Hi.

Im looking to purchase a digital camera.(in the Uk) and i have a budget of up to £120-140. I need a good quality camera and does anybody own a decent one or reccomends one. Any example photos would be bril as a i can see for my self.

Thanks.

Jimbo

First, you don't want anything less than 3 megapixels.  You're going to see a serious drop in quality if you get much lower.  I think my first digital camera was measured in pixels, forget megapixels.  lol

Don't worry too much with a digital zoom.  The number may seem really high, but it's just one of those features that people who take a lot of pictures don't pay attention to.  Look for a few features:

1.  Strong optical zoom.

2.  Memory card capability.  (You'd be surprised, they don't ALL have card slots.)

3.  Durable case.  Metal is better.  Plastic can crack if you should drop it.

4.  If you find something with a printer dock, or even just a regular dock, you should go for it.  It's a lot easier than transferring with USB...especially if you've lost your USB cable. 

5.  Shop around.  You'd be amazed at the price range you'll find for the same product.

If your price range is 120-140 pounds, then I would definitely suggest the Kodak EasyShare cx7300.  It's a 3.2 MP camera.  It takes BEAUTIFUL shots for a camera in that price range.  (It's what my wife uses....I still prefer my 35mm SLR.  lol)  Plus it comes with a printer dock that prints at a quality that astounds me every time I see them.

There's also the cx7430.  It's a little on the high end of your price range, but it's a 4MP camera and it comes with the whole docking package thing...

Good luck!

Well My suggestion is very expensive, its a Nikon, about $735 USD...... I do stuff like watch ships go to a few airshows, many social events, and other stuff, I havent gotten it yet but I am sooner or later..... Cheers, Gunny

Depends what you want it for. I helped my friend choose his first digital camera just before Christmas. He wanted it mainly for landscapes & stuff like that. There weren't too many to choose from in his price range which was about the same as yours. We settled on a Fuji on special offer at £99. Not sure of the model number but it's similar to this. http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews61297.html
It's 3 point something megapixel with 3x optical zoom which is a slightly better spec than my old F401. With a set of rechargeable batteries, charger, spare memory card & case it came out at less than £150. These are essential IMHO & you should take them into account. The price of memory cards varies according to the type used. Needless to say the one used in this particular model is the most expensive.

I suggested the Fuji as it's compact & easy to use. I could also give him a few tips as I have 2 Fuji digital cameras myself. You can see examples of my shots in the Photos forum.* Fortunately for me my friend is delighted with it. I can post some of the photos he's taken with it if you wish. We printed some out at A4 size & the quality is excellent.

*PS. These were taken with my F401. http://www.simviation.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=photos;action=display;num=...