I have a Sony Cybershot 8.1mp. I've had it for about three or fours years now and it works great. Features this little camera has that you need to look for are; Instant-on capability, large MP, long lasting batteries. My Sony turns on and off super fast. You hit the "On" button and its ready to go instantly. I bought a spare battery to carry with me and have never needed it. I can fill a 2gb Memory Stick on one battery charge. The extra battery is a "just in case" battery now. Nothing is more bothersome than having to wait for a camera to be ready to use.
As I said, my camera is getting older now and Sony has higher mega pixel cameras now, such as, 10.1, 12.1 and 14.1 for super high quality. Mine has a 3x zoom which seems to be fine, but the newer Sony cameras are 4x to 7x optical zoom. The benefit of having real high mega pixel is what you can do as far as editing. The clarity is so good you have the ability to zoom in on a part of a photograph, then crop it making it a proper size that looks as clear as a super zoom shot.
I recently bought a new Canon DSLR which has huge capabilities, but it cost a whole lot more, takes up more space and is more complicated to use its available functions. The good side are the changeability of the lenses, the many features that allow you to alter, improve or clarify photos and most importantly the amount of light these lenses allow in and the higher pixel.
I suggest you at least take a look at the Sony Cybershot cameras. Spending between $100 - $250 you can get a nice little camera that takes great shots and offers lots of different settings. Check out Amazon.com, read the reviews and compare prices.
