Well this question is really hard to answer. It really depends on what you plan on doing with your camera. Obviously, if you are planning on selling your prints or working as a professional you will want a very high megapixel camera. Beware though more megapixels means that the image takes up more space on your memory card. For example if you have a 5 megapixel camera a 1 Gigabyte card will hold approximately 400 images. If you step up to a 6 megapixel look at about 320 images.

11 x 14, you will immediately see changes. For a normal person not a professional, I recommend cameras made by Nikon, Cannon, Olympus, Minolta, Fuji, Kodak. They give crystal clear shots, and are mostly easy to function. Sony is okay too, but they tend to be on the pricey side and very hard to operate. NOT recommend Samsung, Concord, Polaroid, or Vivitar. They produce horrible picture quality, and I have had many unsatisfied customers.

You will need something with an optical zoom, because a digital zoom crops your picture making it grainy or fuzzy. Most point and shoots are 3x optical and the bigger models range from 4x optical up to 12x or more. There is also the debate about memory cards.

Most point and shoots from Cannon, Nikon, Kodak, and Polaroid take these types of cards. The high speed cards read and write a lot faster than the basic cards, so look online for your best deal. Batteries are another important consideration. AA batteries are easy to find and you can get rechargeable ones. Canon, Sony, and Olympus I have a Canon and Olympus digital camera and Id have to say Canon is the best. My Canon powershot digital camera is only 6 megapixels but it is way better than my Olympus with 8 megapixels, which i got to originally replace my canon. Canon digital cameras automatically stabilize the shot and auto focus on something that stands out. They even have a cool color swap feature too. Even with only 6 megapixels my canon produces a shot better than my 8 megapixel 5X optical zoom olympus stylus does.

Sorry dont know much about sony digital camera but they have a few good reviews as does Canon.

Olympus recommends that the camera body be sent to an authorized Olympus repair service center approximately at an interval of three to five years.