i mean the megapixels,optical zoom...i'm not looking for a professional one but something that can take clear pics! Most of them come with 3x optical zoom lenses and about 7 - 10 megapixel sensors (the larger the number the better). Now there are cameras with 8x, 10x and even 12 optical zoom lenses on the, but you pay the price with a bulkier camera.
One of the nicest little cameras I have seen recently is the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX50. It has all the features of other similar cameras, but it sports a Leica lens (one of the best) and a huge LCD on the back so you can really see the results of your photography. Take a look at this and other digital cameras on dpreview and compare them feature to feature. Canon and Nikon also make very nice cameras in this style.
When choosing a camera, ignore any claims of "digital" zooms. You are better off cropping using Photoshop or something like it than letting the camera do it. It really depends on what you want to photograph
Nature / Wildlife ][ A decent 3.0 mgp with a good zoom. Something high for good close ups but will allow for macro shots.
Portraits / People ][ At least a 6.1mgp for larger printing options. Zoom doesn't have to be as strong as what you would use for wildlife as most humans don't run when you photograph them (the key word is most)
Nature / Architecture ][ At least a 3.0 mgp (as I doubt you'll print anything larger than an 8x10). Decent zoom as most nature shots are wide angle trying to show as much as possible. | 