I need some help with picking out a digital camera?

I know almost nothing about digital cameras, besides that I want one. I don't know whats good or bad but I just want something that is decent. My price range is between $100-$300. Any help is appreciated.

For about $200, have a real good look at the Canon A630. Since you're at the learning stage, this camera gives you full automation as well as almost full manual control if/when you want to progress to a more advanced level.

The best part of the A630 is image quality. For your money, you will not get a camera full of gizmos and gadgets (ex. face detection, image stabilization which you don't really need for this camera's maximum focal length (zoom)). You can compare the A630 images to cameras that cost $300 and upwards, and I'm sure you'll find that they cannot match it. This is largely due to the fact that the A630 has a sensor that's larger and cleaner than most other compacts.

Build quality is also top-shelf and for such a low price, the LCD even tilts and swivels, which I find beneficial in many instances.

I found myself in the same dilemma and I'll tell you how I solved it. I just purchased an entry level HP camera for about 80 bucks. I figured if I were to spend a few hundred bucks and buy a camera with a lot of bells N whistles, I would have become overwhelmed thus not using the camera out of frustration. I am quite happy with my simple digital camera and it has been a great education. I am now looking to buy another camera soon but at least now I know what features I really would use. Good luck.

Canon & Nikon both make very good units for your price range. 6-7 megapixels should work quite well, 3-4x optical zoom (forget digital zoom). Small and easy to operate.Check a local dealer to see what you prefer then check Amazon for prices. Go for rechargeable batteries & maybe a 1 gig memory card.

It would all depend on your needs. For just under 300.00 you can purchase a Canon S3 IS digital camera. 6 mega pixels which is more than you would ever need. 12 X optical zoom not to be confused with digital zoom or both combined. this is true optical zoom. this fine camera also has whats referred to as image stabilization. the farther out you zoom the more camera shake occurs resulting in blurred images. the Canon S3 IS takes care of this problem with probably on of the best image stabilizers on the market. this camera also has a flip out lcd which rotates enabling shots from over the head or waist level and self portraits. and one super feature is that you can shoot video. not the run of the mill digital camera 15 frames per second but 60 frames per second. that's camcorder quality. and you can also adjust the zoom while recording video, another feature you won't find on any other digital camera. and as an added bonus it has 2 mics allowing stereo recording of the sound. you can even use it to record sound only. i've used many different digital cameras over the years and canon seems to always pull me back. great products, great warranty.

BTW - if you purhase a camera without a long zoom you'll find more times than not that you wish you had a long zoom. a long zoom really ads to the fun factor of shooting images. imagine shooting images 1-2 blocks with perfect clarity. i've taken some amazing shots of full moons that are crystal clear - hand held. and don;t spend the extra money on the newer model - the S5 IS. just more mega pixels and as I mentioned, 6 is plenty for prints as large as 11 X 14. One more thing, this camera sits in the palm of your hand. make sure to buy at least a 1 gig SD memory card as well. memory is at the lowest prices ever. good luck.

I would suggest using the Features Search at the www.dpreview.com site to see what cameras meet your needs. I put in your price and a few features, and it came up with far too many to display!

Here's the first few listed:
Nikon Coolpix L12
Nikon Coolpix P4
Canon PowerShot A570 IS
Nikon Coolpix L5
Kodak P850
Kodak Z612
Nikon Coolpix P3
Canon PowerShot A710 IS
Nikon Coolpix S50
Nikon Coolpix S10

Browse around the dpreview.com site and you can learn about cameras, and see the reviews and user comments.

Even though I personally own this ultra compact camera, I would still like to highly recommend the purchase of a Nikon Coolpix L10 for the following reasons:

1. Besides taking well-exposed hi-quality 5 megapixel pictures, it uses a standard set of rechargeable double AA batteries which last a very long time - 300 shots per set of rechargeables;
2. Has a 3x optical zoom;
3. The flash setting for "red-eye" correction is on the navigator wheel and not within a submenu;
4. It's very small and light;
5. Uses inexpensive SD memory cards;
6. The digital video feature takes wonderful "sound" videos which are noise free. It records the piano very well with it's built-in microphone;
7. It comes with a USB 2.0 transfer cable which you connect to your USB computer port;
8. Has tripod mount on bottom of camera;
9. And the price is a mere $119 [sold at Samy's Camera - www.samys.com, and Staples.com; $99 at amazon.com]

Review(s) can be found at www.amazon.com [Query: "Nikon Coolpix L10" along with pictures provided by satisfied purchasers.]

Good luck!

Go here: www.dpreview.com and learn about digital cameras.

You may still want one, but at least you'll know why.