The Tank replied: "It would be easy just to list a load of my favourate cameras but I don't think that's what you need. Based on the criteria in your question you should understand a bit about the why's and wherefores of camera features then you can make up your own mind. Completely disregard digital zoom figures. They are a cheap con by all manufacuruers. Digital zoom works by enlarging the central area of the imaging chip. They do not increase the number of pixels available so as you "zoom" your resolution reduces significantly. At anything above 2x your pictures will look fuzzy if you enlarge to 10x8 (about A4 size). If you want to 'digital zoom' then do it on your computer. Also, disregard 'special effects'. These can also be done on your PC with any cheap editing program so why bother with them in the camera? They're just marketing gimicks and you'll soon tire of them. Go for optical zoom of at least 3x if you can afford it. Almost all cheap digital cameras do not have an optical viewfinder. They make you use the screen on the back to frame your picture. There are two main disadvantages to this: 1) In bright light the screen can sometimes be hard to see clearly (the contrast is poor). 2) The battery goes flat twice as fast as a camera with an optical (old fashioned look-through) viewfinder. If your budget will reach then I wholeheartedly recommend that you buy one with an optical viewfinder. You will also find that these cameras are also better made than non-opticals. Most digital cameras allow you to select from a range of picture qualities. High quality will use more memory space than low quality. If you buy one with a rechargable battery then get a spare battery at the same time, and keep it charged and with you whenever you go out. A flat battery will spoil your shooting session. Make sure that your camera is 'future proof'. That means that accessories should be easily available if you decide to 'expand'. You asked about memory. There are several non-compatible ways that digital cameras use to store their images. There are Sony memory stick, SD cards, Compact Flash etc. You should know that although the Sony card is a "SONY", it is expensive and not widly used by other makers. The SD Card is the most common memory card type installed by most camera, television, computer, dvd manuacturers. So it has greater across the board compatibility. Note that most cameras come with a relatively small capacity memory card provided. Whatever type of card you use you will typically get over 100 standard definition photos on a 256MB card. This will vary considerably depending on the number of megapixels your camera has and the resolution (quality) that you set it for. Whatever you buy please read the book. Digital cameras can do all sorts of clever things and it's easy to not bother reading what can look like a complex book. You don't want to make silly mistakes or miss out on a good shot."