What are some things to look for when buying a digital camera?

I bought my first digital camera over a year ago. I didnt know anything about them so I just picked one because it had a rechargeable battery and that appealed to me. ....I hate that camera with a passion. It either takes really dark pictures or the flash is so blinding that unless you're a mile way from the thing you want to take a picture of, all you get is a washed out -white picture. I dont want to make this mistake twice.

What are some things I need to look for in order to get a good, high quality digital camera?

Forget about the pixels. The number of mega pixels has no bearing on the quality of the final picture, unless there are so few pixels for the print size that the printer/computer has to make the pixels bigger to 'spread out' and cover the area. If the largest size print you think you would ever make is an 8x10, then there isn't a camera on the market today that has 'too few pixels'. More megapixels simply means you can do more cropping and still have maximum quality at larger sizes. Pixels don't create the quality, they simply maintain it at larger sizes. Having 20 buckets of paint doesn't tell you anything else about the paint in the buckets. It simply tells you the amount, not the quality.

It's more important to look at overall quality. There are three major components that determine overall quality of a digital camera's pictures.
A) Lens
B) Sensor
C) Processor

These three parts of a camera are the most critical in maintaining the quality of an image from the time the light strikes the front lens element until it is safely stored as on your memory card.

We can go in depth if you'd like, but the easiest thing to do is look at brands that have good reputations; Nikon, Canon & Sony. These three manufacturers have the best overall ratings. To make any more specific of a recommendation, I would need to know more about what you want your camera to do. Your best bet for advice is a local specialty camera store. The largest chain of specialty camera stores is Ritz/Wolf Camera. They guarantee the lowest price for 30 days & you can speak to an associate who knows about cameras and who will take the time to help you decide which camera has the features you need. And their Performance Guarantee program is the best in the business. Where else can you bring in a camera that's been ruined by water damage, multiple times of five years, and get free repairs & replacements? Additionally, sometimes the picture problems you're describing are caused by the camera being in the wrong setting or mode when you take a picture. Ritz/Wolf gives you a free 9-week training course when you buy a camera from them. That will allow you to use your camera to its full function, and maybe eliminate many camera problems and get the most out of your equipment.

Speaking face to face with an expert is your best bet, but if you'd like to tell me more about what you want your camera to do, I can recommend a camera to look at first.

alot of pixels

Make sure it has a lens.

look for optical zoom NOT digital zoom, if you want bigger prints and more detail, you definitely want more mega pixels, at least 3 if you're cheap

Pixels are important the more pixels there are the sharper the will image be but also look for optical zoom (the more the better). Do not worry about digital zoom as it will blow up the pixels and make your picture look bad.

I made an equally impulsive purchase, so I can relate to your problem. I would certainly like a camera with an adjustable exposure and a zoom lens, neither of which my camera has. My camera takes pretty good pictures, it's just limited, so those are the other things I'd consider the next time I bought one.

" I need to look for in order to get a good, high quality" etc

Shutter lag - zoom and pixels are the three most common things to look at. lag is a problem when you take the picture and the subject moves by the time the shutter clicks, zoom allows you to take pictures in a room or outside at sporting events, and pixels allow for a more refined print.

Look online at the Fiji S5500 0r S6000 as refernece points and work up or down in price. There are many good vendors out there - however also consider the weight of the camera. It depends a lot on what you want to do with the camera in the end.
I just got my wife the E900 fiji - she likes it but wishes the zoom was better.

First thing balance of Image size u need (i.e. MegaPixel) and Cost.

Then see how much Optical zoom (not digital zoom) its offering.

Then see the battery type and life. Mostly there 3A battery digicams. if possible go for a Li-on Battery cam.

And If you can afford look for the cam with Bluetooth feature (its hell of a headache of usb connectivity for tranferring images from cam to other divices.

After all this you should look for ease of use, looks of cam, colors, flash, red-eye reduction feature etc.

There are SOME cameras out there that one can make an excellent enlargement with just 4 megapixels. So no need to go over 5 or 6 MP. Optical zoom is up to you. They range from 3X optical to 12. Usually the more zoom the more you pay. Next-shot delay can be very important. Some cameras you have to wait 5 to 6 seconds before making next shot, others only 1 second. Some cameras eat up batteries more than others. All of this can be found in Nov'06 Consumer reoorts at your local library. AND don't forget the all important memory card you must buy that can range between $20 to $60 or more depending how many shots you want your camera to hold. Brands to consider are Canon, Fugi, Nikon and Sony. I own a Sony CyberShot DSC-H2 and I love it. I paid too much at $341; can be gotten at $300. Has 6MP and 12X optical zoom. Comes with batteies and charger. Bought my daughter a Fugifilm FinePix S5200. Takes excellent 8X10's when enlarged. 5MP 10X optical zoom; paid $237 at Beach Camera in Edison, NJ.

here's a link to ebays guide on selecting a digital camera

It all depends on your use. Here are some things to look at.

Form factor
Durability
Preview screen size
Preview screen visibility
Megapixils
Manual features (exposure control, ISO settings etc.)
Media Format (SD, Compact flash, memory stick)

I own two digital cameras. Both are Canon:

My point and shoot is a canon SD 500 that I carry every day for work - it is durable reliable, easy to use and powerfule enough for most of my work needs. It's small enough that I carry it everywhere and use it every day. Battery life is great.

My other camera is a Canon EOS 20D which is a digtal SLR (Single Lense Reflex) I use this for recreational photography. I use it for work on occasion but I love the control over the image I get with a grown up camera.

For photos of the kids and the family dog I would buy a Canon SD 900. Look at reviews on Amazon.com and you will find the good models - Even Canon has some not so good models.