I'm looking for a digital camera and I'm pretty overwhelmed by the range of choice that we have today.. I've never owned one before, so I don't really know what I need.. I don't want to just get a high priced state of the art camera if it's not really needed for what I intend to use it for.. Basically i'm just looking for something compact and easy to use.. Sending pics over the net and creating photoalbums, plus a little amateur photography as a hobby will be the bulk of what it's being used for.

I'm looking to spend about 150-200 Dollars Canadian.. By looking at Best Buy and Futureshop, there are numerous cameras that are around that price range including:

HP Photosmart (Like a couple of different series in the 3-3.2MP range)
Kodak Easy Share (3.2MP)
Olympus Camedia (3.2MP)
Sony Cybershot (3.2 MP.. Special offer)
Samsung Digimax (2.0MP)
Fujifilm Cameras (Forgot the model name, but there were a couple that were pretty cheap)

There are also these 'Centrios' digital cameras, which I've never heard of, but they are pretty cheap.. All cameras are around the same price.. The sony is at the higher end at 199.99..

 

you want a camera with at least 3 megapixels, and at least 3x optical zoom. other than that, choose the camera that is the right size, weight, and shape for you.

 

Check out www.stevesdigicams.com for some great reviews.

 

Out of what you listed, I would probably choose between a Sony or Fuji model.

 

I have a Canon digital camera and I highly recommend them. Most of their new cameras are a little beyond your price range. But you are able to find an older model (say an A70) for the right price, I'd say go for it.