Digital Cameras
 

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I would go for at least 3MP.

Also it's not just about technology. I have seen 5MP cameras with awful awful pictures.

I have a Panasonic Lumix lens digital camera that I got that wasn't too expensive and had a great lens.

-Rudey

I agree with Rudey that you should get at least 3 MP. Digital zoom doesn't really matter as much as optical zoom b/c with digital pix you can zoom on the computer.

I have a Canon G5. It is AWESOME! I recommend reading reviews online. CNET is a great place to start if you don't know anything. Also, you can save a few hundred dollars by purchasing it online. I recommend www.pricegrabber.com to get great camera prices.

With respect to printing, I use Snapfish a lot with my digital camera. You can upload your pix and then order the ones you want in various sizes. They also have decent free photo editing software (and you'll get some with your camera probably too).

Good luck!

LD

I agree with Rudey (holy shiiiiiit did I just say that?) when he said you should get at least a 3 MP. You can get a camera with a higher MP, but to me it doesn't really matter unless you're going to be using photos with big resolutions all the time.

I got a Sony Cybershot 3.2 MP a few years ago and it was less than $300 at that time. I still use it faithfully to this day, and the only thing I hate about it is that it's not as small as the new versions they have today. The zoom is excellent, it's easy to use, and very easy to upload pix to your computer.

I'm pretty sure you can find a good deal these days for a camera with at least 3.0 MP.

I forgot to add...Jen, I don't know if they have Wal-Mart where you're at, but I know lots of places where you can just bring your memory stick and they'll print your photos for uber cheap. I usually go to Wal-Mart, Costco, or Sam's Club, depending on how far I want to drive. :)

Also, pay attention (if you're doing any kind of zoom) to the lense's OPTICAL zoom. Digital zoom really doesn't mean a thing. Optical zoom is done by the lens -- and that's good.

I have a Fuji camera. It's very nice. Removable/interchangable lenses, a flash sync, etc. Just make sure and do your homework.

http://panasonic.co.jp/pavc/global/lumix/

Check these Lumix cameras out because the Leica lens is really an impressive lens. The quality on the camera is really stellar.

-Rudey

I'm also in the market for a digi--but that's because mine inexplicably died and repair would cost about $10 less than getting a brand new one.

That said, go for the best lens. Sony contracts with Carl Zeiss for their digital camera lenses.

I have an HP Photosmart printer that prints about the same as a Snapfish or ofoto. If you have to print a lot for school or scrapbooking, it's worth the investment.

I have had trouble with sony cameras. I think sony went into the shitter in the last few years and haven't given much in terms of innovation. And the Zeiss lenses are not only on some of the cameras only, but even though they're made by the Zeiss lab they're still manufactured in Japan.

-Rudey

I have a kodak easy share Dx4530 and i lik eit so much, it serves all my needs, it has 5.0mega pixels and all the pix are so nice and crisp, i hav never had a problem with it once. it was a bit pricey but i perosonaly i think its worth every dime. I also hav a 256 mb memory card and with it my camera can holp up to 165 pics, all crisp pix in the highst quality avaliable on the camera.

So i think that the this would be the way to go, Kodak Easy Share DX4530, especially if price is no issue.

Yeah, the Kodak Easy Share's are a good way to go. They're among the easier cameras to use. They also come with software, and some of the other cameras won't. 3 megapixel is pretty basic, but you said you're going to want an occassional 8x10, so i'd go for more MPs. the more optical zoom the better. digital zoom just crops the picture, and enlarges it, it doesn't really zoom. so the more you the digital zoom, the more pixelated your picture is going to look. the memory formats are just different shapes of cards, really. i'd stay away from sony, because it's the only brand that uses a memory stick, and if you wanna show someone else your pictures, you'd want a more compatible memory unit.

i agree with emperorclb, a model off the Kodak Easy Share line would be fine.

I have a Fuji Finepix S5000... it's a 3.1 MP and it's nice. It's a big camera, but it takes nice pictures. I think it takes better pictures than small 3.1 MP cameras.

Those cameras just look impressive.

You may also want to consider a lithium battery that you can charge outside of the camera so that you can have one battery in while the other is charging!

I just purchased the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T1 for my father for Father's Day. He loves it.

5 Mega Pixels (bright & crisp pictures, beautiful!)
Lithium Battery (charges in the camera)
2.5" screen
3x Optical Zoom

I have a Canon Poweshot A80 and I LOVE it. 4.0 megapixels and good optical zoom. The screen flips around so you can frame the self-pics you take. :) Love that!

I just bought the Cannon A75 and it is wonderful