i hear the canon powershot a10 is nice....so is pentax optio models

canon is always a good choice. they are pretty expensive tho.



5.0 - 8.0 megapixels will do for any casual + amateur photographers, anything higher is just overkill.



never get nikon or sony (sony's stylish + pretty good quailty but a money sucker)

i had bad experiences with them =(

Unless you buy a camera that uses a battery pack like most Sonys, you will inevitably be shelling out about $40 two sets of 4 NiMh batteries (Nickel Metal Hydride) and a charger (though some are less). There is a more expensive charger that also has the ability to Recondition the batteries.



As far as what camera is best, I guess it all depends on you. Yes, Canon has some great cameras, but perhaps you may prefer to have a large easy to handle camera or a small, easy to pocket camera.



I'm used to big cameras, so I always look at the big ones. Some cameras these days are so small, that the buttons are hard to push unless you have small hands.



Try going to www.stevesdigicams.com





They give good reviews on different cameras. There is also www.dpreview.com

Forgot to add, there is that phrase, "you get what you pay for" I have an old Sony digicam called the Mavica. It's not even a 1megapixel camera, but it still works (as long as your computer still has a floppy drive that is!)



As far as the mega-pixel range, it can depend on what you intend to use the camera for. I bought a couple of Olympus C-2020 Zs (one to fix the other). They max out at 2.1 mega pixel. I use it for a specific purpose that is very good at.



If you are just going to post pictures on the web, then you really do not need a powerful camera. If you are going to print some for family or friends and want 4x5 prints, then 3mp or 4mp should be fine. If you are wanting to print larger images for Sale, then of coarse, look at a high mp camera.

I'm getting a Nikon D50, I think that currantly that is the best DSLR on the market if you want to keep to a tight budget. You might say that 6.1 megapixels isnt enougth, but unless you are going to blow them up like room size! then you wont have any problems.



I defenetaly recomend you look at the Canon's though.

It really depends on what type of digital camera you are looking for. Do you just want a point and shoot or a DSLR? ...BTW Nikon D50 is their bottom of the line DSLR. they carry the D70 and the D2 (among others) which are much higher grade. Canon has the 20D and the rebel series. I'm not too familiar with point and shoot (I do have a Sony powershot 7.2Mpx that works well for quick shots) though , just SLR.