Thanks for all the replies guys. I'll take my time and look into each one of the cameras you all have listed.

 

Casio Exilim z40. For sure. Huge screen to view your pictures, but so small that it fits in a pocket. I have the older version, the z4u and I love it. It takes great pictures. With SD cards so cheap these days you could get a 512 card and hold about 500 high res pics before you'd have to upload. If you got a gig card for abotu 80 bucks these days and a battery charger and extra batteries (can be found on ebay for really cheap) you could go on vacation and take 1000 pictures on one card without a problem. If you bought extra cards then the pictures would be limitless.

 

Nikon 5200 - $359 at Costco

 

Sony recently came out with the updated version of 5mp dsc-p100, the dsc-p150, brand new, 7.2 megapixel. I just had it for the past few weeks and i'm lovin it. The image is fantastic and it has a lot of options and functions to make a great shot. What i like the most is its compact size that i can put it in almost ne type of pocket. I put it most of the time in my jean's pocket.

Check out this website.

http://www.amphotoworld.com/product.asp?id...0&l=ShopCartUSA

So far this is the website that has the cheapest price for this camera. Double check with them though. I know it's a good price but i hope it comes with the basics that u need like the cables, adaptors, battery, mem. card etc. (included when i bought it) that usually comes in one box.

 

I recently got a Powershot A400 and have been pretty pleased overall.. It's a bargain camera too.. Converting to American dollars you shouldn't have a problem picking it up for around $175..

Likes: Great indoor pics.. pics are well saturated.. and it seems to handle fluroscent lights and other indoor lighting well.. It uses the same system as the A60 where it automatically adjusts for the situation in auto mode, and adjusts exposure accordingly.. very handy for just point and shoot pictures.. no fuss no muss.. I love the histogram as well in playback.. gives you an idea if your pics are too bright, too dark, or just right.. then, you can just make the adjustments accordingly.. It has the scene modes as well, which I haven't tried a lot yet, but basically has settings for foliage, snow, indoor, fireworks, etc etc.. basically a mode for most situations.. Manual mode is also available.. well semi-manual.. You can change exposure, ISO speeds, AWB settings, etc...

Another great thing is the LCD.. Only 1.5 inches, but 115 K pixels.. Just to compare, most cams around this price range are around 80K.. so it's crystal clear..

There is also a black and white and sephia mode for the artsy pictures.
Pics come out pretty good most of the time, and with 3.2 MP, can be printed in small to medium sizes with great clarity.

Dislikes: Optical Zoom is only 2.2X.. Would have liked more.. but max you'll get in this price range is 3X anyway.. and although digital zoom is a gimmick.. it can be used if you're not printing out the photos.. Flash range is a bit weak as well... And camera is compact, but not compact enough to comfortably fit in pocket.

Overall, it's a good bang for buck.. The styling is pretty subjective, but it looks and feels like a camera.. which is a good thing.. No super thin or small models, but not overly bulky either.

I'd also recoommend the A70 or Coolpix 2200.. goodluck!

 

After getting back into the digital camera craze, I have been again hit in the head with "there is no perfect camera."



But seems like the Canon SD300 comes close