midrange suggestions?

[jyllianm]

I'm confused! I'm not ready for a DSLR--I'm not a great photographer, though I am an enthusiast. I'm great with the software (photoshop etc) but not so much the machine itself, but like I said, I love taking pictures. I'd like the learn more, perhaps even take a class at some point.
I take pictures of my daughter, our pets, bands (inside and dark) special occasions, some sporting events both inside and out. I'd like to get a little creative. I'd like to be able to zoom in for detail. I'd like to take a step up from the pocket sized point and shoot. I've had several kodaks. The last one my husband just sat on . My favorite thus far has been an LS 753 which died after 3 years of hard service. He sat on the quite horrid M753 (I've had others going back to 2000 but no point in going into that).


Budget


Ideally between $150 and $250 but I can go up a bit if it makes a huge difference.

Size?

This doesn't matter any longer.
Features

How many megapixels will suffice for you?

7 is the least but I'm not very knowledgeable here I've read more is not necessarily better.

* What optical zoom will you need? (None, Standard = 3x-4x, Ultrazoom = 10x-12x, Other - Specify)

I'm not sure how to answer this. I would like to take close ups of baby or cat toes, things like that.

* How important is “image quality” to you? (Rate using a scale of 1-10)

8,

Do you care for manual controls?

I'd like some, but I'm not a whiz.

General Usage

* What will you generally use the camera for?
snapshots, some experimentation with arty photos, pictures around town, pictures for out website.

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

Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos?
a significant number.

Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos?
some, yes.

Miscellaneous

Are there particular brands you like or hate?
I had a VERY bad experience with an Olympus in 2000.

Are there particular models you already have in mind?
I'm utterly confused.

(If applicable) Do you need any of the following special features? (Wide Angle, Image Stabilization, Weatherproof, Hotshoe, Rotating LCD)

Image Stabilization.

[jyllianm]

oh also-- it should use a 4gb sandisk ultra ii memory card and wouldn't it be great if it used a klic 7001 ion battery if at all possible--even though I didn't like the m753 I wasn't budgeted to buy a camera--I just can't go without pictures of the kid you know?!

Thanks :-)

[SpecialK]

I would suggest reading the buyers guide at the top of this page if you haven't already. If you can find one within your budget, I would recommend a camera with a hotshoe that you can put a separate external flash onto. You will get much better results than using the built-in flash. Alternatively, there are some flashes that mount on a bracket next to the camera that will go off when your built-in flash triggers them, which is an alternative.

The Canon "A" series have been popular over the years, and seem to be a good value (I had 2 before my current S3 IS).

[jekostas]

Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos?
a significant number.

Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos?
some, yes.

Could you expand on these two topics a little more? What kind of sports? What kind of bands are you shooting? What kind of distances for each? Flash or no flash?

Lowlight and sports/action photography are generally not something that compact cameras do well at all.

[jyllianm]

I'm hoping to avoid a compact camera. I wouldn't mind something larger--I'm over how easy it is to break or damage compact camera (when I send them with my husband :-)

I photo bands in bars or clubs. Usually alternative/goth. The sports are right now kid's soccer and tae kwon do. Or kids on playgrounds I'd like to move up from a point and shoot, but I don't think I'm ready (or can afford) a dslr.

[jekostas]

I photo bands in bars or clubs. Usually alternative/goth..

This is really something you need a dSLR for, unfortunately. Point and shoot cameras just don't do low-light photography well.

Forgetting this just for a moment, something like the Canon SX110 would probably suit you well. Good zoom range, full manual controls with good automatic modes as well, plus image stabilization. It should be pretty close to your budget.

[cdifoto]

You're a dSLR candidate for sure. You can always grow into one. They're not that daunting really...all you need is a good, general book on photography. The same principles apply no matter what camera you're using.