Looking for Some Camera-derie

OK, Internet as a Hole ... here's your chance to give me some advice.  I'm never short of it for anybody else, so hopefully I can get some good payback.

I'm looking to buy a digital camera.  The camera I've been using has served me well enough, I suppose.  But it's pretty much the Digital Equivalent of the Kodak Instamatic you got for your eighth birthday - no optical zoom, 2.0 MP, no manual functions.  I've lucked out and taken some half-decent photos with it, but I'm ready to take a step up.

Not a huge step, mind you.  I'm not like HDL or Torrie or Kristine or Ern or Sherri , all of whom are artists who take their photography very seriously and consequently could get the very best out of a top-of-the-line piece of photographic technology.  I don't need that.  I need a frigging camera to take ... well, pictures.

Even if I had all the money in the world, I probably wouldn't opt for what Kristine calls a BAMF camera - one with an owner's manual thicker than Donald Trump's pre-nup.  Because I'm not taking a freeze-frame close-up of a hummingbird in flight or a macro of a bee feeding at a flower or a Yosuf Karsh portrait.  I'm snapping pics of my kids opening Christmas presents or self-portraits with the camera held at arm's length (see above right - that's Big Ben and the British Houses of Parliament behind me, by the way) or snapshots of me in a Santa suit.  If I luck into an artful shot, I'm delighted.  But by and large, pretty prosaic stuff.

So I'm thinking 3 - 4.0 MP, a 3X optical zoom, some pretty basic functions.  Quality of the pictures is a priority, as is reliability, simplicity of use (I'm fairly simple), and recycle times (because I'm impatient).  Other than that, I don't have a big wish list.

So ... give me your best advice/suggestions/reviews.  Canon A410?  Sony?  Olympus?

Whatcha got for me?

Comments

[Bucky Four-Eyes]

I only really have experience with my own digital camera, so I'll talk about that one:
It's a Kodak CX7530, 5.0 MP, 3X optical zoom...I think I paid around $250 US for mine, and I LOVE it. It also does video, and for the money, I think it picks up pretty well in not the greatest of light. (But it does nothing to correct awkward sentences.)
My only complaint is it's not the quickest reaction when you click the button.

Kodak does make lower-end models if this one is still too la-di-da for you. But I've rarely put mine down since I got it last Feb.

[Alan]

Avoid SOny. I buried three @ $230 Sony digital cameras this year. We just bought a low-end Canon PowerShot A410 for 179.00 at Future Shop.

It is heftier and appears to do what I want it to do. It does have a manual option but you can turn that off.

[Nessa]

I'm jonesin' for the Canon Powershot A520 4MP - I did a lot of research and it seems easy enough and has some good features. It's below $200.

[smokeyJoe]

D-70

[laurenbove]

Okay. I've been looking for one this xmas for my big kid. He's thinking of working on the school newspaper. (sixth grade). I wanted cheap, good quality for the money and I bought a polaroid 300 Ipix. Don't do it. It's been reviewed so badly, I'm taking it back. It was 99 dollars at BJ's with a 10 dollar store rebate. Cheapest price around. Everyone else was charging 129.

Make a long story suddenly short: I found a HP, tiny cute and goodish quality 5 or 6 ...for 129 or so at Best Buy. Check it out.

[Rob]

We bought the Canon Powershot A510 last Christmas for ourselves. It's perfect for our needs, which I think resemble your needs. I would heartily recommend it (or it's big brother, I think, A530, a friend has it) to anyone.
I assume you already know about rechargable batteries.

[Craig Willson]

Unlike Al, I have had complete satisfaction with my old Sony. I have dropped it numerous times, generally abused it, taken it to the beach many times and returned with more sand than an Island Tory contractor - darn thing still works perfectly. 4 years and still going strong.

I wanted a newer camera (well, herself did) so I bought the Canon that Rob mentions. A year use and still very satisifed with it.

I still chose the Sony tho - when I want to photograph. It is a brick, but it satisfies my needs.

[Alan]

Which Sony do you have, Craig. That I bought three in a row speaks to my otherwise infatuated relationship with Sony. That the DSC-S40 was not a brick came as a big surprise.

[MrsDoF]

I do believe you need to go over to Chookooloonks and see what Karen has to say about cameras. And I agree about the OLYMPUS poin-and-shoots.
doggone it, HTML comment links are not allowed.
Well, go over anyway, it's the only Chookooloonks on the 'net as far as I can tell.

[HDL]

YOU LIKE THE ROCHES??? I haven't met anyone else who knows who they are, aside from my cousins. I LOVE "We", as well as "The Married Men". Wowza!

[wordgirl]

I know NOTHING about digital, but my husband says Pentax is giving more bang for the buck these days. I'm hoping this recently acquired knowledge of his means I'm getting my own digital camera for Christmas.

[Kylz]

Ok, this I have no idea about. I am a fan of buying whichever one is the easiest to use, is cost effective, and does what I tell it. Run with that.

That probably doesn't help you much though. Listen to everyone else;)

[Effie]

I got one with a printer I bought--it was thrown in because the printer is supposed to print good photos--it was half price at Zellers a couple months ago (and is still in the box, so I can't tell you if it's any good)

[MrsDoF]

Chookooloonks entry about her camera and photography skills has the date of December 5. She's been busy writing about other stuff since then.

[Craig Willson]

Al, I think it is a DSC 550 - working from memory here. Old and brick like - could knock a liberal off a band wagon with it - but it is still my preferred cam.

[Torrie]

How about you buy me the Nikon D70 or D50 and I'll let you borrow it?