There is such a wealth from which to choose now!!!

My first was an Olympus Comedia 3 megapixel. I still use it for 3 reasons:
1. It has a red/blue adjustment which helps greatly with lavender iris.
2. Is excellent in low light.
3. Shoots tiff files which turn out as well as a 6 megapixel camera.

Then I had to get a Canon I saw recommended here - the A95 (5 Mp).
Does truer apricot/peach tones than my Oly. (IMO) But .............. I found it harder
to hold steady when pressing the shutter release.

So I bought a used Canon G3 (4 Mp). Like its ergonomics much better. Prefer it to the A95.

To be honest I'd like to have a Sony and Nikon as well! And of course a digital SLR. I am really impressed with how accurate Canon Rebel series does with difficult flower colors.

Bottom line: set your price limit, stick with a major name, and make sure it feels comfortable in your hand as you let it focus & press the shutter. A professional who spoke at our club strongly feels anything beyond 10 Mp is overkill.

This site gives a conclusion page at the end of the review. Very helpful.

Here is a link that might be useful: in depth camera reviews

Capeheart, you have described just about every digital camera on the market! In all seriousness, virtually every manufacturer produces competent equipment in today's market. I own cameras by Canon, Sony and Olympus. They include the Olympus at 26X zoom, Sony at 5X and another at 12X along with a couple of Canon SLR's.

In the earlier days of digital cameras, there was a problem with accurately capturing reds and purple shades...this is no longer a problem on any of the cameras that I have tested.

When you refer to "really clear shots", I assume that you are referring to both sharpness and exposure. Without exception, both of these attributes can be cured with the proper camera settings (for that picture). Few of us ever sit down with the operator's manual and understand the basic settings necessary to get high quality photos. Also, most photos can be greatly improved by post-exposure adjustments with a software program. Some can be downloaded free, while some have a cost attached. I seem to get my best results using Photoshop (I use CS2).

I am attaching a few shots made with various identified cameras.
This is Veteran's Honor, shot w/Sony V3

This is Veteran's Honor, shot w/Sony H5

This is Cherry Parfait, shot w/Sony V3
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This is Tineke, shot w/Sony H5

This is Starry Night, shot w/Canon 40D (SLR)

This is Louise Estes, shot w/Canon 40D (SLR)

Bob

Holy cow!!!! Those are so clear - it looks better than it would if I was there and actually saw the rose!!! Your VH is EXCEPTIONALLY beautiful. The edges of the flowers are so delineated.

I'm impressed. We're thinking of getting a new camera, so I'll show this to my husband!

Carol