associated in random thought

I know it's $50 over your target, but you might want to consider the Canon Powershot S2 IS. It's a notch above a point-and-shoot camera, though it can rival some of the digital SLRs in the right hands.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canons2is/

That review also compares the camera to others in its class, as well as the Powershot S1 IS that it replaces.

thanks so much lawrence. that is actually one of the cameras i have been considering, as well as the sony cybershot. any opinions there?

btw, how did you find me?

oh wait, are you apple lawrence?

Hey Anne! I have the Digital Rebel, which is out of your price range, BUT they've come out with a new Digital Rebel, so there might be some used ones on the market within your price range. I really love my camera. (And it has more than paid for itself, as we've saved so much money on printing costs.) The main thing I would consider is lag time. Try them out and see if they respond immediately when you push the button, or if they hesitate. Good luck! I've really enjoyed your photos here on your blog!

here's one I've seen mentioned positively a couple places (and within budget!)

http://www.boingboing.net/2005/12/12/cool_tools_reviews_t.html

yes, I am "apple lawrence". *grin*

Speaking of my own joy in owning one, I would have wholeheartedly suggested getting a digital SLR camera (like the Canon Digital Rebel or it's bigger brother, the 20D), but not only is the initial cost more than twice your $400 budget, there's the continuing issue of trying to finance the cost of getting new lenses.

I admit, I've stuck with my default lens and another that was fairly inexpensive, though I am always drooling over the other lenses that are extremely out of my budge... and then trying to creatively finance their purchase.

Secondly, there were many an instance where I would be lugging around my Canon 10D all over, only to wish to have brought a smaller camera because the dSLR one felt like an attention magnet.

Which is the reason I suggested the self contained unit, the S2 IS - it's a little more flexible than most PnS cameras, but not as cumbersome as the dSLRs.

Don't get me wrong though, of the three digital cameras I have, I enjoy looking through the viewfinder and pressing the shutter release of my Canon 10D the most.

As far as the Sony Cybershot is concerned, I can't really give any informed opinions, only that at the time I was shopping around for cameras, finding Memory Sticks (Sony's brand of memory cards) and their accessories were difficult, compared to the more prevalent at the time Compact Flash cards. I'm sure it's much different these days.

The best suggestion I can give is to go to a place like Circuit City or Best Buy and get a feel for the cameras that interest you. Look at their specs (such as their pixel count, optical zoom, memory card type, battery type), and get a feel for their User Interfaces. Seriously, there are some cameras out there that just don't make sense to me. You want to be able to take that crucial once-chance-is-all-you-get shot without having to fumble with the controls.