New to digital cameras?

I'm thinking about buying a digital camera, because the picture on my phone is really bad(I want to put pictures on my computer). However, I know nothing about cameras. Any suggestions on what I should look into or what's a good buy for someone starting out? Also are there other things not included with the cameras that I would need to buy(batteries, programs, charger, etc)? How much would all those things cost about? I would like to go to a store and ask some of these questions but I'm afraid that they would just care more about selling me an expensive product rather than telling me what would be best suited for me. Are there any stores that you would recommend? and would buying it from a pawn shop be a better deal perhaps, just wondering.

Remember, I'm not planing to use it as an advance photographer, just something fairly simple. Thanx:-)

As long as your computer has a USB port, you're good. You don't need to buy any programs. Here are a few guidelines:
1. It's better to get a camera that uses a rechargeable lithium ion battery. Otherwise, don't forget to buy batteries.
2. Whatever camera you get, pay attention to what type of memory card it needs. Buy the biggest memory card you can afford when you buy the camera.
3. Any camera you see will probably be better than your cell phone camera, but I'd personally recommend a Fujifilm Finepix F30.
4. Don't buy from a pawn shop, since you might not get all the cables you need and you don't know how it's been treated.

The two most important things are a high megapixel count (you probably want 4 or better) and a high optical zoom. Don't worry about digital zoom, optical is what you want. Most decent cameras will have 3x or better.

cheap kodak, under 150, will work perfect

If you go to a store where they sell cameras, they will be able to explain how to use it.
A good beginning camera is the Nikon Coolpix type. They're around $150 too, which is a good price for them.
I would suggest going to a Staples if there is one around where you live, they have great customer service, and were able to explain cameras to me when I got my first one. They also have a great warranty program.

Don't go to a pond shop. Get rechargable batteries and a charger. If you're looking for a nice clean, clear picture (who isn't) go for as many mega pixels as you can! Go with a Kodak too. Happy shopping!

I had a few Nikon digital cameras which I thought were very nice until one day the wife of a friend started showing me her photos and they were shockingly professional looking. I knew she wasn't any better at it than me or anyone else I knew so I asked her what sort of camera she had and she showed me her Canon Elph. A few months later, I encountered someone else who was showing off some holiday photos and again, they looked unbelievably perfect -- another Canon digital camera. The next time I wanted a new camera, I went ahead and bought a Canon SD900 and sure enough, the pictures are far better with no effort on my part whatsoever. It probably sounds like I work for Canon but I swear I don't. Their video cameras are crap but I'm telling you, their digital still cameras take amazing photos. They're fairly easy to use and you can get them for the same prices as Nikons will run you. If you don't want to spent a whole lot, check Amazon.com for the best prices. That's where I found mine and I got it for almost $200 less than what it was selling for in the shops. The camera comes with a battery and a charger, as well as all of the necessary cables to download the photos to your computer. You may want to buy a memory card tho coz the ones that come with those cameras only hold about ten pictures.

As a beginner, I'd suggest looking at Fuji's A-series range of cameras, e.g. A700, A800, A820, A900, A920, etc. and the reviews at http://www.steves-digicams.com

Here's one for the A700 (A800 + A900 shouldn't be too much different... just more megapixels in pretty much the same casing): http://www.steves-digicams.com/2007_revi...
While heres a press release article about the others in that range: http://www.steves-digicams.com/pr/fuji_0...

I started off in Digital photography with a Fuji Finepix A345 in March '06 (which Fuji replaced in their range with the A400 / A500 / A600 / A700 / A800 / A900), which fits nicely in my pocket.... sometimes I forget it's there.

Slightly further up the scale is the Fuji Finepix F20 & F30 Digital compacts, which alot of people say are damn good, and uses the same CCD as my S6500fd (S6000fd in the States) I got yesterday.
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2007_revi...
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2006_revi...

I'd suggest buying from Amazon.com (I got both of mine from Amazon UK without a hitch, and pretty cheap).
Here they all are on there, to save you looking:
http://www.amazon.com/Fujifilm-Finepix-D...
http://www.amazon.com/Fujifilm-Finepix-D...
http://www.amazon.com/Fujifilm-Finepix-D...
http://www.amazon.com/Fujifilm-Finepix-D...
http://www.amazon.com/Fujifilm-Finepix-A...
http://www.amazon.com/Fujifilm-FinePix-F...
http://www.amazon.com/Fujifilm-Finepix-D...

Don't forget you'll also need a bigger xD memory card for 'em
http://www.amazon.com/Olympus-202031-xD-...

And a set of NiMH rechargable batteries (at least for the A-series cameras), which will save you a freakin' fortune in disposable batteries (normal Energizer / duracell's usually conk out after 10-15 shots on a modern digital camera)
http://www.steves-digicams.com/nimh_batt...

I am new to cameras as well, but my husband got me a Canon. The ELPH series are really small, and have a lot of features that will help you as you progress. the Auto function works really well, and there's also the "color accent" feature. You can take a picture and choose one color to stay, and the rest will be black and white. No software required. Don't go to a pawn shop! Camera are not the things to be getting from there! Try Amazon and Ebay. They both can have really great prices from whatever camera you decide on. Good luck!
And to the actual point, mega pixels and optical zoom are what you should be looking at. I've also found that cameras that take AA or any other alkaline battery, will not last as long. I had a Sony that took AA's, and not even a year later I would have to bring about 6 spare batteries when I went out for the night. Such a hassle! And you always want to get a bigger memory card. the ones that come with the camera are nothing. Again,. good luck

You can compare prices and specs here:http://au.shopmania.com/shop~online-digi... This might be the answer to your question.

Your best bet is to look for a camera in the $150- to $200-range. Brands to consider are Sony, Canon, Fuji and Nikon.
A camera with 4 to 6 megapixels is sufficient. Most cameras in that price range are 3X optical zoom and 4 X optical zoom. Don't forget there's a memory card or stick to buy that could cost $30-$35-.
I understand your concern about salespeople. I'm very leery of them for are they really out to help you or just hungry for sales commission.
Check out Website for reviews and prices:
dpreview.com
Consider Canon PowerShot A550
Canon PowerShot A630
Fujifilm FinePix F20
Sony CyberShot DSC-W55
Whatever camera you choose get a memory card of at least 1GB.
PS Do not go to a pawn shop!
You may be perfectly satisfied with a Fujifilm Finepix A500. When I last checked out the price it was $90- at Amazon.com
3X optical zoom, 5 megapixels. Will give you excellent 5X7 print.

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.
Check you Sunday paper for ad sales or coupons.

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-PowerShot-Di...