it's nicest features is there is a "cradle" it sits in which "charges" the battery instantly. It also comes with a battery charger you can take with you on trips. I've never had to buy another battery yet. The cradle (like a cell phone charger) is always plugged into the computer and it allows you to put the camera in the cradle and just push a button to download the pics. So much easier than having to plug it into the back of the hard drive of your computer every time. I bought it on QVC a few years ago for around $300, it was on sale from $800 or so. You might check their site or any of the other home shopping networks and see what they have. I know there are some on eBay if you'd like to check those out. Good luck in finding the camera you want, you're sure to enjoy it. Sal

Some things to think about: - There really are no cr@ppy DSLRs being sold anymore. Even the new low-end cameras offer the latest in image-processing software and lens technologies. - Even the low-end cameras also offer more than enough resolution (megapixels) for anything short of poster-sized prints. Don't get caught up in the megapixel race. It's like deciding between a car with 300 hp and one with 400 hp. Either will get the job done; your camera choice should be based on more than just raw power. - You really should handle the camera you plan to buy. Some people find some cameras too large to handle comfortably. - The camera you buy should allow you to output pictures in RAW format. This format contains more picture information so you can manipulate it digitally later without losing picture quality. - It's a fact that most people buying SLRs these days never use more than the lenses that come in the box with the camera. Unfortunately, these "kit lenses" typically are not the best the camera manufacturer offers. Check out what other lenses the manufacturer offers and consider lenses sold by third-party manufacturers as well. You may find your pictures are noticeably better with a lens other than a kit lens -- especially one designed for the kinds of images you want to take (macro, telephoto, etc.) - Some manufacturers offer image stabilization. This can be useful in getting pictures in low-light or fast-moving situations. The two types of IS are in-lens and in-camera. In-lens is better, but it means you're paying for IS with every lens you buy. Hard to say if one choice is better than the other. :-P - Keep in mind that DSLR technology is still evolving some. Back when film SLRs were popular, it made sense to spend a good chunk of money on a camera you'd be growing into for 10-15 years. Given how quickly improvements still are being made, it doesn't make a lot of sense to spend well into four figures for a DSLR while you learn to take better pictures. Most DSLRs just aren't going to have that long a practical life. Good luck!

Thanks, everyone. It turns out DH bought me one for my birthday. I'm really happy with it. I'm even going to read the manual this time! The selection was not a highly scientific process, I am told. DH asked them for their best point and shoot, and was given a Sony. It was the same one I have (I think I just temporarily misplaced it, but I can't wait forever and beside it would be good to have two high quality cameras for our upcoming vacation). The Sony also only comes in black, and he knew I did not want black, and not too logical to buy the same camera twice. So the next best was this cute one by Samsung, the NXmini.It does get very good reviews, has a whole lotta pixels (sounds good to me) and some cool features like a flip up selfie screen and WIFI (no more cables to d/l pics!). So far I love it, mostly because it is so darn cute. It has a faux leather retro feel. Here is a link that might be useful: click on the pink one for a cute little video

I would suggest you take time to learn about the mechanics of photography. Camera auto functions are generally good across the spectrum of cameras. It's usually operator error or lack of photography fundamentals that cause failure. Try the book "Understanding Exposure" on Amazon. It's relatively inexpensive, has A LOT of pictures and explains what each part of the photography 'triangle' (ISO, Aperture, shutter speed). Even if you use Auto, it'll help you figure out how to take better pictures. Try that first.