Which digital Camera Brand would You advise someone NOT to buy and why?

I'd advise against getting Minolta/Konica cameras. I've still seen some for sale in the stores, however that company stopped making consumer digital cameras. Support will be minimal as a result.

I have to agree with the "prosumer" camera comments, for the same reasons listed by the other poster. Buy a good digital SLR or a compact camera.

well Kodak is a yes and no because we bought on that the battery lasted for 10 minutes at the most but they are mostly good but that's our experience

Do not buy a kodak, they are just not that good. Olympus is great, if a little expensive. Panasonics aren't that bad, either.

I stongly recommend agains all prosumer modles - cameras that cost over $600 and are not digital SLRs. These cameras have loads of features and megazoom lenses but they miss the point:
* if you're into convenience, get a camera that will fit in you shirt pocket
* if you're into photography as a serious hobby or if you just want great image quality, get a digital SLR for the same price
Prosumer cameras will drive you nuts because they don't do eithe of these things well.

Consumer Search reviews cameras and recommends the best ones.

ConsumerSearch.com collects product reviews, summarizes them, and makes recommendations for more than 200 consumer products.

http://www.ConsumerSearch.com