This is what I'm looking for:
At least 10MP and 8x optical zoom
a wide angle lens.
A good camera with fast focusing and good performance under low light conditions (such as indoor shots) are my main focus.
I do want good image quality, although I guess it doesn't have to be top-of-the-line professional grade.
I would like a camera that takes SD cards, but it wouldn't be a deal breaker if the camera had every other feature I was looking for.
I would consider myself at an intermediate level. I do want the option of manual controls, but I would probably use auto settings a lot of the time too.
I'd like to stick to under $300.
I think those are all the main points.
I checked out some models of Nikon, Sony, Panasonic, Casio and Canon but very much confuse which one to pick as a best in my budget. So i am putting my selected list here. Looking forward for any suggestions from the list and out of it!
I recommend the Canon PowerShot SX120 IS one, i have used it for two years, it's easy to use and it was a very quick hookup to download my pictures onto the computer. There's one just $199 bucks.