My digital camera died
 

My digital has seen the world but now needs to rest. Can someone recommend anoter digital camera to buy? I'm looking for digital camera that is 5.0 MP and takes good pictures between $250-$350. I just need somethign easy to use, durable and takes good quality pictures. I don't need video either, since I have a camcorder.

Any recommendations?

The old camera I bought 2.5 years ago was GREAT. It was Olympus D-550 Zoom 3.0 MP

I have a Casio Exilim EX-Z50. It's 5.0 MP and has a 3X optical x 4X digital zoom. It's tiny so it will fit in a pocket. I'm very happy with it. I had three Sonys before this but when I was in Japan, I saw quite a few Japanese people with this camera and I lusted after it. You can get it for around US$250. It does have video and audio capability but most do these days.

I have a Canon A95. I got it because it was one of the top-rated cameras. It are goes for about $300 right now. It is 5.0 MP, 3X Zoom. I like it because it is small enough to fit in my pocket. My India photos turned out great. Most digital cameras have some sort of video capability these days but I have no use for that either. Hopefully my camera will last more than 2-1/2 years.

Here are a couple of good sites for camera reviews:

http://steves-digicams.com/

http://dpreview.com/

Craig,

I looked at the Canon Powershot A95 and read good reviews about it, but I felt it was a bit heavy. Did you find any problems with that? also, how is the swivel screen?

kittycat -- not 5mp, just 4mp, but the smallest you can find with a 40X digital zoom the Olympus C-770 is awesome! i just took it on a trip to thailand and we shared pics, but none compared to the Olympus color and detail. i was hesitant to give up my canon, but i love it! after comparing spare battery, bigger xd card, etc., the best deal i found was a package from cameta on e-bay. i highly recommend.

kittycatangel - I don't know what qualifies as heavy but I do not feel that the A-95 is. I hardly notice it when I carry it in my trouser front pocket. If my pants started falling down, then I'd think it was heavy. The swivel screen is very cool. At the Taj Mahal there was a crowd at one point - I was able to hold the camera over my head and swivel the screen down so that I could see the photo I was taking -very handy.

I'm using the Panasonic Lumix FX7 - 5MP, 3X Optical Zoom, 2.5 inch LCD screen. The killer feature for me is OIS - optical image stabilisation. This feature is common in video cams. What it does is to reduce camera shake when taking photos at slow shutter speed (low light conditions). I've love this feature. Most of the time I take indoor shots without the flash as the color is better.
Very small, compact and easy to use.

hipvirgochick
Thanks for comments - I read some reviews about Olympus C-770. Quality of images sound great and a great feature, but there were some concerns about complexity of functions. Also, it looks like it takes all proprietary Olympus memory card and battery. will that be a problem, if I ever upgrade?

Craig,
I'm really leaning towards the A95, but the size is really holding me back. It would never fit in my pants pocket - I am petite and small! I like all the features but I just can't get over the size.

I see what you mean about the advantages of swivel LCD - sounds like a good feature.

kittycat -- canon A95 is excellent choice as well. you wouldn't go wrong there either. it was neck and neck when i chose the olympus and a big draw was the zoom factor. it really brought my wildlife pictures in close. it also records unlimited mp3 video with zoom, while most don't. all the functions were just as easy to learn to use as with my canon A60. yes, xd cards are proprietary and you must get the olympus brand to do panoramic. i still think it's an excellent investment :) good luck! i know the research can make your head swarm and at some point you just have to go with it!

I didn't think it would be sooo difficult to choose my next digital camera. There are so many cameras and options and I want to get the best one within my price range

I'm in ANALYSIS PARALYSIS mode!

I really need to stop research and just get one

Canon now has the A520 - 4x zoom, about the same as the A95. (I have a A80, but it's older.) Unfortunately, they change things around with each model, so my underwater case is no good for the A95 or A520.

Biggest thing to look for in a traveller's camera - MUST TAKE AA BATTERIES.

I forgot my charger one trip. Nothing is more frustrating than getting to somewhere and realizing you have about 5 pictures left, then the camera is a doorstop until you get home. With my A80, I went around the corner in Amsterdam and picked up a spare battery charger (and a set of NiMH batteries) for 24E. In an emergency, you can use alkalai's - sold everwhere.

My old Fuji 4900Z took funny batteries (NP80) which cost $40 each or more, and I could only charge them inside the camera, and after 2 years they stopped holding a charge.

Canon SD20 5.0 MP ultra compact. I have the older SD10 (4MP) and love it. It can be bouht for $250 - $300.