It's my sons 16th B-day and he wants a digital camera....what camera will be the best bang for the buck?

Well ask what is the camera for. i got mine for myspace. make sure he tells you or it could be to take nude pics for online dating. and i got the Polaroid iZone 300. And if you get one, make sure it is one he wants with features. Make sure it has a preview screen, at least 3 megapixals, a flash, and a zoom... and make sure its compact to fit in ones pocket or backpack. ....good luck!

Kodak. They are fairly cheap and easy to learn/use

CANON CANON CANON!!!!!! By far the best camera for the money. Definately don't do a Kodak---cheap quality and poor lenses.

IMO any sony digital camera is OK.i have sony

i'd say stick to a name brand - sony canon or kodak - those no name really cheap cameras are not worth anything.

Cannon is the best-- very user friendly and puts out good pictures out of a small package. There are a ton of cameras out there and cheap ones too (like Kodak). so it depends on what you want out of the camera. Bottom line, don't get a camera that runs on batteries-- get one that uses a battery pack that comes with the camera (li-ion battery like the ones in cell phones)

Get him a sony dsc-p200.
its a good camera.

Kodak. Kodak Z700's are great. I got a camera, and printer for only $250.00.

I agree! Canon Canon Canon.....
I sell cameras for a major retailer Kodak are garbage, hp Cheap junk. Canon makes all their own lenses and they are glass not plastic. they are not made up of all plastic.

Go Canon. and I make no commission I just have to pack up and send back the defectives for a living. And I rarely send back to Canon. I would recommend a Canon A530 it should take him through high school into College. Good mega pixels and 4 x optical zoom. and not too expensive. But if you can afford it get something with more optical zoom rather than higher Mega pixels.
They say the average user will never utilize more than a 3.2 mega pixel. but kids today will use 5 mega pixels that's lots but zoom is important if you can afford it. you shouldn't look at anything less than 4x optical. minimum.

If you can afford to spend around 600$ then by far the best choice is a Nikon D-50. It is a true SLR camera with all the features that would let him develop as a photographer. In addition you can choose lenses. Otherwise I agree with the Cannon recommendation.