Need help deciding what kind of digital camera to buy.?

I am looking to buy a digital camera for personal use only but don't know the first thing when it comes to choosing one. Need help deciding what kind to buy and which is the best and easy to use out there. Nothing too fancy or complicated which is able to take good pics. How many megapixels or what the total zoom should be etc...
Would be helpful to know also what has worked for you guys. Any tit bits would be helpful and appreciated.

Buy the cheapest... remember in 2 years the thing will be obsolete and the prices will be half of what theya re now... why waste money??

love my sony cam

My first digital camera was a Sony Cybershot. I love the color of the pics that i took using it. Try their new models of cybershot. 4 megapixels or more is good enough and more that 3x or more optical zoom is cool.

mexapix should be no less then 4-5 the more pix you have the better quality pictures you will have. Zoom just depends on what you want. I have sony and for the most part they are pretty great they just tend to be on the higher side as far as price. Also one thing people dont think about is make sure you get a docking port or a charger for your camera otherwise you will go through batteries like crazy, Hope that helps!!

the higher the pixel the better the quality. There are so many good ones out there but your budget is a major factor. Aim for 5mpixel or higher. Always a good idea to visit specialized photography shops as they are very knowledgeable and should give good advice

Resolution and Mega Pixel the higher the better.

There are so many different cameras to choose from, its very difficult to recommend just one.
The most important thing to consider first is 'optical quality'. But also, remember that no 'one' camera is absolutely perfect.
These days, there is no real reason to buy a camera with less than 6 MP...and choose one which has maybe 4X, 6X optical zoom or more. Never ever consider the 'digital zoom' when choosing a camera.
If you want an uncomplicated, easy to use camera then you need a 'point and shoot' and just use auto.
The camera's size could be a determining factor in your choice. Do you want something very small that you can fit in a pocket or handbag...or perhaps you want something a little larger?
The choices are endless...but I am partial to Canon, which is the top seller of cameras around the world (mainly due to their reputation, excellent optics, and of course, clever marketing).
They make some fantastic little cameras.
Look at the Powershot SD range (IXUS) if you want great picture quality and very small size, and for something a little bit larger, but still small...look at the Powershot 'A' range.
Have a look at the links below...for reviews and ideas which will hopefully help you choose a camera. Good luck in your search...hope you have fun (with your new camera)

i've had a canon powershot that was a 4megapixel and i also have a olympus stylus thats a 7 megapixel. they're both pretty much the same, except price. you dont have to spend alot to get a good camera. canons are really good. try the powershot. i think they make it 5 megapixels now. not too sure. that was the first camera i ever had and they're pretty cheap. as far as megapixels go, anything 4 and up is good. most digital cameras have either a 3x or 4x zoom. just go to best buy or circuit city and see what they have.

try canon A series

If you're looking for an average, small camera for family photos, I would recommend something like the Olympus FE line, or Canon Powershot. They are small handheld cameras that you can easily fit into your pocket, with about 3 to 5 megapixels that you can easily get quality 4x6 images or up to size 8x10 images on. You can use the camera as just point-and-shoot, or, depending which one you get, you can go a bit deeper and adjust settings on your own.

You'll want to have something with more "optical zoom" since that's what is doing the "real" zooming. Digital zoom is just adding pixels to your image to make it look bigger, it won't make it any clearer. Usually small cameras like this have 3x or 4x optical zoom.

The price range for these is about $200-400, I'd estimate, and they should be available at Best Buy, Circuit City, or any local store that sells a lot of "tech" equipment.

Any consumer camera of about 5 mega pixels or so would be sufficient if you want to print photos to about 5x8 inch size.

Stick to a good brand like Canon as Canon is the leader in digital cameras and the senors in the digital cameras manufactured by Canon have very good low light capability. When you shoot in low light, you have to increase the ISO speed, something which is done automatically if you choose the auto mode. In hight ISO settings, you will normally get grains. But in Canon cameras the nosie is very well controlled.

pick up a camera which has got a good optical zoom. Remember that the digital zoom is just fooling you by only magnifying the image already obtained using the lens. So check for a camera within your budget which has got a good optical zoom.