Hi Laurie! I have a Canon PowerShot A560. I've also had it for three years, so I can't promise they still make this exact model...but I can say that I like my camera a lot.

Soba's a beauty even when she's blurry! :)

My family has had great luck with all the Canon point-n-shoots. I have an older (5 yrs I think) Canon Sure Shot and my husband and daughter have Power Shot models. They are worth checking out and depending on which bells 'n whistles you choose you can score one for less than $200!
Good luck :)
Shelly in So Cal

I have a new Canon Powershot (mine is the the 1200, but the others are nice, too). Our friend is a professional photographer and he recommended it. It's the exact camera he uses for non-professional picture taking. We love it so far!
Good luck!

I have an Olympus FE-40 8 mega pixel camera, a couple of years old. Takes beautiful photos, it has autofocus, and a bunch of pre-set scene settings, takes decent movies. The only downside is that it has to have an Olympus memory card, not the generic kind. I've yet to fill up a card on a week-long vacation so this really hasn't been a problem. The Olympus software is easy to use as well.

Good luck with your shopping !!

I have used a Samsung Digimax A7 for the last almost 3 years.

I love it! it can take great pictures of my constantly moving child - it would work for cats too! (and other things)

My dad and sister both have Canon Powershots and like them. My sister is also a prof. photog and has a Canon / EOS Digital Rebel XT that she takes some killer pics with too, but that goes on the bigger side.

Hope this helps.

I shoot with a Nikon D60, which is probably more fancy-pants than you are looking for (plus they've discontinued it and replaced it with a newer model), so I like Nikon.

But, I also have a Casio Exilim (it's only a 6mp, so I've had it for a few years now) but it's been a great camera and it is slim. Also, it is light weight. Also, Also, they come in fun colors.

Canon SD 1000. Little and easy to use and takes great pics. Even my kids, who have the electronic kiss of death (like you and your watches) haven't killed it yet.

Me too for the Canon Elph. I have an SD 600, always nice pictures, and affordable!

I'm in the Canon Powershot group. For the price I think they can't be beat. And they shoot great blog quality pictures.

My first digital camera was a sony cybershot...I got it about 6 or 7 years ago and it was only a 5 megapixel but took GREAT pictures...it has since passed away. My next one was a kodak easy share Z650 6.1 megapixels and was also great. Only times I got blurry pictures was taking pictures in a gymnasium, at a concert or at my son's hockey games. Anyways, it is now our camera for quadding because I have graduated to a DSLR camera (Canon EOS Rebel TSi)and it's gorgeous! Love it! I am going to Hawaii in less than 2 weeks and although it is huge and cumbersome, I couldn't imagine taking a smaller camera......the quality is soooooo great! And if you already know how to use photoshop (and I'm not smart enough to use that) then imagine what you can do with a DSLR!! The possibilities are endless. Have you also considered getting an external hard-drive? If you take lots of pictures, they are a great place to store your photos so your computer doesn't get too slow! Good luck in your quest!! Can't wait to see your future pictures!!

I am also a Kodak kind of gal. I still use my little EasyShare C330. I don't even know how old it is anymore. I also scored a great camera at Wally World for under $100--it's a VuPoint (don't remember the model) and it came with a waterproof case. Simple to use and takes really nice pictures for me.

Happy hunting!

I have a Panasonic Lumix. I held on to the previous Panasonic Lumix so long that when it broke the company said they didn't do repairs on them anymore (don't you hate that? I would have paid the original price again to get it working). Anyway the FZ35 has great zoom and stability.

My beloved Kodak was retired after the little plastic doodad that keeps the battery in broke (and the repair was going to cost more than I paid for the camera.) I bought a Pentax waterproof something or other- higher resolution than the Kodak, but the pictures just aren't as good. I'm seriously considering fixing the old one.

I love my first and only digetal, the Canon Power Shot... simple, uber clear photos.... people & places. Less than $300.00 and is already 5 years old. I hope I didn't just jinx it.. oh, darn.

I love my Nikon CoolPix S550.

Sony cybershot $100, small, great pics

I'm also a big fan of the Canon PowerShot. In my family, I think we have 5 of them of various models (between 6 people - one person has a superfancy camera). They're user friendly, and reliable.

My husband looooooooves his Canon G10. That thing takes lovely pictures.

My first camera was a Canon PowerShot A series. I actually wore it out. And until it died, I didn't have any problems with it at all.

I now have a Panasonic Lumix TZ series. It's *fabulous*. The optical zoom is incredible, and they use Leica lenses, which happen to be some of the best (if not THE best) camera lenses on the market. It's also equally easy to use as my Canon was.

I did a lot of research (hello, I'm a librarian) when the Canon died before I purchased the Panasonic. I really feel I got the best bang for my buck and I'm really happy with it. I've had it about a year now, and not a single problem. :)

I had a nice little HP that fit in my pocket. Great pics, but I ended up with battery issues.

Sprung for a digital SLR Canon Rebel and it is fabulous. Not too tricky...yeah, it doesn't fit in my pocket but it's so worth it.

I think Canon's are the best for the point and shoot. My daughter is a photographer and that's what she makes me get. Not being the photography type myself.

I use both a Cannon and a Fuji. Both have served me very well over the years, and when ever it's time to get a new one (due to lose or broken, etc) I always go back to those brands. They're usually decently priced for their P&S, and have lasted me a few years a piece...I usually have to replace out of them being lost rather then worn out. Hope that helps :)

We have two digital cameras in the house - an Olympus and a Samsung. Absolutely love the Olympus - takes great pictures, easy to use. Samsung was a Christmas present to daughter - so I could have the Olympus back. She loves it - says she likes it better than the Olympus.

I have a Nikon P80. It looks all fancypants, and can be if you want it to be, or you can point and shoot. Any of the Nikon coolpix cameras are winners. I've had nothing but love for mine. I do usually go in and tweak the exposure, just because it seems dark to me. But you know photoshoppy goodness, so you'd be good!

All the Nikon Cool pix are pretty darn good.

Lumix FX35 !!!!!!!!! You will love it;

I upgraded a year ago from a Kodak Easy Share that took okay pictures, to a Nikon Coolpix S210 that takes fantabulous pictures. And I got it in purple and that made it even better. :) It's super easy to use and I love the interface to download the photos to my computer.

I love my Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS Digital Elph. It turns on super fast for those quick "crazy pet" shots, takes clear pictures even with a slightly shaky hand and is pocket tiny!

This might be a bit pricier/fancier than you had in mind, but this is the point and shoot I have on my list (I just finally splurged on a DSLR, so it'll be a while before we upgrate the P-and-S!)

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-PowerShot-S90IS-Digital-Stabilized/dp/B002LITT42/

The best camera I ever had was a Canon. It just took really nice pics. That was before digital though so I don't really know anymore...

I have a Minolta Dimage point and shoot, which has been easy and handy, but doesn't compare with a decent SLR judging from some of my friends photos.

Another Canon Powershot user here. I just bought a new one--a 980. It's fabulous! I can't believe what good pictures it takes.

I love my Panisonic Lumix. It has optical image stabilizer and takes the best pictures. I also have a nikon coolpix (I received it for Christmas) and I hate it. All the pictures are blurry, maybe it is a fluke 'cause everyone else loves theirs.

Good luck!

I have been very happy with my Canon. It's a PowerShot A590, and replaced a similar one that I also had good results from.

I got a Canon SX120 for Christmas. It takes really excellent photos in Auto, plus there's a gajillion other settings for when I feel like being fancy!

Canon Power Shot. Oh yeah! You KNOW you LOVE all of my photos!!!

I can personnally recommend Sony CyberShot with 12.1 megapixels. It is great for travel with a neck strap that works to put the camera in a pocket, like in a photojournalist vest. I own a light weight on for all day shooting and it looks okay with casual travel wear. I also own a Joby Gorilla tripod that is really cool. And get the extra battery so you always have a fresh one charged. It makes a real difference.
In other comments: I loved Bob's photo-shoot, please pass that one to him. And I just purchased your new book today and love your New Year's resolution first draft - I am planning to institute that into my daily routine. Thank you so much for being out there for all of us like souls. Best of everything to you always!

Hey! I bought a Canon PowerShot SD780 IS (Digital Elph!) last summer and have absolutely loved it. It cost about $200. Aside from it's fancy red color, it has consistently given me great pics. I don't (know how to) use Photo Shop, so I'm carrying on about unenhanced, pure digital photos. Imagine what somone who's savvy at touching up photos could do with it! Good luck with your search!

I really like my Canon Powershot. Its simple, compact and you turn it on and its ready - there isn't that five second warmup! Very important for catching those cute kitty pics! ;) It doesn't run through the batteries like my Kodak did.

Can't go wrong with the Canon Powershots. We have 2 and love them both.

Well, I just scanned the list and it appears Canon is a heavy favorite. I went to one of my favorite websites to see what they say and...Canon is hot!

http://www.consumersearch.com/cheap-digital-cameras/best-budget-cameras

And once you've narrowed down a few possibilities I highly recommend this website.

http://www.steves-digicams.com/

P.S. Am I the millionth person to mention your new book (and the "Buy Now" button) isn't under "Litterchure" yet?

My husband just bought me a Nikon Coolpix for christmas and I LOVE IT. It takes nice pictures, good video, it's easy to use, and evidently it was under $100 (but then he had to buy the memory card, which was another $20-30).

Hubby recently surprised me with a Panasonic Lumix (DMC-FS7), and this thing is BRILLIANT. I really love it. It takes great close-up macro shots of yarn and stuff, as well as taking good pictures of finished objects (from a slightly greater distance :D)

Gee, do you really need to hear from another Canon Powershot user? I just got one a week or two ago and I'm loving it. Easy point and shoot, but if you want to do more with it you can and not so big that it is obtrusive.

I, too, have a Canon PowerShot (Canon PowerShot SD780IS 12.1 MP) and LOVE it. Mine is fancy & red, just like Wicked Thistle. (Also, it takes video.)

Also, it is currently on sale for $199 at Amazon!

My Canon PowerShot SD780IS is absolutely the best digital point and shoot that I have ever owned. It is also the 4th Canon that I've owned without any sort of problems.

It was a little pricey for a point-and-shoot (a bit more than $200), but Canon makes other PowerShots with fewer bells and whistles but the same fantastic quality.

I too vote for the Canon PowerShot - I bought a new one last summer for a trip to Europe with my son (my second PowerShot, only son.) I'm the worst at taking pictures, so handed the camera off to Noah to manage. This is a guy whose approach to photography is to walk along the street, see something he likes, and points in the general direction and shoots. No looking through the lens, no posing the shot, just point and shoot. The photos were amazing, including a night shot of a church in Amsterdam that is worth submitting to a photo mag.

Easy to use, light (for what you get), downloads easily to both PC and Mac, and real bang for your buck!

With all the travel you do, your camera should be the least of your worries, girl!

I've been using an Olympus FE-240 for about 18 months. Love it. I haven't gotten a blurry photo yet, although I have gotten photos of a blurry cat on a nice clear background. It's got great battery life and is really easy to carry around and use.
Under $100 at Fry's. (I love Fry's.)

I was stunned that your blurry picture-taking only camera was not a Sony. That's the one I've been cursing at for 1-1/2 years, until I did manage to find the combination of settings that does not make me want to throw it. While I generally like Sony products, I probably won't buy another of their cameras. I'll be waiting anxiously to see what your new camera is and how you like it.

I have a Pentax Optio because I thought it would have the best features BUT I am not crazy about it. If I decide to replace it, I will get a Canon or a Nikon with VR (vibration reduction). VR is very important, I think.

I have a Canon Powershot SD1000 Digital Elph. Daughter #1 has the SD1100, and daughter #2 has the SD1200, which comes in really cool colors. I love this thing, use it all the time. They're about $200. What I love most about it is the digital macro setting is absolutely excellent. I use it for all my knitting close ups which I do a lot of for instructional purposes. I'm not crazy about indoor shots with the flash, but any photos using available light turn out great.

My recommendation is a Canon Powershot A490 and try http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16830120390&cm_re=Canon-_-30-120-390-_-Product> for more info.

My mom has one and loves it. Coming from a person who has written down the instructions for her VCR so she can record and work it. Kinda scary if ya ask me.
Hope this helps.

another vote for the Panasonic Lumix. I LOVE IT! There are lots of settings and options for more control, but the "intelligent auto" setting is great and you don't have to do anything put push the button. It takes decent video, too. My Lumix is from the FS series, which are usually less than 200 bucks.

I love taking pictures - it really changes how I look at the world (almost always for the better). Best of luck finding a camera that is a good fit for you!

Canon SD780. I've purchased various Canon SDs over the last three years, not because of any design flaws (one disappeared and I think my toddler-nephew threw it in the trash trying to be helpful, one I gave to my Mom because it was bigger than the one I lost in the trash, one was dropped in a river on the first day of a six-day hike in Colombia by a guy I asked to take my picture, one I gave to my niece for Christmas. Anyway, my words of wisdom - go in to Best Buy or wherever and try them out. They all look practically the same online, but they feel different in your hands.

I bought my friend a copy of your first book. She is going through a divorce and this morning at work she told me she finished it. And it helped her to feel like she wasn't crazy. Some of the things you said she could really relate to. Thank you for writing a book that helped her.

So, I have used Nikon, Canon, and Sony point and shoots and I have to say your best bet is either a Canon or a Sony. I just took my Sony abroad and it took lovely pictures, no blur, even at night or at 5x zoom and with 12.0 megapixels it was great buy. However, my Canon was my best friend until the screen died and even for about a year after that with the use of the eyepiece. Both are great cameras and these two brands are today considered the leading point and shoot brands with the most accurate coloring and the best quality lenses.

Good Luck!

I have an Olympus Stylus 840, about 2 years old, takes great pictures, and its pink. Just finished shopping for cameras with my daughter, and she also bought an Olympus, a newer one, better and cheaper than mine was. and hers, not pink.

Get a Canon Elph! You can pick the model which meets your function/price requirements, but I've had great luck with them, and the Elph models are great to tuck in your purse. Canon has refined their optics and electronics to give you a camera that can be as easy or as technical to use as you want. (And no, I don't work for them. I've just had a series of Elphs, and they've all been great general-use cameras.) And if not a Canon, the Nikon Coolpix are also good. I'd stick with one of those brands though, they just make good cameras.

Many, many years ago, I bought a Canon PowerShot A60 (yes, it was that long ago). I loved it! In fact, I loved it so much, we got my Dad one, and Dear Hubby's mother bought one also.

They have all been working for all these years, and we STILL just love them. Whenever mine finally dies, I will definitely look at getting another Canon. (Although, that Panasonic Lumix did sound intriguing).

Good luck camera shopping, Laurie! :)

Canon S90.
Absolutely positive reviews. Gigantic screen. Image stabilization, high marks in low light shooting. I wanted to get another Canon Elph, but my boyfriend, who researches all things and read everything there was on line about this camera, convinced me. It is only just a tiny bit larger than the Elph, so still fits nicely in my purse and he's right. The photos are wonderful.

I'm the yearbook teacher at my school, so I really need a good camera (for backup when the 13 year olds don't quite get the photos they need).

Canon S90.
Absolutely positive reviews. Gigantic screen. Image stabilization, high marks in low light shooting. I wanted to get another Canon Elph, but my boyfriend, who researches all things and read everything there was on line about this camera, convinced me. It is only just a tiny bit larger than the Elph, so still fits nicely in my purse and he's right. The photos are wonderful.

I'm the yearbook teacher at my school, so I really need a good camera (for backup when the 13 year olds don't quite get the photos they need).

I have always had good luck with Nikon point and shoots and also Sony. I have to take continuity photos everyday for work of actors so when we shoot the rest of the scene two weeks later (yes. happens all the time.) I have to refer back to a non blurry photo in order to make them look exactly the same. Since we are often on a dark stage in low light this is actually harder than it sounds. I currently have a Nikon Coolpix (because you can write on the screen and it saves the text) and it's great. Less than $200.

The two cameras I've had the most problems with? (I have bought them all over the years) Kodak and Cannon. Well, for point & shoot. My big girl camera is a Canon Rebel and I love it to death.

A great place to go and check them all out is Samy's Camera on Fairfax. Very helpful and they have all kinds there.

I had a Sony CyberShot that I totally loved, plus it was pink and so cute! But I lost it. I replaced it with a Canon which is also nice, and it's blue which is more handsome than cute, but I loved the Sony more.

On the irritation topic, I had a dishwasher that I HATED WITH A FIREY PASSION similiar I think to the emotions you are feeling about your camera. I don't really think it's healthy to have such strong emotions about a dishwasher. But it was loud, and slow, and used too much water, and the racks would fall off the track every time you pulled one out. I replaced it this month with a shiny, quiet, water efficient, and track-in-tact dishwasher, and every time I open the new one I fall in love with it all over again. Again, too strong emotions to be felt about a dishwasher.

Canon Eos Rebel, definitely. It's an excellent camera. But, if you're looking for something cheaper and smaller, try an Olympus Camedia. That one takes quite good pictures too, but definitely get lithium batteries for it. It drains regular batteries like a vampire drains the living.

I HIGHLY recommend the panasonic Lumix camera. it has a Leica lens, and takes beautiful pictures especially in low light. It's really easy to use, takes great macro pix, and is small and portable. I went on a trip to Alaska, and my pal who was shooting with a big Nikon digital SLR liked my Lumix pix better. I also have a Canon, but I like the Lumix better because it is so easy to use.

Many, many years ago, I bought a Canon PowerShot A60 (yes, it was that long ago). I loved it! In fact, I loved it so much, we got my Dad one, and Dear Hubby's mother bought one also.

They have all been working for all these years, and we STILL just love them. Whenever mine finally dies, I will definitely look at getting another Canon. (Although, that Panasonic Lumix did sound intriguing).

Good luck camera shopping, Laurie! :)

I love my Canon Powershot SX100IS. I'm always told it takes great pictures. I like to atribute it to the person pushing the button (me!). It's very easy to use and does take great pictures.

Hi, Laurie! About a year ago, I bought a Nikon Coolpix point-n-shoot so I could write a blog to keep in touch with family & friends as I went out of town for a month. You can see the photos I took at my blog; I did no retouching and barely changed the settings, and it took some beautiful photos. I was very happy with my ~$100 purchase. Perhaps, being a design person, you will go for something fancier, but this one's good for something to just throw in your purse and go...

Good luck with your decision!

We love love our Sony Cybershot. It takes good pictures, the resolution is really nice. One of my favorite things is that the delay between pushing the button and taking the picture is really short, which is important when taking pictures of my little son (or a kitty!). I highly recommend it.

Comments Yea! I had good luck with Fuji camera's. The one I have now is a Canon powershot 590. I have been very happy with it. I wish I could remember where I bought it from as I got it online about 2 years ago for $135.00 (no tax or shipping) from a camera store in NYC. I searched on line for a comprison price site and they had the best price - and I realized later that it was the same store I had bought my very first digital camera from. So I know they have good prices and I suspect they would have a good price for any camera you decide on. If I remember it I will post it!

I look forward to many more kitty photo's!

Julie

Another vote for the Panasonic Lumix! Love the stabilization (great for out of car window shots!) and the optical zoom.

I love my Canon Powershot 900 (http://www.amazon.com/Canon-PowerShot-Titanium-Digital-Optical/dp/B000HAQ8EK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=photo&qid=1264646825&sr=1-1 but this one is strangely much more expensive than mine)
It's put up with a lot of dropping and scraping. I like that it has both the display screen and the window to look through for taking pictures.

Well, I have a Canon PowerShot A570IS, I like it, and am not anyone even remotely resembling a camera/photography expert.

Anyway, I just wanted to say that what inspired me to comment was the word "iceberg" that you had in the title. My mind went immediately to lettuce. Perhaps my brain is telling me that the Cracker Barrel supper I just finished should not be a nightly tradition.

Also, blurry or not, she looks so cute. There is a stray kitty cat who comes around our porch for food, and she looks similar.

I have the previous generation of this camera and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. It is freakishly durable, I've even taken some AWESOME underwater shots.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Olympus+-+Stylus+Tough+10.0-Megapixel+Digital+Camera+-+White/9225386.p?id=1218062425829&skuId=9225386&st=stylus%201030&cp=1&lp=3

I have a Fuji FinePix that I love, love, love. I got it at Target, in a desperate hurry for a camera before a trip to Israel. My previous camera was a Nikon CoolPix, which was OK, but not even in the same league as the Fuji. It's about 3 years old now -- and no problems. I think I looked on a camera review website before deciding on it.

Good luck -- it's sort of a personal decision -- it's all which features you like best.

Canon G7 PowerShot -- great photos, little effort! Very little camera shake ... so it takes a cat who's actually moving deliberately (and fast) to produce a blurry photo.

Canon PowerShot SD 700 IS Digital Elph
The 'IS' is for image stabilization (less of a chance of any blurryness)

I've had my Panasonic Lumix for 2 years now and just knitted a beautiful camera bag for it because I love it so much. I have umpteen bazillion clear pictures of my four cats if you want to see them. Didn't think so.
My camera bag is here, it's a free Ravelry pattern. http://dragonsorchidgardenknitting.blogspot.com/2010/01/knitting-serendipity.html

No recommendation, just a joke

Friend of mine refers to 'everything automatic' cameras as p.h.d. cameras. Stands for 'push here dummy'. Makes me giggle.

Hi Laurie,

I recommend a Canon G11 or Canon S90IS - the S90 is a very small camera and it very good in low light to take non-blurry cat pictures. The G11 is great and it a bit larger.

Also, the Fuji f200exr is a great camera(I have one) and takes lovely pictures in low light without blurring. It is a small pocket camera with 5 times zoom.

Even though you like Kodak cameras most of them don't take really great pictures.

You can read about these camera on Amazon - all of them are very highly rated. Also, you can look at the other camera review websites like DPReview - where these cameras are highly recommended.

Canon!

I won't recommend a specific model, but merely suggest that you look for one that can automagically shoot at speeds up to ISO 1600 (or even 3200). This will do wonders to help your issue with blurry images. If it can also do image stabilization, that will also help immensely. Put the two together, and no matter what make or model your experience should be more happy-making. Just tell the salesfolk that those are must-haves, and let them do the footwork to find potential cameras.

Hope that helps!

I too have to say the Nikon CoolPix. I've had 2 and also have a larger Nikon. They withstand the hands of my 5 kids and take GREAT shots. The ones of my kids swimming even show the water splashes very clearly.

After MUCH research last summer, I purchased an Olympus SP565-UZ for under $400 (could have done better thru Amazon; but, I got free classes with Wolf Camera locally...18 to be exact [lots of repeats]...it was worth it...and, I met some interesting folks).

Go on Amazon & check out the reviews; google reviews too. I love the zoom feature and the fact that I can make the camera as "point & shoot", a little more complicated than "point & shoot" all the way up to fooling around with f-stops & stuff I probably would never use. It has a video feature (which I have never used) and a panoramic feature (like a much more expensive camera) that I've never used either.

However, I love my photos and I never get blurs unless someone moves A LOT when I'm shooting...the zoom is great and I'm in my 60's so I sometimes have the "dreaded shakes" but still the photos are wonderful. I've taken it on several trips with huge success! No, I don't work for or am affiliated with Olympus. Cheers.

From what you described that you are looking for in a camera I nominate:
- The Olympus SW 850 - the why is because it's a great travel camera. It's drop proof, water proof and sand proof. I can kick it around, go snorkeling with it, and not have to worry about being gentle with it. Takes great pictures too! My brother has the version above it and it's so beaten up it has dents, the paint is peeling but it still works like a charm!

- My other nomination is the Fuji Finepix - a lot of people love those little cameras - easy to use, nice pictures, good price range

- My personal favorite of the point and shoot is pretty much anything Canon. The one I have is Canon SD1000 and I love it. Slim, light, takes no room in the purse.

Things to watch for:
- care only about optical zoom not about digital zoom.
- any camera that is 4MP or over will serve your needs as long as you aren't doing over 11x14 - so don't let the sales guy try to talk you into more MP.
- you may like Kodak (I love their processing paper and film when I used it) but they make crappy cameras.

Good luck in the camera search!

As you probably noticed I have cameras (what is sadder is I have three more that I haven't mentioned in here!). Love cats - deadly allergic - so I adopt cameras - it works!

Okay that is weird - the comment by Kate is actually mine.... and My comment has nothing.... very very weird!

Canon!!! My last two bfs recommended them to me and I've had the same one for several years. I have a Powershot and it's awesomely compact and affordable.

They also come with rechargeable batteries that hold a lot of charge and you don't have to keep buying Triple A batteries which get expensive.

Geeky boys tell me that Canon digital cameras have the best color even though Leica lenses are great. Panasonic's (the ones that use Leica lenses) technology is a little bit behind Canon.

I found the camera store that I have purchsed from twice on-line and been very happy with their prices and quick shipping. It is J&R and the website is http://www.jr.com/

No matter what camera you decide on I would check their prices on that model.

Enjoy your new camera when you get it!

Julie

I have a Canon something or other point and shoot. Do you want it? It's brand new (nearly) and in the box. It has a story. Initially I won a Canon point and shoot in a contest. I used it for work for three years. then something happened and it didn't work so I sent it in to Canon for repair and they decided they liked me (or something like that). They kept it and sent me the current brand spanking new model. Meanwhile, I bought a much nicer Nikon. The Canon has been sitting in the box for a couple of years. I offered it to YarnHarlot when her camera died, but she never emailed me back. Perhaps she thought I was insane. I am not. I just have an extra camera I don't need. Want it? I'll trade you for one of your books. :) or not. Whatever. Email me.

If you're having trouble with shake I recommend you look into a camera with really good OIS (Optical Image Stabilization). It compensates for shake. And since you take a lot of relative closeups of the cats, a camera with decent macro would be good too.

I loved my Kodak point and shoot cameras until I got my Panasonic Lumix. Wow. Talk about a mighty little camera! Great OIS, WAY better macro than the Kodaks I had owned in the past. The only thing is, as with many small pocket cameras, is that the cycle time for flash can suck. But since flash tends to wash out photos and make them look like ass anyway, as a rule I try and shoot sans flash whenever possible.

The Lumix pocket cams start at really reasonable rates and I can't recommend them enough. If it wasn't probably considered showy I'd link here to some of the photos I've taken with mine. Good luck with your search!

I got a Panasonic Lumix a couple of years ago. I'm sure I haven't used 1/10th of the features yet, but it produces good pictures even for a non-expert like me.

OK, i must be the only person on earth who HATES her Canon. I've had a PowerShot A530 for 1.5 years and my pictures rival yours in blurriness! The time between pushing the button and taking the picture is ridiculous (and brand new batts don't help). I've actually stopped taking pics 'cause the blur's no fun. My 8 year old, 2.0 megapixel Olympus D-520 Zoom still outperforms the Canon in all instances. What's annoying, is that the Canon came so highly recommended just like it is here. In fact, if it weren't for the cost of film & processing, I'd probably revert to my beloved 25 year old Yashica SLR! Well, that's my 2 cents for whatever it was worth. Good luck shopping, I look forward to seeing what you decide on!

Another vote for Canon PowerShot/Digital Elph. I have the SD850 IS, and get consistently great pictures from it. I'm a very point-and-shoot gal so I don't mess with any of the manual settings, and still - great pictures. The thing that hasn't been mentioned much is that most of the Digital Elphs have almost NO shutter-lag, so you can get great shots of fast moving pets or kids.

In my year of yes, I'm posting upbeat comments to frustrated bloggers I like. I'm glad you're ready to make removing an annoyance a priority, but your previous choice to take a break in spending was also a good one. To everything there is a season, and sometimes it is terrible picture season. But since I really like your kitty pictures, I'm very glad that it will be good picture season now! Happy hunting.

Love my Canon. They make great lenses. Mine isn't pocket-sized and that's my only complaint. It's the Canon Powershot S3 IS.

It takes awesome photos. It uses AA batteries (I opt for rechargeable ones) and they really last a long time.

Another thumbs up for the Panasonic Lumix. Several models are available at Costco, which offers a 90 day return period so that's a pretty risk-free trial.

PANASONIC LUMIX!! had to vote because this great camera seems under-represented for how lovely it is :) Nice big lcd and HUGE OPTICAL ZOOM, easy "functions" and auto-stabilize!! Good luck and enjoy the hunting around-Jes in Montana

I confess to Canon love, too. I have a Canon Powershot SX120IS. Amazon $225, cheaper than elsewhere and no tax, thank you very much! My precious niece is no longer cursed with the demon red eyes she inherited from her mother (my sister always has red-eye, no matter what). This camera is like a magic wand, voilà! I am the master photographer! Good luck!

Whatever you do (you surely will, but a small caution never hurts), remember to make sure your new one has an actual viewfinder. I was shopping for a P&S awhile ago and noticed that at least a third of the ones I looked at just had the LCD screen, and hi, useless for...the majority of lighting conditions? The descriptions weren't always helpful, so I'd be about to put one on my short list, then read the reviews wherein people were rending garments re: lack of viewfinder. Am I just old-fashioned? Am only 30, dagnabbit, but ah need a viewfinder!

(And bless you for asking this question, as I'm still shopping and this is way handy. :)

Another vote for Panasonic Lumix. Bought mine a couple of years ago, and love it. While indoors, low light, it struggles a bit and produces some blurry shots (no surprise), in natural light, and esp. outside, it's truly awesome. Good macro settings, too, and very easy to use.

i vote canon digital elph. very cool camera - very small - light and takes fantastic pictures. rechargeable battery and some neat settings within the camera that make editing very optional (even for a photoshop guru like you) :) my husband has one... i'm a DSLR fan - but that doesn't fit the cheap or compact goal.

I love my Casio Exilim. Does everything really well, including recording impressive video/audio when needed. Extremely user friendly and lightweight. LOVE.

I love my Nikon coolpix. Mine has a bigger screen so it is easier for me to use and I am less inclined to squint through the little viewer. Anything to help the older eyes and to not squint. Also, there is very little delay between pictures. Enjoy the hunt! Also, it is really worth it to go to a good camera shop. I recommend spending a little more than Amazon but you'd get the service and get what you want. Just my opinion of course.

I didn't read all gazillion other suggestions so my camera may already be mentioned, but I just bought the Panasonic Lumix-ZS1 online for crazy cheap. There's also a ZS3 model with hd movie blah blah blah that was available at the Costco (I was told) for a great price too. Super zoom and a really wide angle lens. Also Costco will let you return anything, so maybe get a Costco friend to take you over to one?

A great camera review site is www.dpreview.com and it's totally searchable by what your looking for, so be prepared to suck up some serious time!

Happy looking.

My boyfriend got me a camera for Christmas. This could have been a recipe for disaster-- he is an engineer, and I am an anthropologist. To say that we have differing ideas of how technology should work and the effort the operator should put into the whole process is a major understatement. I DO NOT want to learn anything more about electronics than I absolutely HAVE to-- I only have enough computer knowledge to be dangerous. I think electronics should JUST WORK without me doing much to make it happen. And, I LOVE this camera. A 'point and shoot', but has enough other stuff (telephoto, inside/outside/pet/landscape settings, etc.) for me not to at all feel like I can't do anything I want to, or that the camera has limitations (and because he is an engineer, he researched the crap out of it before buying it). It is an Olympus Stylus-7010 12 Megapixel. If you need more info than that, let me know and I will dig out the box.

How beautiful is the pusscat??!! He's so adorable.

I know you've gotten a lot of adice so I'll keep it short. I love my cannon powershot a610.

It's kind of old, but in summary:
*It's survived being flung off the back of a galloping horse
*I've hauled from continent to continent easily -takes double A batteries which is great for travel because it doesn't need chargers.
*Does video and pictures
*Is hard to use to take pictures of fireworks, but otherwise easy point and click.

Good luck and have fun picking a new camera!

Canon. Powershot. Period.

Ooh, I'm late to the party, but yes to the Canon powershot. I had an OLD Kodak easy share that I lost, and then I got a super updated Kodak easy share that took nothing but blurry. I was so mad I threw it away and got the Canon. I can point and shoot and take amazing pictures of bees poised in flowers with their tongues hanging out.

I finally bought myself a Nikon Coolpix S630 last year. Great investment, even better pics! Small point and shoot, easy to use, and easy to download. The pictures rival my husband's fancy expensive Canon digital SLR.

I really love my Canon PowerShot SD770 IS digital Elph; 10 megapixels. (There are over 100 posts; I'm sure this has been mentioned before, but anyway...) It's really easy to use, the auto setting takes great photos, and it's pocket sized. Love it.

Yet another vote for the Panasonic Lumix (mine is the DMC-FS20 model, 10 mega pixels). Like you, I had a much-hated camera (Olympus) that I kept for years & years, even though I almost cried after every special event 'cause my pictures would turn out so crappy). I bought the Lumix because the price was right and the saleman was cute, but once I got home I googled it to find out that it's pretty highly rated (because of the Leica lenses, which I guess is pretty good). All I can say is, now I don't cry when I look at my photos! ;p Cheers!

Well, it looks like the choir has spoken. But I'm going to throw my vote in for the Canon SD780 -- it even comes in red!

I too have a Canon Power Shot, though I am no great photographer, I am very pleased with its macro range cuz I do love a crystal clear closeup.

Also I have to give Canon a 5 star rating on their customer service. my 5 year old camera's screen went wacky and they sent me a shipping label and also fixed it for free because of a defect. So my little 5 year old camera is still going strong!

My fancypants camera is Nikon, but my point and shoot is a Canon Powershot I love, love, love it and it was only about $150.00!

Another vote for the Canon Power Shot. We have one, kids abuse it constantly (and shoot videos with it) and it just goes and goes. Shots can sometimes be blurry indoors in very low light... but I think that's true of most cameras.

Hey! I am have spendy-camera issues, because I tend to drop them or I stuff them in my knitting bag and sometimes they just don't survive well despite the protective case. I've had several cameras (including a POS Kodak that I HATED) and a Canon that also sucked. So in a rage one day over dying batteries and blurry photos, I went to Walmart and bought a great little camera:

GE 7.0 megapizel A735

Cost about $75
Simple to use
Comes in fun colors! (Mine's red)
Uses AA batteries

(I was always having to buy those stupid expensive battery packs for my old cameras, and then they wouldn't recharge right).

It's also the only camera I've had that takes non-blurry pictures, because I shake like nobody's business. Has blink/face/smile detections, image stabilization, and panorama functions, does movies, etc. And it's inexpensive! (I take tons of pics on my blog if you want to check out the resolution too!)

Good luck!

I've been pretty happy with the Canon Powershot series. I'm on my third one - because I have a bad habit of leaving cameras in cabs and dropping them on marble floors. If you avoid those pitfalls, they last a long time!

Have you tried contacting Kodak? Maybe they will replace or refund the camera. It might be worth it.

Whatever brand/make/model you buy, what you need is a "steady shot" um, feature.

My Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-W170 is the bomb...and it even has "Super Steady Shot" printed right on it. But truth be told, I bought that particular model because it's the last in the series to have a view finder. Which is a silly reason to buy it, but I also make my wine purchase decisions on how much cooler the label is when the sale price vs what it cost when not on sale is not enough to sway me.

The steady shot was a wonderful surprise and it takes A WHOLE LOT for me to mess up pictures now. And mostly it's because I don't believe it and try to take pictures in rooms that are not bright enough without using flash...cuz I hateses the flash...it eats through batteries/charges.

Good luck.

I used to own a simple point and shoot kodak, but I recently bought an Olympus after trying a friends. I LOVE IT!! Still simple, and the point and shoot is also easy to use. I got the fe 4000 from Target for aroud $120 at Christmas. Watch for some sales and try a few out now so you know what you do and dont like on each camera. Good luck, and you know that if we know you are getting a new camera we will also want more pics!!

I have a Sony Cybershot that's a few years old that takes great pictures...my dad has a Sony that's a year or two newer that takes ok pictures, but I dont think it's as good as mine is.

I also have an Olympus Camedia CZ2000 that is probably ten or eleven years old that takes EXCELLENT pictures (probably better than my Sony does) Only thing I dont like about my ancient digital Olympus is that it's a brick...too heavy! I use a tripod when I'm using it to take pictures of things I've crocheted and knitted.

I love the Sony's because they're lighter and are easy to switch from one setting to another.

I bought my dad a fancypants Nikon SLR camera for Xmas that came with an extra zoom lens and has eleventy million megapixels that we havent really gotten to use much yet because the weather has been so crappy. (too cold to go out and take pictures) Again, I dont think I'll borrow it from him much because of how heavy it is.

I think the Sony's are pretty good. My mom has a Kodak that we bought her for Xmas a few years ago that seems to have a problem with the pictures being blurry. Seems to be cheaply made.

oh, yeah...have to say, that I love digital cameras that still have viewfinders in them. I like the little screen to see the pictures on, but if you're out in the sun, trying to take pictures, it's difficult to center your camera on something when you cant see the damn screen because of the sun.

Ditto on Canon. Mine is the PowerShot SD850 IS. The IS is image stabilization which compensates for shaky hands. Love it and carry it in my purse at all times.

Laurie -

I'm a professional photographer and certainly have my opinion but maybe if you don't agree, I can at least steer you in the right direction. I'm a Canon girl. The skin tones rendered by Canon, in my opinion, are superior to that of Nikon. But your first decision is how much you want to spend and then go from there. A great website to check out is www.dpreview.com. These guys do not work for the camera companies, but they test out all the cameras, tell you the pros, the cons, the specs, the price. You can even compare cameras side by side just by choosing which ones you're looking at from a drop-down menu. I love this site. I know they'll give it to me straight. If you buy online, I highly recommend Samy's Camera in California. www.samys.com. They're great. Good luck!

I'm not sure if you use Flickr at all, but one of the features I loved when I was camera shopping was browsing other people's photos and seeing what cameras they used on the photos I liked best. If you click on the camera name in the photo info, it will show you how many people on Flickr use it, and compile a set of photos taken with it so you can see the quality when used by regular people, under loads of shooting conditions.

I know exactly what you mean about owning a lemon. I had an (old) Canon Powershot A75, and it was awful. Couldn't take a clear picture to save its life. I now own a Canon SX100 (current generation is the SX120) and it makes me feel like a pro. It keeps up well with (and sometimes out-competes!?!) my boyfriend's SLR. It has 10x zoom and image stabilization and enough megapixels to hold up well for as big as 12x18 prints. Most important of all: it takes excellent, sharp pictures of knitting and cats! =) You are most welcome to PM me if you would like a few pics to see image quality. Whatever you decide on, I'm certain you will be happy you upgraded!

Canon Powershot. Love it. And it has a setting for taking pics of pets!

I currently own a Canon Powershot A720 IS, but only because I inherited it. My father-in-law bought it for himself just over two years ago, then promptly fell over dead. However, I have only used it for about three months because I have been dedicated to Fuji for years. I've had three or four of them, and only have had a problem with my latest one, the FinePix F40fd. I broke the battery door, so it is useless. But it was a tremendous camera until that disaster. I still have it sitting on my desk, and while the Canon is a great camera, I still miss my Fuji. It is just better. Now, NOT the current $100 range Fujis. They have been downgraded for a mass audience. But the ones around $200 or so are excellent.

The Panasonic DMC LX3 (available at Amazon) is amazing. It has a Leica lense and is around $350. I'm saving up for one now. Several of the amazing food bloggers I pal around with have the most gorgeous pictures on their blog. They *are* great photographers but I played with their camera and also made the best shots I have seen, so close to DLSR. Covet covet covet.

Canon elph,simple,reasonable price,great battery life, great pictures.

Laurie, get a Canon Powershot I take photos with the auto everything, and many, many times they come out great, sometimes the cats move, and they are not so great. But it isn't the camera's fault.

Every single camera I have ever had made pics blurry. You may choose to think that was me and not the camera. I don't!! :o)
Ha ha ha... kidding oneself!

Anyway, NOW, I have a panasonic FX35 which is a couple of years old but doesn't even take blurred pics if I am jumping up and down. And it was Cheeeeeap and its so easy to use.

Have fun choosing!

Every single camera I have ever had made pics blurry. You may choose to think that was me and not the camera. I don't!! :o)
Ha ha ha... kidding oneself!

Anyway, NOW, I have a panasonic FX35 which is a couple of years old but doesn't even take blurred pics if I am jumping up and down. And it was Cheeeeeap and its so easy to use.

Have fun choosing!

I bought a Kodak Easyshare C360 and it's great - point and shoot when you want, but it has other settings (eg fireworks, snow, party, portrait etc) and close-up (excellent for knitting!) when you need them. The software's supposed to be quite good too - it has a red "share" button - but I find it works just fine with microsoft's built-in "ah, I see you've plugged a camera in!" thingy.

Dunno what the prices are like now, but this model was very reasonably priced for what it does.

i have the canon elph and i love it. you can do a surprising amount with it, and it's easy to use.

My first P&S was an inexpensive Kodak...LOVED IT. My second was, of course, a Kodak...LOVED IT MORE!!! My third was, duh, a Kodak...loved it NOT AS MUCH but it was WAY smaller and would actually fit in my shirt pocket!!! My fourth was a Kodak and I couldn't take a sharp snap with it. Couldn't Be Done. I took it back to the store within two weeks and said, "I can't take a sharp snap with this camera, and after 7 years of Kodaks that take sharp snaps, I really don't think 'it's me'..." and got my money back. I will now go back and read all your other comments to see what I should buy now. I realize I've contributed nothing helpful here - sorry. It's all about me, I guess. Me and my Kodaks. The rise and fall.

I currently have two digital cameras, a Kodak Easyshare, I think it's the C360 like Steel Breeze has and a Samsung. My Kodak takes the better pictures and has both an optical and a digital zoom. It's only 6.7 megapixels (and about 4 years old) but the pictures are much better than my 10 mp Samsung which I think is an SL502. Part of it I think is that I don't have the steadiest hands and the slightest movement seems to be magnified, especially when the zoom is on. Perhaps the higher weight of the Kodak stabilizes it somewhat? I do have image stabilization on the Samsung but it still blurs. Another quibble with the Samsung is that there is noticeable lag time between pressing the button and the flash or shutter being activated. So overall I'd have to say that while I love the small size of the Samsung it works best in bright natural light; for a trip I'd have to stick with my Kodak, which does *not* fit in a shirt pocket.

I'm a dyed-in-the-wool Canon afficionado. We loved our Powershot while it lasted. I think I killed it :) Now I have a Canon SLR 400-something for when I want to take fancypants shots - but my happy-snappy camera that lives in my handbag is the Canon Ixus 95IS. I don't think the difference between say the 95 and the 80 would make a huge amount of difference for happysnaps. What's a couple of mega pixels between friends? :) .. this baby also takes video and it is AMAZING video, let me tell you. I upgraded to the 8mb card and it will take more photos than you can poke a stick at, or 60 minutes of video!!!!! Best of luck wading through all the recommendations! XOX

You mention that you like the skintones in kodak photos. I disliked the bluish tones of my canon pictures for a long time until I discovered that you can change the "white balance" so that your photos will all have a warmer tone. I did that about a year ago and, so far, haven't found any occasions necessitating that I change it back. So, given that I think you can get the warmer tones that I think you're looking for with any camera, I would highly recommend canon cameras.

canon powershot sd1-it has anti vibration - and it can shoot hd video and it can be completely automatic or you can use the manual settings. I did alot of research when i bought my new camera and wanted to spend less that 500. So this fit the bill.

I have a Fuji FinePix that is very easy to use, and the pictures are okay, but we also have a Kodak EasyShare V1273 or V1073, that takes much better pictures, but I just don't get used to it! Older son took it with him on the boat after Christmasvacation, and older daughter was furious with me for letting him- she really likes it.
I still miss my Canon AE1..from 1984...

My one and only lemon was a Kodak Easyshare M853. The camera was the devil, and I could have written your exact same post. I've had good Kodaks but now I'm gun shy. My husband insisted he have it and now he's taking blurry pictures.

Good luck!

Bobbie

Yep, buy a CANON!

Hi,

If I felt about Kodak products the way you do I would go to LJCFYI Blog. http://www.ljcfyi.com/
She works for Kodak, has a blog, knits, has one cat and one pug, and she's interesting to read. I'd send her an email if I were you.

Good luck,

Jan

No camera recommendations here, you've had plenty already - just want to say I love all the pics of your cats and hope you get a camera you love soon so we can see more of them.

another vite for panasonic lumix with the leica lens....I love it

another vote for panasonic lumix with the leica lens....I love it

I'll keep it short and sweet. Canon cameras have GREAT lenses. We currently own four and I wouldn't trade any one of them. My daughter has a low end point and shoot (around $105) and takes great photos. I just bought my husband a mid range one (around $300) and it is really sweet...from a designer/photographer

For point and shoot, I would stay away from Kodak or Pentax (unless you're in the multi multi hundred dollar range, in which case you can get some sweet stuff). Sweeping generalizations, yes, but I do a lot of work in a field where I meet lots of professional photogs and other people "in the know" and it always comes down to Canon, Nikon, or Sony (Sony took over konica/minolta, which were just THE BOMB for handheld digitals when they first came out)and specifically the consensus seems to be "Kodak and Pentax were *it* for film but are behind in digital unless you're going elite"

By way of trying to offer at least something concretely helpful, you can go to www.flickr.com and search on a camera make and model to look at examples of other people's pictures taken with whatever model you're thinking of buying. You can narrow down to types of pictures and things like that, i.e. night, portrait, landscapes blah blah blah. Also, www.dpreview.com gives fairly thorough reviews of cameras.

In the end, it's all a bit of a crapshoot isn't it? I'm in the middle of this struggle myself right now. I am so overthinking it I may never have another camera.

Here's the 3 I see most among my friends, and I don't always look STUNNING in their pics (usually because my tongue is not in my mouth and I'm falling down drunk, or performing stunts because I'm just plain awkward in front of a camera) but I rarely look like an alien, which I consider a good thing.

Canon Powershot
Nikon Coolpix
Sony Cyber-shot

good luck!

we have a Nikon coolpix love this camera less than 150. Nikon people over here.

Well...I can see you have lots of advice. But...I am going to give you mine as well.

I am NOT a professional, I have to take pictures at work and for travel. I need to have close ups that are not blurry. I bought a Sony Cybershot. It is NEVER blurry. I leave it on automatic and it takes the picture. Traveling it is great. Small enough (but not too small). I have taken pictures on boats with waves surging and had them come out great. My favorite is my daughter jumping in the air and caught her in mid air...no blur. Good luck...by way it cost $250.00 with case and extra card at Best Buy. I always buy any electronic stuff at best buy because I can take it back and they will fix it. None of this...send it to the manufacturer stuff.

My vote goes for the Canon. Mine is a Power Shot A 590, an older model that takes great animal pictures even when they are moving. Super easy to use, you can dial it to animal setting. I have great shots of cats, dogs, antelope, hawks, owls, eagles, etc. Easy to use digital downloads too. Happy hunting.

Oooh, this is fun!!!

I have a Sanyo VPC-E760, 7.1 mega pixels, 1000 ISO. It says it is anti-blur and has face recognition. The only pics I have gotten with it were ones where I knew I moved. My boyfriend bought it for me several years ago and I know it could not have been very expensive.

At work I use a very old Olympus Camedia C-4000 for taking pics of new employees for ID badges. It is very odd, it seems to be a racist camera (I don't like it), every time I have a dark-skinned person it gives me a blurry image! I guess it has something to do with light reflection. I don't know but I keep hoping it'll stop working so I can get them to buy a new one!! Maybe I'll suggest they get me a Canon.

Good luck,
Beth

I'm going to weigh in with the other people who have suggested a Canon. I have a Canon PowerShot SD1100IS Digital Elph (8.0 megapixels). It has all kinds of features which I have not learned to use yet, but it takes good pictures and the color seems to be true. The only thing I don't like about it is that I can't control the flash. Sometimes I want to take a picture without a flash, but the camera is the one who decides when to flash. Happy looking. I got mine from Amazon.com.

Arrg! I should have previewed my earlier post.....

The only BLURRY pics I have gotten with it were ones where I knew I moved.

Here's my 2¢ - Kodak EasyShare c813

All the photos on my blogs are done with this camera and it is super easy to operate.

fuzzarelly.blogspot.com
backroadsharrisoncounty.blogspot.com

The Panasonic Lumix has been a good all around choice for us. Hub likes it for mountain bike race action shots.

I know nothing about cameras but would very much like to learn so would please share with us whatever you settle on?

Thank you and good luck!

I have to vote for the Canon PowerShot too. I have had several of them (one was stolen) and have always loved them. It is extremely easy to change the settings for night shots/low light, etc.

Have you called Kodak customer service? They're usually pretty good about standing behind their products which can include fixing your camera at no cost.

I have a Canon PowerShot that I bought last year and it works great...My previous camera was a Sony and it took lots of blurry pictures and you couldn't take any night pictures that weren't blurry (even with a tripod). The Canon is great. I think the colors and skintones are good, and I think you would have to be running and spinning and taking pictures of a speeding train (simultaneously) to get blurry pictures.

I got a Canon ELPH PowerShot SD1200 IS at walmart before a cruise and that camera now NEVER leaves my purse. It takes incredible close-ups (I am obsessed with getting the perfect shot of flowers) and the zoom is is pretty good too.

What was recommended to me by one of my photographers was make sure what ever you buy has the optical image stabilization. I went off-roading on the cruise and the pictures were clear even while the jeep was moving (I wasn't driving).

Nikon CoolPix-- enough settings to make you feel like you're doing more than just pressing a button (if you so choose), but really a point and shoot. I have one, got one for my husband, and got a higher end one for Christmas with a super zoom feature. But durable, doesn't eat batteries like some of the others, and simple to use. (And some of the models are under 100 now.)

Oooh a canon powershot for sure! I've had 3 and loved them all. I've only ever upgraded because I can't resist the newer fancier features, not because the old one stopped working. My latest is the SD1200IS. It is small, light and comes in cute colors! No blurry pictures, I promise!

I have a Canon Powershot SD 1200 IS and I love it. I was able to overcome the fact that I wanted a red camera, and go for quality. It takes incredible pictures, I have a lot of fun with it, and the highlight was when I connected it to my computer--my computer said, "Hello, camera." No problems so far. It is simple, point and shoot.

I have a Canon SD350 (not made any more) that has served me well for 5(?) years. It's small, fits in my purse or a coat pocket, takes great pictures, and has enough settings to suit my purposes. The only thing it doesn't have that I'd like is the anti-shake feature that many new cameras have. Maybe also that if the photos are enlarged to 8x10", they are blurry, but then, I rarely do that. And that the original SD cards are getting hard to find and rarely on sale like the HCSD cards are. When it's time to replace mine, most likely it will be another Canon SD.

Good luck in your decision. When you do decide, I'd recommend using it every chance you can the first week under as many conditions as you can, and if you can't get good pictures, or just don't like it, return it. Life is too short, and cameras too expensive to spend another year and a half fighting with it.

I have a fujifilm.. i dont know what model. but its a basic point and shoot, and its about five years old, and i'm not inclined to get another, because my pictures come out bright and clear. I mostly keep it on its auto setting all the time. I even used it at night, when I have a night setting, and the pictures I took of a lantern festival came out awesome.
if i get another camera ever, it will likely be a fuji camera

I love my Nikon L100. It's point and shoot and very easy to use. I get fantasic pics of my kiddos that aren't blurry. They're 1 and 3 so they're constantly in motion. It has a pretty great zoom and the macro feature is the best I've used. The only drawback is that it's a little bulky.

Love my Kodak Easy Share. Never had a problem with the blurrs, easy to use, easy no-brainer software. Easy on the pocket book, about $200 for camera, base, carry case, and a memory card.

This two women manage fabulous pictures with their cameras: Soulemama and Jane Brocket (they are easily googled to find their blogs). But that we all had such artistry!

I also have a Canon Power Shot Model: SD100 IS.

I am very pleased with the pictures I've taken with it and use it on the job as well as for my personal photos.

Canon Powershot A720...great for everyday use. Mine is several years old & still works great.

I have a Nikon Coolpix 12.0 megapixel. It's great - no blurry pictures, excellent zoom, and most importantly easy to operate!

So, I'm pretty sure you are getting sick and tired of reading this, but I also love my Canon Power Shot (SD960, 12.1 megapixels). I bought it because I was going to Brazil a few months ago to visit my boyfriend who lives down there and my old camera took super blurry pics too. He confiscated it from me for the majority of the week and took tons of photos because he fell in love with it.

Three of my friends have now gone and bought the same one I have because they used it and loved it so much.

I'm with the Canon group - we've had a number of them over the last 7 years or so (we're hard on cameras) and they are GREAT. We especially like the Elph line - they are tiny enough to fit in your pocket.

Also, here's a great site I found the last time we were buying a camera and trying to decide on exactly which model: http://www.dpreview.com/ Very useful.

Canon S90! My friend just bought one and the indoor pictures are pretty great, even without a flash. Outdoor pictures are gorgeous, almost as good as the giant fancy DSLRs out there. It is more on the high-end of $$ for point & shoot cameras, but it is what I would buy if I were looking for a camera at the moment.

I have a Cannon G9. It's a bit bigger than a tiny point and shoot, but I love the crisp photos. I think they're up to the G10 or 11 by now. It's a great camera!

Sony Cybershot DSC-H10...the best camera I've ever owned!

you need image stabilizer!!

My camera (a nikon coolpix) was stolen so I went and bought a new one. The new one took super crap-tastic pictures, no matter what I did. I didn't realize that the new one didn't have the image stabilizer that the old one did until I took it back and complained. So I upgraded to the one with the image stabilizer and now I can take fabulous pictures without having any real talent at all! IMAGE STABILIZER WILL ROCK YOUR WORLD!

My point and shoot is a Canon ELPH SD600. It's a few years old so I am sure they are a few iterations beyond that model, but man it takes great photos. I went with Canon for a dSLR I was so impressed with the brand.

I have the Panasonic Lumix as well. Not too big, not too small, just right. Saw some iffy reviews about the newer Canons so I didn't get one and I really like my Panasonic.

I have 2 cameras! A canon digital ELPH and an olympus stylus. I had the canon first, and then got the olympus for a vacation where a waterproof camera would be nice.

I LOVE the olympus!! It takes great pictures, it cute and orange, was really reasonably priced, is shock proof, waterproof, and freeze proof.

I've already dropped it many times and taken it white water rafting and snowboarding.

The canon is ok but I'm an olympus convert!

I didn't expect to love it so much, I thought it would just be a cheap camera I could get wet. But it takes nicer pictures and I find the controls a lot more intuitive than the canon's. And if I turn the flash off the pics aren't GUARANTEED blurry like they are with the canon.

It takes those special proprietary cards, but there was an adapter in the box for microSD. If you go that route you can't use the panoramic mode on the camera, but I probably wouldn't have anyway.

We have a Canon Powershot. It's a great little camera. You should buy it at Staples with a warranty for $30. They will replace the camera for free if it breaks plus in 2 years you can trade it in for a new model. We have done this with the past 3 cameras we have had. The last time we traded our camera in, we only had to pay for the warranty.

Hey Laurie,

Check out the Casio Exilim line of cameras - who knew that the calculator company could make a good camera? I've had my for 5 years and in the meantime talked several friends, family and my office into buying them. No complaints from us. You can find a 10+ megapixel camera for around $120. Casio is also great on customer service if you ever need a repair either in or out of warranty. Happy Clicking, Paula

For snapshots and quick photos, I love using my Canon Powershot SD 1200. It's a cute little thing that I keep in a pouch in my purse so that I always have it. It has auto focus and image stabilization, which is great for when you are angling for a quick pic (I do this all the time).

I'm in the Canon Powershot group. Mine is an A710, but I'm not sure it's still available. Some of the features I wanted were 1) it takes AA batteries. I hate being on a trip and having to replace some esoteric type of camera battery; 2) I put a great big memory chip in it; and 3) it fits in my Baggallini Wallet Bagg.

Can I digress and put in a plug for Baggallini? The Wallet Bagg holds my entire life, including camera, cell phone, checkbook, credit cards, nail file, cash, lipstick, comb, phone directory, etc. I usually carry it in a bigger purse (also Baggallini, but that's not really to the point), but I can carry it by itself when I'm shopping or sightseeing.

http://www.ebags.com/baggallini/wallet_bagg_large_crinkle_nylon/product_detail/index.cfm?modelid=47357

My boyfriend bought me a Sony Cybershot DSC-WX1 Exmor R 10.2 mp with optical steady shot (that's what it says on the case). Wah lah, no more wobbly pictures by me, which is amazing since I am rather ham fisted at such things - I don't even use the extra-no-shake setting most of the time. He went on and on about it being a big lens for a compact so it lets more light in and then started talking in binary so I switched off, so no idea why it is better than the others he considered buying. All I know is it doesn't blind the dog with the flash in broad daylight like the old one. Sony memory cards are pricey though. The only blurry pictures it takes are when he takes them - hmm maybe he has axial rotation disease too? Would moving to the southern hemisphere help?

I LOVE my Canon Powershot 560 (8 megapixel version). It takes beautiful pictures & little movies. It was very inexpensive (around $125.00) when I bought it about two years ago. I am a rank amateur & I found this camera very easy to use & upload pics. PS. Laurie, I ADORE your blog (it ROCKS) & also loved your first book!

Back in the days of film, I had an Olympus Stylus with a problem. It's zoom wouldn't work properly or something.

After I had it for a year, the Olympus people were at the hotel where I worked for a convention. I happened to have the camera with me (was going on a trip that day after work) and I talked to one of the Olympus people about it. He confirmed that it was a camera defect and told me where in the Olympus company to send it.

I sent it, they fixed it and even refunded my shipping!

Maybe you should contact Kodak about your lemon?

Hi Laurie,

My best advice would be to go out to www.cnet.com. They provide great reviews of cameras (and all things electronic). Consumer Reports would probably also be a good resource. I had a Canon that I loved for many years, but it was just time to get a new (smaller) one. After much research, I found a really good camera in my price range (under $400), a Sony Cybershot. Also helps to go to your local electronics store (Best Buy, whathaveyou) to see how they feel in your hands, play around with zoom, the buttons, etc. Good luck!

I had a Kodak. Lemon wasn't the word. Should have been yellow it was so bad. Died a long lingering death with the final death rattle on my vacation in Hawaii.
I have had a Canon powershot ever since. Can't recommend them highly enough. Even for an idiot like me ... it's doable.

I'm a big fan of the canon SLR cameras, you will never take better pictures! EVER! But... if you aren't willing to pay the 600.00 or up for one (which is totally worth it and you will never ever regret it)... You can always go with one of the smaller canon cameras, as they too are very awesome. AND THEY COME IN PINK!

Happy camera hunting! Aren't new gadgets fun!

You already have a million suggestions, but I'll add my Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS3S. It's little, it's easy to use and it works great.

ANY of the Canon Power Shots. The newest version is only about $150 and takes AMAZING images. PLUS you can shoot HD video. I have the older version by about three years and I still love it.

I don't even have PhotoShop and it takes amazing pictures.

Here is the link to the shots I take with it, http://www.accidentalolympian.com/the-accidental-olympian/snapshots-1/

Good luck!

I've taken over 30,000 pictures since my kids have been in high school; I am the "unofficial" photographer of the school. I loved my Panasonic Lumix camera when my daughter played field hockey; it was a great action shot camera. Since those days, I have switched to Canon Xti Rebel and Powershot series. Simply amazing cameras.

I am sneaking this in at work so just quickly glanced at the comments. I have Canon Powershot SD780 IS and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it.

Pictures are great and it is small enough to fit in the front pocket of my jeans. I have it in my bag all of the time, because - I think you may relate to this - when I see something funny, odd, joyful, yadda I want to point and shoot so I can turn it in to a story later. Even if it is just a story I share with my furry friends. It weighs nothing and takes up the least amout of space. Again the pictures are GREAT!

At parties or family gatherings I am constantly passing it around because people cannot get over the quality.

I hope you find a camera that fits you the way this one fits me.

Another vote for the Pansonic Lumix, which I got with my credit card points so it was sort of free - which makes it a VERY good camera :)

Here's a vote AGAINST the Nikon Coolpix S60 because it takes blurry pictures

Fujis take nice photos but they do have a slightly bluer cast than your Kodak, so that may not work for your needs.

I've known many people - including myself - who have been VERY happy with their Panasonic Lumix. Consider getting one with Leica optics as they take superior pix and they're not that much more $$.

Another vote for Panasonic Lumix. Mine is DMC-TZ3. 10x zoom. Easy to use. Large screen on back. Stores pics on one of those little cards that fit into the camera or you can cable to download. I love it. Inspired by you, I carry it in my purse always!

The Nikon coolpix point and shoots are some of the nicest little cameras I have ever seen. I bought one for my 14 year old daughter for Christmas and it's wonderful! She gets great shots from it and it's easy to use.

Another vote for the Panasonic Lumix! Got mine at Costco and if you happen to get a lemon, they have a great return policy. I have had it for over 3 years and it is still the best!

I am on my third Fujifilm digital (one died at age 7 after being dropped on concrete; one was stolen out of my purse; the one I'm on now I bought used on eBay), and can't say enough good about them. Easy-to-use, great photos (I've had people ask what camera I use because of my photos), and INEXPENSIVE. In my opinion, Canon and Nikon get higher prices just because of their name, but don't work any better....

I can't remember what I have. It's a few months old and it's a pretty little blue one. I am a camera idiot.

Also, you crack me up.

I have an old HP that works beautifully, but I hate it, and wish it would die so I could get a new fancy-pants camera. But this little baby with only 4.1 Megapixels (I get laughed at all time about my megapixles) takes lovely photos AND video! So even though this is no help, I just wanted to complain to someone about the fact that I really want to replace a perfectly good camera with a new one (which I will probably end up hating).

I love my Cannon SD750. They probably don't make that model anymore, but it's small and light and has 3" screen. It takes great pictures. I take alot of low light shots of my cats (I don't like to take flash with them). You can probably get a better model (more pixels) at a lower price than I paid in 2007. Here's pictures of my babies taken with that camera:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/16855383@N03/

Nikon coolpix...HATE IT!! Dark photos.. too many stupid settings..flash doesn't light up what you are focusing on..Manual 3/8" thick, badly translated..I could go on, and on...We just got a canon powershot, I am too drained by the Nikon to even try it yet. Oh and it was one of the higher end coolpix's.

I am a firm believer in Canon, they have always been good to me. I never liked a Kodak that I bought. I currently have a Canon PowerShot SD1100 IS Digital Elph. Price was not that bad and I have found that you can get GREAT deals on QVC or HSN (jeez I sound 80 there) and you can do the Bill pay option so you get to make payments on the item..without interest! Love it!

Canon. Anything Canon.

Echo all the plugs for the Canon line - they capture color particularly well. We have an ancient (6 year old) PowerShot that was repaired free by Canon under a recall last year (something about how the CCD connects to something that loosens in hot, humid environments; we had trouble after going to DisneyWorld in June.). I use it for all my Ravelry pics, family snapshots, etc. Once I read the manual and learned a couple of fancy things (like how to turn off the automatic flash or turn on the macro setting), I have been unstoppable in the photo department. (really - my family has tried to stop me, to no avail!).
We liked the Canon so much that when my in-laws wanted to get my daughter a camera for her 6th birthday, we got the $100 model at the time, which has also done spectacularly well, particularly considering the price. Amazon sells them for decent deals.

What Erin said. Canon. Canon. Canon. My nice little white Canon PowerShot E1 does everything, including take great little videos. Hey, don't touch it, it is mine. Getcher own! Seriously. Do.

Love the site Laurie!

I use a professional Nikon, but still highly recommend a "good" Kodak point and shoot. Just for the fact that when I was still using a point and shoot, I always had better look with Kodak. Make sure you get one with a good shutter speed, a decent resolution, and a decent (not overkill) zoom. If you have a decent resolution, you can always crop down and not have to "zoom" as much. And preferably, a Li-ion battery...only because they last longer and you can keep recharging them.

That would be better "luck". I'm such a genius somedays.

I have a Sony Cybershot DSC-W200 and absolutely LOVE it. It isn't super small, but it is thin enough to fit in a pocket of jeans or jacket pocket. It has the super steady shot feature and has some features that you can set such as ISO settings for low light and macro settings. I have had the camera since 2007 and is with me every day.

Enjoyed Bob's photos the other day. What a handsome guy.

Good luck picking out a new camera.

Go Canon Power Shot or go home! (any model you like the size/price of: http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ProductCatIndexAct&fcategoryid=113

Canon is the best. Get a small one with an 'A' before the model number so you can use regular batteries. I have a Canon PowerShot A650 and love it. They have smaller ones that are very similar to it now.

We have a little Kodak, I'd have to go home and look at it to tell you the model number, that we got back in 2002. It has 2x zoom and 3 megapixels and it still takes perfectly acceptable pictures, but we haven't used it in quite a while.

A couple of years ago I decided that I really wanted a super-zoom camera, primarily so I could finally get a decent shot of a loon. No, not the kind we see on the street or on C-SPAN every day, the aquatic bird native to New England that likes to come within comfortable photographing distance of shore, but only at seven in the morning in the fog when I'm about to take my morning dip and have not brought my camera. So we got a Sony DSC-H50, which has 12x zoom and 8 (I think) megapixels and all kinds of bells and whistles and also a mode labeled EASY with which I have stuck since buying it. I'm pretty sure that if you want that much zoom it's going to come with bells and whistles, but I am living proof that you don't have to use them. This is a terrific camera for outdoor daytime pictures, which are what I most often take. The main knock on it is that it doesn't do too well in low light, which includes indoor light. I could probably mitigate this to some extent by playing with the bells and whistles. And it turns out to be a little tricky to use the zoom; the more it's zoomed, the more time it seems to need to focus. But in outdoor daylight it takes fabulous, clear, sharp pictures.

All of the reviews will tell you that you don't need more than 3 megapixels unless you want to print enlarged pictures, because no computer monitor's resolution is that good. But if you really want only part of a picture, those megapixels turn out to be a very good thing, because a smallish piece of the picture is still a decent size.

I am pleased to report that last summer I did manage to get a halfway decent loon picture, although not as good as I would like. The quest continues.

Canon: A590 here and EOS 450 D. Great experiences, great photos.

I have no useful camera input. I have one and it takes okay photos and I have no idea what kinda it is. But yay for being the iceberg! Does that mean you can make margaritas when you shave?

I've been very happy with my Sony Cyber-Shot DSC S370. It's small and fits in a pocket, but has a very large viewing panel in back. It has a macro feature for up close, and it also takes video. About the only thing it does that annoys me is that the flash washes out photos sometimes, but then again it could be my crap-tacular photography skills that causes it. Visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/halblingefrau/4286563824/ and http://www.flickr.com/photos/halblingefrau/4286370073/ for a couple examples.

Not to be redundant, but Canon Power Shot

You already have a bazillion recommendations here so I'm sure mine is surplus to requirements, but I LOVE my Canon PowerShot SX100IS 8MP. It's got 10X Optical Zoom and 40X digital, image stabilizer, and customizable settings. Can be held and operated in one (right) hand. No flip-up LCD or droppable lens cover, all integrated (I always use the LCD, not the "viewfinder" - how quaint!). Takes two AA batteries and I usually get around 400 photos on those. My only complaint with it is a slow refresh time, especially when using flash.

I have two cameras, both of which I LOVE.

1. Sony Cybershot T-90. Super tiny (and I do mean tiny, will slip into the pocket of your jeans or the smallest of purses), is excellent at taking blur-free pictures (even after a few glasses of wine), and is the fastest camera I've ever come across. You slide open the lens, and it's ready. None of this waiting for the lens to extend, waiting for the camera to start up, it's just ON. This is a point-and-shoot only, with no manual settings or ability to do anything fancy. But for having a camera convenient to carry around all the time, for snapshots, nothing beats it.

2. Canon G10 (I think now they're selling the next model G11 instead). Bigger than #1, but can do anything you ask it to. Pretty much all the features of an SLR without the bulkiness/price tag of an actual SLR. It's not going to fit in your pocket, but will fit in a regular purse no problem. Super high quality camera/lens, and the one I take with me when I want to do actual photography (as opposed to snapshots).

Both of these use proprietary batteries (as opposed to AA or something), but both of the batteries last a really long time so I haven't found that to be a hassle at all.

Have fun with the camera shopping!!

Adding my voice to the chorus of Canon ELPH love. I have the SD600; my boyfriend has the SD1000. I LOVE mine, but would definitely spring for the more loaded version if it's in your budget. His can take a higher gig memory card than mine can (although that might be a function of age), and better video. (Mine stalls after 30 seconds or so of video. His doesn't have that problem.)

They're intuitive to use, small for tucking in your purse, lots of fun, and I have been very pleased with the quality of the pictures.

I was very disappointed in my Kodak and when it keeled over and they were not willing to help me fix it I decided to go with someone else. I love love love my Nikon Coolpix S520, but I don't think that specific one is available anymore. It really has been great, especially with 4 children to contend with, good luck on your search!

I eradicated blurry photos from my life with my simple but highly effective Canon SD700 IS (which I think is now available in an 800 or 900 version).

The important thing is the "IS", which stands for "Image Stabilization".

Even under low light conditions without a flash, this thing will produce sharp, focused shots and pull light from anywhere it possibly can to give you a decent shot.

I carry it everywhere, because it's nice and compact, and it has some nice features that you can grow into when you get tired of the amazingness of the IS part.

It's a great sidekick for my SLR and never disappoints. I'd buy it again in a heartbeat if I were in the market for a point and shoot. Which I'm not. Because this one has lasted well over two years without a single issue.

LOVE IT.

I have a Kodak Z950 and I love it. I'm one of the world's worst photographers and this camera makes me look like I know what I'm doing. It's a nice size and not too fancy. You can see the photos I've taken with it on my blog http://lifeatspringrock.blogspot.com/

We have really enjoyed our Samsung TL220 Digital camera 12.2 MP. I have seen it on line for about $130 but we got ours on Craig's list for $90. It does great every time!. My kids (8 & 4) had great luck with the Kodak Easy Share. They are pretty inexpensive as well. Hope you find your perfect camera!

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-SD1200IS-Stabilized-Dark-Gray/dp/B001SER492/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1264710707&sr=8-1

Canon PowerShot 1200is
I have the 1100is and LOVE it. I have a big Canon almost-an-SLR, which takes fabulous photos but is clunky. I realized I never took it anywhere for candid snapshots, so I bought the little 1100 as a pocket camera. I now take TONS of photos, because the camera lives in my knitting bag. Photo quality is great, camera is small and light with intuitive functions, and I just adore it. The 1200 sounds even better. Amazon price is good, too (got mine there).

I swear by Canon -- my first Powershot lasted 10 years, is still our secondary camera in fact, since I only replaced it because 2.0 MP was no longer the awesome hi res standard it once was.

fuji finepix z
even I can use it easily!

I've owned Canons for the las number of years - would have to be a pretty spectacular camera to get me to change my mind....

I am on my third Nikon CoolPix and loved them all (they don't last forever, and I buy them used from my photog friend; she is on her 4th).

My husband researched FOREVER and we ended up with the Panasonic Lumix DMC ZS3 10.1 megapixels. It was around $250. I hate cameras, taking pictures and having my picture taken so I really wasn't very excited about this purchase but since we got it, I am actually enjoying taking pictures, it's so easy and they turn out wonderfully.
Also, bought your book from Amazon, I really can't put it down, it's fantastic!

The Samsung Tl220 is really good and has the nifty screen on the front. It also takes really good closeups!

I love my little Nikon CoolPix. Fits in the little pocket of my purse, holds a charge for weeks and takes pretty lovely photos.

It is a very nice photo in spite of the blurs.

As far as cameras go, I alternate between a Nokia camera "smart" phone, an HP Photosmart M517 (I think HP is not really in the camera business anymore) and a Nikon D40.

It's funny; I have no particular preference. I do like the D40 to take food photos on outings with my eating groups, but most of the time I am too lazy to carry it around.

Canon Powershot SD1100 IS (The IS is for image stabilization - and it works) I have two Canons; loved my first which isn't point and shoot, that I got a point and shoot.

Canon PowerShot SD800IS here! Love it, wish the lag between pressing the button and it taking the picture was a little shorter...I get lots of pictures of dog half out of the frame. No problems and takes great pictures!!

I love my Cannon. My new one is an SX10. I can't remember what the older smaller one was. But both take stellar pictures. I can shoot great pictures of fast moving action with my SX10 (this matters in my world because of the horsey stuff we do). I can't say enough good stuff about my Cannon.

I have a Panasonic Lumix that's about 2 years old, and I still really really like it. Amazon's got several different versions of it at http://tinyurl.com/y96sh4x . Its menu is intuitive and its operation is simple. The ONLY thing I don't like about it is that it has a proprietary battery instead of using AAs or something more readily avaiable, but that's outweighed by the ease of use (definitely point-and-shoot) and the quality of the photos. It's lightweight and small (and I >love< the 10x optical zoom on mine). If it helps, I took this picture - http://tinyurl.com/ybyu26e - with it the day after I got it, before I'd even read the manual all the way through.

Another Canon Powershot here. What I like best is that is only takes seconds to download photos to my computer and it takes AA batteries, which are available even in Rural, Montana. No need to hitch up the wagon and drive to Less Rural.

(Wow, hope you had developed some sort of matrix-like tool to compile all of this data! We're obviously all still reading, and still wanting to comment on your blog! Go Iceberg Laurie!) =)

Please, please, please: DO NOT BUY A KODAK CAMERA!
Research the consumer complaints, anywhere on the web, Laurie.

First, Kodak no longer makes any camera. They are made overseas and branded with the Kodak name, but they sure as heck don't come for Rochester.

Secondly, Kodak has a terrible "blame the customer" attitude. If your brand new Kodak Whiz-Bang 6000 malfunctions, Kodak will claim you dropped it - Even if it never came off a velvet-covered pillow.

My current camera is a "point and shoot" only because it's not a DSLR. It's a bit bigger, but it takes really fantastic photos. Now if only it were smaller then I'd be happier. It's a Canon PowerShot something or other.

I've had good luck with Sony's in the past too, but they were "bulky" for what I wanted. I suppose if I had to go with a new new camera I'd go with one of those flat thingies. The easier to carry ones, like the Panasonic Lumix, or the Nikon Coolpix.

I wish you luck in your camera adventures, and I'm gald to hear that you're finally breaking down and getting a new camera. I'm sure after this last dud of a camera you'll love the new one.

Canon EOS Rebel. You take pictures worthy of the expense.

I have to add another vote for a Canon Powershot! I bought the 1100 and love it. I bought it on a recommendation from my sister and haven't regretted it.

Last year I bought my son a Panasonic Lumix for Christmas. A little workhorse that takes great pics. I have a Sony Cybershot 12.1 MP. Easy to handle and the Macro setting takes absolutely stunning close-ups.

I always hesitate with this because what I may love may be the same things that make someone else crazy. I have one of those little Canons that seem to be perpetually on special at Costco. The models have upgraded over the years but I still love mine. It is small enough that I keep it and the computer cord tucked in a sunglasses case in my purse. My Mom and Aunt both got the same camera (newer version) and they both hate the small screen.

So if you happen to be in Costco you can take a look and see what you think. I have been kind of hard on mine too. Dropped it, keep it in my gigantic bag that carries enough supplies for a small country but it holds up. I love it. But I also admit the price was part of my love. ;-)

Canon Elph! Great shots, easy to use, great video. You can find a great deal on eBay.

I have a little Kodak (HD VIDEO 5X) - Easy Share Z1285. It is so easy to use & makes great pix - - I bought it 2 yrs. ago for about $125 - - I've taken it on 2 super neat trips. I would not trade it for anything!!!
M

No suggestions as to what to buy, but I want to steer you away from the Nikon Coolpix S220. It comes in supercool colors and is supercool tiny but takes superblurry pictures which overrides all of the supercoolness. Got the same reaction from everyone I know, including my DH, about how it was the operator and not the camera, until they tried to use it themselves. Off to puruse all these great comments to see what people do like!

Canon Powershot 570 but I need my glasses to make sure it focuses and eats batteries. Love of my life: Olympus Stylus. Tough and a charge really lasts!Drop it; sit on it, get it wet; it still works - my kind of camera! Been to Galapagos, Paris, London, Manchu Pichu, Costa Rica , Mexico and it is still going!

Hi Laurie & Everyone!

I just wanted to peep in to say it's my birthday today and it's nice to see comments open on my day!

Cheers! :)

Mine's a samsung. I got it at Kohl's. It takes great pictures when others use it, when i'm drunk, or when i'm just plain lucky. it's pink. that's the real reason i like it. :o) good luck with your decision.

Ok, I know that this isn't at all related to camera recommendations, but it is kinda related to pictures.....as in the ones that you have posted of your SUPER model cat. I thought they were adorable and your captions were hiliarious!

Hi Laurie,

You might want to check out a Flip camera. It runs around $100 to 150 last I checked. It takes videos, and has a neat snapshot feature that makes choosing a snapshot easy. And several times I've been able to get a non-blurry frame I would have missed with a still camera. It works on a tripod and plugs into a USB port. The editing I've done is cropping with iPhoto.

Let us know which one you pick! And happy hunting!

Two words: Panasonic Lumix.

Same thing happened to me: New camera, blurry pictures, NO MATTER WHAT. My ex sold it on eBay and I'm now very happy with a low-end Canon Power Shot A570IS.

But here's the interesting thing: I have a friend who has the same camera I had. I said "Oh! Mine was all blurry!" She said "Really? Mine is fine." Then she emailed me some pictures she had taken when we were together, and guess what: BLURRY! I said "But ... they're blurry!" and she said "Oh, I only ever look at them on the camera so I don't care."

Moral of the story: People care about different stuff, and you should sell yours on eBay or Craigslist because different people care about different stuff.

However, at my age, a little blurry isn't a bad thing!

Another Canon fan - I have a 10 year old 2.0 megapixel one that I still take my ravelry pictures on! And a Rebel (my 2nd) and a new tiny one. And my nanny bought one because she liked mine so much!

Serious users seem to like Nikon better, but that's the big heavy ones....

Just my 10 cents!

me & Mom vote for Canon too. Mom's got 2 flashy boxes...one fancy one (Canon Rebel Xsi) and one point and shooty one (Canon Powershoot SD800).

The Canon Powershot is nice and compact (according to Mom), plus its got a few REALLY fun features that are easy to use and make for fun photos. One swaps out one primary color (or shade of) for its complimentary color. The other 'accents' the color you choose in the photo. That means, if you want Yellow highlighted in your photo, you choose yellow...and then everything else comes out sepia or B&W. Kinda cool & fun!

Hopefully, whatever you buy, you'll enjoy. Mom is always makin me pose for her, but its not so bad.

wags, wiggles & slobbers
Murphydog

I am camera shopping, too.
I think I will buy a Panasonic Lumix FZ35:
1. 18X super zoom,
2. higher-end point and shoot,
3. incredibly lightweight (13 oz!!!),
4. $315 on Amazon with free shipping.
Please post your decision!
I need to know what you get and why! :)
Love, Donna XOXOXO

Hi Laurie,
I've started reading your NEW book and I'm loving it! My so/so Panasonic Lumix recently died and I replaced it with and Olympus "Tough". I just returned it after EVERY picture of my daughter's formal came out blurry. I don't know what to get next - I thought about a Nikon Coolpix but there appears to be an overwhelming response for the Canon's. I look forward to hearing your decision.

I have a Panasonic Lumix that also takes fuzzy pictures. I miss my Kodak Instamatic! (Probably dating myself there, eh?)

love my canon ixus80 which i bought on sale before christmas (i think these are called canon powershot or something slightly different in the states - i am in Australia, but the power of google should make clear which one i mean). I considered the next model up but really this is just fine for my purposes and nice and flat in my handbag. i've never had kodak, always canon cameras, but canon rocks.

I bought a Fuji Finepix F30 a couple of years ago, and it takes non blurry photos even at heavy metal concerts. It takes photos in pitch dark and makes it look like day. It has a video setting and an immense number of different settings for different locations. The snow one comes in handy in these here parts... I can't recommend this camera highly enough!

My Panasonic Lumix is like a magic camera. It takes pictures that make everyone look better.

The key is to choose what features you want and then go to the store and handle the camera - take pictures with it and see how they are. Try to shake your hand just a bit and see what happens.

My "never do without" features are the highest Optical Zoom I can afford and some kind of shake reduction.

You'll figure out what is right for you!

Hi, Laurie,
It's the slow shutter speed that is giving you blurry pictures. Manufacturers lead you to believe that you need massive megapixel count, but the higher the pixels with a standard shutter speed create massive blur. Anything more than 6 megapixels is unnecessary unless you're creating poster sized prints.
Comparing shutter speed will be a good guideline for your selection process.
I personally have a Nikon D40 (which I'm not sure they make any longer). It is very light weight and takes stunning photos, but it does have the classic SLR lens which makes it larger than you may want.
Love your stuff!
Lisa

I am not a camera person, however... I read Pioneer Woman and she has a whole camera section. I know that she has bought several different kinds and while it is not a Kodak, here is a link to what she bought her girls:

http://thepioneerwoman.com/photography/2009/12/love-this-camera/

Have fun and knit well,
Laura

La Soba may be blurry but she's still a gorgeous kitty! I'm looking forward to your next pictures, blurry or not. :o)

Soba's a tortie. They always look blurred.

I've had excellent luck with my Canon A550. It's a nice middle of the road camera. Good luck!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE!!! my Panasonic Lumix F15. ($160 at Costco) I have had Canon (great camera) and Olympus, but I am so thrilled with my F15 that I carry it every where. If you want to see some examples, everything on my blog is shot by the f15
http://asomewhattallgirl.com

Have fun shopping!!

I love my Nikon cameras! I have a D60 SLR and a CoolPix.

Thank you so much for all these great suggestions! You have all given me a lot to think about and research this weekend! I'll let you know what I end up with...