http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-DMC-TZ1K-Compact-Digital-Stabilized/dp/B000EITTLE/sr=1-5/qid=1168605874/ref=sr_1_5/102-9057132-8629740?ie=UTF8&s=photo

I would get this Panasonic, the lens is great, the zoom is even better for $230 you can't beat that.

Canon, Nikons are great but cost you usually more and unless you get above the $300 -$500 range, I doubt you'll see the difference.

If you're a starter you got a lot to learn about image formats and editing etc. It'll take a couple of years to be real savvy (unless you're taking digital photo classes)

This lumix is a heck of a deal. Take 512mb or a 1gig of SD memory with it.

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