Before I moved on to pro-sumer level kit, I loved the Canon Digital Elphs I owned over the years. Good optics, easy to use.

@Segdeha;Too many choices; can you help me narrow them down? And remember, I am talking cameras for dummies.

http://tinyurl.com/p2hht

The digital Elph series is the ones that start with "SD" -- they're all great, so pick a price point and buy the camera that meets what you want to pay for it.

As long as you keep it in "dummy" mode, you should pretty much be able to point & shoot no problems! =)

@gailcalled, I was thinking of something along the lines of the PowerShot SD600, but bpeoples is right, it really depends on your budget. Be sure to leave enough to buy a 1GB or higher -- fast -- memory card. It's worth it to have high speed capacity!

Loved my Canon SD400. I like the Canon optics and I've got a bunch of interesting pictures playing with the settings including some Night Photography. So for the technonerd as you say, Canon has enough settings.

If you want something bigger, I'd recommend looking at the canon A-series. It's cheaper (and bigger) than the SD-series, and it includes some great features like a flip-out screen.

I'd recommend going to an actual camera store to feel a few different cameras in your hand before you buy. That can inform you more about what you might want, especially if you haven't had a digital camera before.

If you want something that feels like a real camera and takes great pictures, you should check out the entry level Digital SLR (Single Lens Reflex) cameras from Canon, Nikon, Pentax and Sony. Those will run you more ($500 or more), but also will give you much better pictures (but no movies).

Thanks, everyone. I'd rather spent a few bucks and find something I am happy w.

@Ben: idea of going to a store (altho rather a shocking concept for someone who shops onlin for almost everything) makes sense.

@Segdeha; what do you mean by "high speed capacity"? I can take this private if I am boring the socks off everyone. gailcald@taconic.net

@gailcalled, the memory cards used by digital cameras vary in how fast they can save data. So, a "high speed" card will save your just-taken photo faster than a slower card. As an example, in my camera I have a 2.0 GB "Ultra II" SD card by SanDisk. It's fast, which helps when I'm taking photos at high resolution. It means I can take photos more quickly because it doesn't take as long for the camera to save the data to disk. Does that make sense?

@segdeha: it makes as much sense as it can before I actually put my hands on a camera and try it.. You are very clear - it is simply my lack of experience - having started a LONG time ago w. a Brownie. That probably means nothing to you. Thanks for the help. I should start "doing" and stop yakking.

@gail: just curious, what model of brownie? =)

Were there different models? I remember them rather like the old Fords - changeless, reliable, and generating terrible sepia-coloured pictures that a 7 yr old could get rhapsodic over. I did graduate to more grownup things and recently had a classy nice point & shoot that was great until digitals took over the world. I still have some of the old photos - brought them to a BIG HS reunion recently. And just found an amazing photo of my mother ( who is 92.5), when she was 17 in 1930-31. Sharp, unfaded...wonderful. And there is a model T in the background.

@gailcalled, I do know what a Brownie is, though I have never had the pleasure of using one. I do recall from my youth using boxy Kodak cameras with big, square flash bulbs on top that lasted 4 shots, rotating after each one. Good times.... I love digital photography because of the lack of inhibition that comes with knowing you don't have to pay an arm and a leg just to see your work. There is something, though, to working with film that makes you more conscientious about each shot. Waste not, want not?

Hey, I've used my Olympus D-520 Zoom with optional viewing screen for 4 years now and it has turned in some fantastic shots for a 2.0 megapixel camera going from minus 17 in Munich up to 114 in Las Vegags wheather - great size for the hand being almost as thick as two decks of cards, my hand doesn't close around it. Unless you're going professional with your pictures, 2.0 megapixel will do you VERY nicely! Remember to think about rechargeable batteries because these things can eat them like candy but you always get longest life if you use it as a camera instead of a viewer :-) goodluck!

Again, thanks all. I listen to books-on-tape on a CD Walkman and go thru AA batteries, indeed, as tho they were tootsie rolls. The econ. package is on every shopping list, along w. milk and lettuce.

And what about organization? I have shoe boxes filled w. snap shots from the last 3 decades; never got around to labelling or dating anything. And cramming them into an album would be easy. Maybe I'll just borrow a camera from a friend for pix of my gardens :-)

It becomes a lot easier to organize your photos when you have a digital camera. If you have a mac, IPhoto is a great, simple, easy to use photo organization program. If you have a PC, I'm sure there are many great Photo organization programs out there, I just don't know what they are off the top of my head. We have so many shoeboxes of family photos. Now those shoeboxes are on the computer so at least I can find a picture if I'm looking for something. There are also lots of online services where you can upload and organize your photos. It's easier than you think!

For windows -- Picassa (free & the best I've seen). iPhoto is... okay. I've heard of a lot of people using Aperture just to organize their photos, alternately Picassa via Parallels.

But iPhoto will get you started =)