Hi, I stumbled across this website when trying to find a digital camera. It was refreshing to find a forum where questions are answered without sarcasm and in a friendly and helpful manner. 

I am looking for a digital camera under £80. It is for a friend who says he wants a camera that is easy to use and takes great pictures! It will be used mainly for holidays and photos in the garden etc.  I am not worried about make of camera.

If anyone could offer any advise I would be really grateful. Thank you in advance.

Cathryn,

I wouldn't really want to specify one make because you can get a lot of good value compact cameras these days. However, just scouting around I found this Fujifilm model

The reason I pulled this one is because for nearly 6 years now, I have used a Fujifilm A303. When I purchased it, it cost almost £300 then and it only has 3megapixels pictures, but it was enough and produces some nice shots for my articles on the fishing site.

What this new one will do is incredible for the money - a 4x zoom (forget the digital stuff) where mine's is only 3x. It's 8 megapixels as opposed to my meagre 3megapixels, this will allow you to chop out smaller yet still very good photos from bigger areas.  All in all, it looks a good deal, but you will need a decent case and a larger xD card to store more pictures.

Full details - here.

Oh, and I just upgraded to a newer camera and guess which make? Right, a Fujifilm - S9600

Thank you so much for your help.  Funnily enough it was, in the meantime, one that I had also picked out just by guess work! In your opinion, is it worth paying the extra £5 and going for the A920? Reviews seem good for both.

I am so grateful for websites like this. How did we manage without??!!

Well, it needn't cost you a fiver more, there's ABC selling it for the same money.

Or here's a good deal from them. A 2gb card will give you about 800 pictures, if you take that many.

Seem to be about the same, but with 9 megapixels. Sure, go for it.

Thing to remember is that no matter how good the camera, it's the person taking the pictures that makes the difference. A good photographer will turn out excellent images from a box Brownie, but put the latest state-of-the-art DSLR in the hands of a fool and you'll get foolish pictures. Whatever you buy, learn to use it well. Good luck.

Thank you again.  Have bought the camera and we've taken a few shots just to test. I am more than happy with it. The clarity and colour is unbelievable. It really is a lovely camera.

Great stuff. Get them into the gallery!

Ron Clay wrote (see)

That camera is for absolute nothing. I might decide to have one has a carry weapon to quote an old wild west term. 

To you it may be, Ron, but the person buying is at the top of his budget and means a lot more to him than that. Whatever the cost it is a very nice item to have and I am sure it will take a lot of great pictures.

If you bought one, Ron, it's a great little camera to pop in your tackle bag. My old Fujifilm A303 has produced loads of great pictures for the FM site and will carry on to do so in future. Like all cameras it needs to be used otherwise it's no more than an expensive doorstop.