help pick a compact point 'n shoot

[lolercoasters]

Budget
hmm.... trying to keep it under $250 because i'm one sad poor college student. cheaper the better obviously. :)

Size
compact

Features
i don't really know much in this regard... i'm kind of new to the whole photography world...

i guess all digicams now i have at least 3x optical zoom so that will suffice considering my budget.

* How important is “image quality” to you? (Rate using a scale of 1-10)
8. it's obviously important... i don't want discolored or washed out pictures. but i'm not looking for studio quality or SLR quality because i'm obviously getting a compact.

Do you care for manual controls?
no

General Usage
* What will you generally use the camera for?
i'm going on a trip to Asia next year so i want a camera i can snap some pictures with..

* Will you be making big prints of your photos or not?
probably not.

Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos?
i'm not planning on it but sure it will probably happen.

Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos?
not planning on it.

Miscellaneous

Are there particular brands you like or hate?
well all the camera's my family own are Canon and i know they have a long history of quality. other than that i'm not ruling any brands out just cause of the name

Are there particular models you already have in mind?
Canon SD1000
Sony W80
Sony T20
open to suggestions obviously.

(If applicable) Do you need any of the following special features? (Wide Angle, Image Stabilization, Weatherproof, Hotshoe, Rotating LCD)
doesn't matter. i'm not being picky because i don't know what half those are LOL.

[TheWengler]

Canon A570 IS for something with image stabilization. Fuji F40 for something with good low light performance.

[lolercoasters]

hey thanks for the quick response.

I actually wanted "super compact"?
meaning like.... "fit-it-in-my-pocket" small. sorry for the confusion. i don't really want another camera where i have to carry a separate bag for it around my neck. :D
but ill take a look at the fuji..

[David Metsky]

I prefer the SD1000, but I'm a big Canon fan so understand my bias. :) The Sony W80 has a great burst mode that can be very helpful for shooting sports or quick action but that doesn't seem to be a big issue for you. If you buy the Sony you'll have to buy Memory Sticks with are more expensive then the SD cards that Canon uses.

[zero_0_zero]

The SD1000 is an excellent camera, and only $170. You should also take a look at the Sony W55.

If you're shooting in lowlight, I'd recomend the Fuji F30. It's quite rare nowadays, so you have to go hunting for it on PriceGrabber.

[lolercoasters]

i guess one thing i'm worried about on the Canon's is the lens cover..

both my dad's and sister's canon's both had the problem where the cover doesn't close all the way. on one camera, only half the cover comes down so half of the lens is still exposed. On the other one it closes fine, but when you turn the camera upside down, one half of the lens cover just kind of flops open so again, half of the lens is unprotected. I don't know if this happens on all Canon's or what but it seems the covers are really fragile...