Recommendations on a Good Camera???

I just bought the Nikon Coolpix L18. This is my first camera and I am very happy with my choice. I bought it at Target for no more than $150 or so. It does have a flash on/off option, 5min video option with sound, and the downloading is very easy to my mac & pc computer.

Hi Kristy. I have a Canon PowerShot S5 IS. Slightly more than the $250 you mention but IMO worth it. It is my 2nd Canon. I had some reservations about the size but the picture quality long put that to rest. It is a step down from an SLR but I still can change out the lenses if I want to. And yes, you can turn off the flash when you want to - it actually is not automatic, you have to raise it up. If you are interested contact me back and I would be happy to email you some candids I took. Hope this helps!

Girl i have 2 words for you WAL*MART!! i got my kodak digicam there for $200.00 it came with a carry case the mount to hook it up the the computer, the software to install it and 10 FREE polaroids to print picts..
BEST BUY and CIRCUIT CITY and RADIO SHACK are going to be too much $$$$$$$ go to walmart or go to www.walmart.com and look at all they have to offer.

I have been very pleased with the Fuji FinePix S700 that I bought last winter. It has 7.1 megapixels, and 10x OPTICAL zoom (the digital zoom is 4.7). It takes great pictures, has a lot of options as far as specific setting needs (macro, and super macro for REAL up close shots, etc - I even took a pic of my daughter's tooth coming in with it.. the tooth is HALF the frame of the picture, and clear as a bell) and exposure settings. It has a nice 2.5" LCD screen on the back also. I love it. I just saw it on sale at one of the stores (Circuit City? maybe) for about $200. I bought mine at a Target, but last I was in there the display wasn't out. You can even use regular AA alkaline batteries with it, as opposed to the expensive "camera" batteries. I bought rechargables for mine and it has been great!

With most of the Canon pocket cameras you have the option to turn the flash off or leave it as auto when you are in the AUTO mode. If you turn the camera to P (or Program) you have the ability to turn it on, off or leave it as auto using the same flash button (a lighting bolt that usually appears on the right of the circular dial).
It is better to leave the camera on P anyway... It measures automatically but allows you to make more manual decisions.
I am not discouraging buying a new camera, just wanted you to make sure that the one you have doesn't offer more than you were originally aware.
if you are interested in something slightly bigger here is an option:
http://shopdigitaldirect.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPa...
shopdigitaldirect.com has many options and some great prices.
good luck, C.

I HIGHLY recommend a Kodak EasyShare camera. We have had the Z710 (I think that's the model number) for about a year and a half and we ABSOLUTELY LOVE it!!!! We've have NO complaints whatsoever. It has a gajillion features, it's inexpensive, especially if you buy it at Walmart, and it's SO easy to use! We can take pictures and videos on it and the settings range from beach photos, to night photos, to scenery photos, to indoor photos, etc. You can also use it on manual settings. You can turn the flash on and off whenever you choose. The videos come out incredibly clear and we've had compliment after compliment about our photo/video clarity and quality when we've uploaded them for friends and family to view online. If we're this happy with the one we bought back in 2006-2007, I can only imagine how good the newer EasyShare cameras are. Good luck with your camera quest!

Kristy,

Hi, if you are not looking for a big camera. I think I might have a great camera for you. It is in your price range, you may have to shop around a bit. I bought it almost a year ago. It is the Sony CyberShot DSC-W80. The screen size is great, the pictures are awesome, the features are unbelievable. You can use the flash when you want, redeye reduction feature right on the camera and a lot more. It is right in the $190 range. All in all I love this camera and would not give it up for the world. As for larger cameras I also have a Sony DSC-H2. Both are digital and both are amazing camera, the H2 however was nearly $450. But well worth the money.

Hope this helps.

S.
35 y/o SAHM of 3 boys
13, 6 and 3

definitely love my nikon coolpix camera

I have the new digital cannon rebel and I love it. I blow pics up all the time and they look great!

I have a Kodak EasyShare M883 that I LOVE!! You can turn the flash on or off or automatic. It fits in my purse and it has a big screen. My husband has a pretty expensive camera and knows a lot about cameras and he said for the price its probably the best you can get.

I've had 2 different Kodak Easyshares and won't be purchasing one ever again. The last one was such a good deal that my dad, two sisters, and me all bought the same one hoping it was better than the last....and all of us have been so disapointed.
I'm not sure what the deal is since other people on the board said they liked them. Maybe I just had bad luck. They do have a ton of options and they take great outdoor photos, but I find that the indoor photos and night photos are very low quality or even fuzzy sometimes. I don't think I realized how much I didn't like it until I found myself taking hundreds of photos each month of my little one..and of course most of them are inside. Either the flash doesn't seem to light up the photo object enough or it seems to bounce right off of it and make it too whitish bright. I'm just overall not satisfied with it and won't be buying another one. I'm thinking of a canon or nikon. What I wouldn't give to get a digital SLR...but those are at least around $800.
The kodak easyshare was a decent price, but I think that I'll pay a little more next time to get something better. My one sister had so many problems and it wasn't working properly and they wanted $150 for her to just send it and for it to be looked at, prior to any actual repair. The program for the computer has caused me lots of problem. I guess that's common because when I researched it everyone else seemed to be complaining of the same thing. It caused my computer to crash twice (once when I was doing the software update) and when I got my computer repaired the second time they told me not to even bother reinstalling it and to just use a generic or another photo editing program and that I wasn't the only customer with this problem with the easyshare. I think when it comes down to it, try to find a couple you like and then go online and search for reviews and compare. I guess every brand can have its flop models and maybe I just lucked out with those. As of right now, my camera is taped together because the battery slot lever broke off one day when I was changing the batteries. I'm waiting for the day after Thanksgiving to take advantage of deals. Oh, and you probably already know this...but even if you don't buy from Best Buy they are pretty good about helping you decipher between all the models and what features would be good for you. Well, best of luck to you! Happy camera hunting!!!

Not quite sure if you got your camera or not as i just came across this request, but if you did and were not happy may I suggest the Olympus stylus 770sw.I do a lot of research before buying a camera because I love pictures! I absolutely love this camera. Not only is it compact, but it is shatter proof ( you can drop in from 30 feet and nothing happens to it, you can take it underwater without any extra housing, and one of the other best features is it's image stabilizer. I have taken pictures of kids jumping in pools on beds and dancing and caught them mid jump and the picture comes out awesome. I really cannot talk any better about this camera. I bought it 2 years ago and i just looked it up at best buy it is a bit pricey $250.00 but let me tell you it is worth every penny cause this camera will last thru anything. Good luck.