Okay … look for a camera that uses SD memory cards, has at least a 6MP sensor and has either a viewfinder or SI (both if you can find one and it is in your budget)

Nikon, Canon, Panasonic and Pentax make such cameras.

As far as megapixels go, don't worry about them! I used to have a 3MP camera and it printed quite nicely at 16×20". See the NY Times article "Breaking the Megapixel Myth" ( ).

If you are concerned with getting sharp pictures, you should look for a camera with high ISO or image stabilization (either feature alone can prevent blurry pictures). This is especially important if you want to take action or night shots. Also, hold the camera firmly and close to your body, since much blurriness is caused by slight movements in the hands.

If you know little about cameras, the safest route is to go with a name brand.

Here are camera brands rated by quality. I'm assuming you want a compact Point-and-Shoot:

Good brands:
Canon (popular, but you'll pay extra for the Canon name)
Fujifilm (best value, speed for money)
Nikon (its L series is a good value if you can't spend more than $100)
Sony (pricey but nicey. Keep in mind that they use Sony-specific memory cards, which will be more expensive than the SD and XD cards that other brands use)

Okay brands:
Olympus (good color, but their film cameras were better than their digital)
Pentax (eh)
Kodak (popular, but really not that great)

Bad brands:
Sanyo (Wal-Mart crap)
HP (difficult-to-hold crap)
Samsung (cheap crap)
DXG (super-cheap crap)
Polaroid (might be out of business by now, actually)