I need an easy, point-and-shoot digital camera that's small enough for a purse when I go out. Any suggestions?

Preferred price range: $250 and under
Want it to be small and thin
Needs to be extremely easy to use and understand
Want a fast capture time and shake reduction
Don't care about looks

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

I am not sure where you are from, but where I live we have stores called job lot (a discount store) they carry these digital cameras that are actually keychains that come with a usb so you can download all the photos you take. It cost 8 bucks and only holds 14 pictures at a time, but it is a great easy point and shoot digital camera, and is very VERY easy to use! (I think they also sell them on QVC!) (20 dollars on QVC)

cvs pharmacys have a dispossible digital camera if u have access to cvs. walmart cameras might also be of help to u. good luck.

www.walgreens.com has small digital cameras for $10.00 the battery lasts about 24 hours.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?...
this is the model I use and I have taken shots from the back of my husband's chopper when not riding my own scoot! I reccommend it.

You might consider the Fujifilm FinePix F30. 3X optical zoom, 6 megapixels, in addition to auto also has manual controls, and image stabilizer. Only 1 second between shots. Check Website dpreview.com for reviews and prices of different cameras.

casio exilim
nice and thin w. many features

OK... Go to www.dpreview.com to check out reviews of digital cameras, also go to www.cnet.com and the best is probably www.dcresource.com....all of these will give you very good reviews, and using them together you can get a good feel for cameras of all types...cnet even lets you sort by the type of camera (point and shoot, compact, etc.) and/or by price.

We have had a LOT of luck with canons. Right now for about $200 (check around...be careful of online camera retailers as a lot of them are scams of one for or another....I am talking about you, thedigitalnerds.com!!) we have the

Canon Powershot SD1000

It is VERY small (about as big as a deck of cards....seriously that small...no really, I am not kidding), but it packs a punch and it VERY easy to use...true point and shoot. It is 7.1 megapixel, 3X zoom, takes SD and SDHC cards, meaning you can get a 2 gig SD card (for about $20 - $50...check around online...www.thebatterystore.com) and literally take 1,000 pictures at very high quality before needing to change cards or take the pictures off the one you have. All of the above websites rated it very highly and, for a compact, the picture quality is fantastic.

Keep in mind that smaller cameras and cheaper cameras typically will have lower quality...it is the nature of a small light sensor and tiny electronics...it just physically cannot compete with larger cameras, and as for price, you typically get what you pay for.