What would be a good quality compact digital camera to buy as this will be my first purchase?

What is the best brand?

The best camera I have ever owned is the Panasonic Lumix. It has Image stabilizer, 3x optical zoom, 7.2 MP, a wide screen, and is quick! I got it for 179.99 at Circut City. It's a great camera, and I love it!

There are many good models out there. Go to http://www.trustedreviews.com/digital-ca... or http://www.dpreview.com/ first and try to research on possible brands and models you might like. Then when you have some ideas, go to the nearest camera shop and try out these brands and models. Finally, order from amazon because they have the cheapest rates available. Personally, I bought a canon ixus 750 but I wasn't satisfied. I bought another camera, Pentax optio a30, and I absolutely love it. I heard Canon S3 IS is good. I haven't read any reviews yet on their follow-up S5 IS. I've also read good reviews on Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50. The latest model of Panasonic is DMC-FZ18 which looks good on paper with 18x zoom. Good luck on your purchase.

Here is the PERFECT camera for you!

You should get the PENTAX Optio W30. Its slim, sleek, stylish, with 7 megapixels, has lots of features like a macro setting for pictures up to half an inch away! Plus its waterproof down to 10ft for 2 hours!!

I have had the PENTAX Optio W10 for a few years and I have never had ANY problems with it at all! It is such a great camera and I LOVE it!

It has TONS of features, VERY good picture quality, its sleek & stylish. And its waterproof! You can see the camera here: http://www.pentaximaging.com/products/pr...
I have had the PENTAX Optio W10 (a slighty older version) for a few years now and I absolutely LOVE it!

Th Sept. 2007 issue of Shutterbug magazine has a review of five 10 megapixel digicams. You can also access it at shutterbug.com. You might also want to check steves-digicams.com. He reviews cameras and you can compare several models and makes.