Please help me select--I am overwhelmed!

[bestteach]

I need to replace my P.O.S. hp Photosmart R927--way too unreliable and waaay too slow. There have been many instances when the camera just dies or won't start--usually at important events, hp has already in the last year sent me TWO replacement cameras and I keep having the same issues. Also, I miss MANY shots because the time bet/ shots and the time the camera actually takes to capture the image is ridiculously slow. I had an hp photosmart (my first) before this one and it worked wonderfully. Enough complaining... My questions are answered below:

Budget

*I would like to stay under or up to $500

Size

* Size does not matter--actually, not too small as I am sure I may drop it

Features

How many megapixels will suffice for you? I currently have 8.2--The max size I print is 8x10.

* What optical zoom will you need? Not sure...? Standard or more

* How important is “image quality” to you? 10!

Do you care for manual controls? Not really

General Usage

* What will you generally use the camera for?
--Taking picures of my active children and vacation images. The hp I have now is so slow I miss many shots--actions shots are impossible.

* Will you be making big prints of your photos or not? Not above 8x10

Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos? Indoors yes...low light only occasionally.

Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos? YES! Kids are my action shots! :) Also, my son's martial arts events.

Miscellaneous

Are there particular brands you like or hate? No HP!


(If applicable) Do you need any of the following special features? I like and need image stablization.
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Thanks so much...I keep reading reviews and I am very overwhelmed. This will be my 3rd digital camera, so I am not new to the field. SInce I am willing to spend a little more this time for something that is reliable, I want to make sure I make a good choice.

[TheWengler]

I'm going to suggest you just make a jump to the Nikon D40. You can get it at Buy Dig for $470 (http://www.buydig.com/shop/product.aspx?omid=122&utm_id=17&ref=pricegrabber&utm_source=PriceGrabber&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=NKD401855&sku=NKD401855). It meets almost all of your requirements, but just comes with a standard zoom lens and there's no image stabilization. Image stabilization will only help camera shake, it will do nothing for your action shots. The D40 will best any P&S in low light/action shot performance. It's only 6 MP, but that's plenty for printing 8x10". Last downside coming from a P&S is there's no live view, only an optical viewfinder. I found this awkward when I first made the switch from a Canon S3, now I prefer the viewfinder to a live view screen.

Edit: If you decide to make the effort to take advantage of the manual controls then you'll get a lot more out of the camera. The RAW capture is also good if you enjoy post processing and it can help fix mistakes. If you want something more simple, then maybe a Canon A720 IS.

[KCook]

Here is a link to another thread on the compacts that are not too tiny -

Need a new camera-thinking maybe Sony DSC-H50 or Canon (http://www.dcresource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38906)

Kelly Cook