Which digital camera should I get?

Ok so I am getting ready to buy a new digital camera. I don't take professional pictures, mostly pictures of my friends and I, mostly at night. I am also going to Ethiopia for three weeks in July and want a camera to take there.
I had a Canon Power Shot from a couple years back, and my biggest problems with it were the flash was too slow-so a lot of people got impatient or blinked before it was done taking...AND the flash was too bright and made everyone look a lot paler than they were...so I always had to have the person taking the picture stand back a ways.
I've been using my mother's Nikon Cool Pix 5200 and it has similar problems, except maybe worse. Also, I want a camera that is more compact, not as bulky.
Can anyone help me out? Thanks, I'd really appreciate it, and I will definitely give 10 points for a best answer!! :) have a good day

looking to spend about $250-300

I would recommend a Sony Cybershot. Most Cybershots come with Carl Zeiss Vario Tessar lens which is one of the best lens on the market. Also since you want to take pictures at night, you should really consider getting a camera with high ISO.

I recommend the Sony DSC-W55, it's a great camera for a good price.

Get an HP with at least a 2.1 mp or better, 5 or 6 would be better, they give good support if you need it.

I don't know how much you're looking to spend, but if you want a cheap, reliable camera, I recommend Kodak. I have a Kodak digital camera (3 mp), and I've literally dropped it in water, got sand in it, dropped it down stairs, and the thing still performs. It takes good pictures and has all kinds of settings so you can find the flash you want. It's definitely not a photographer's camera, but definitely would work for your purposes.

my suggestion
go to yahoo shopping
digital cameras
digital camera GUIDE
be sure to check titles on the left side
the guide should answer your questions

The best camera for under $200 is the Canon A550

* 7.1 Megapixel
*4X Optical Zoom
* Very good photo quality, noise levels low through ISO 400 (in good light)
* Well built for the price
* Very good performance
* LCD visible in low light
* Some manual controls
* AF-assist lamp, good low light focusing
* Good movie and continuous shooting modes
* Impressive software bundle
* Uses AA batteries; great battery life
* USB 2.0 High Speed support

Casio Z75 or Z1050 is a great choice, nice and thin, lightweight, shoots photos and video with sound. Easy to use controls and a 2.5" screen to view.

www.besybuy.com
www.samys.com (my favorite)
ww.costco.com
Recommend a Scandisk memory card, about 2GB.
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