I have a Nikon and I love it. I had a Nikon Cool Pix earlier, a very tiny size one and while it was handy it didn"T have a zoom lens and I really needed that for taking pictures of grandkids playing sports., plus it was so small my old arthritic hands started having problems holding it. Look for one that is held comfortably in your hands, get the highest Mega pixals you can afford and the biggest zoom , plus macro. One that has a USB cord to transfer your pics to the PC, and a rechargeable battery. Oh, mine also will let me take short videos.I think most digital cameras do pretty much the same, cost can vary a lot. but you want to check to see if a can be repaired also if that is needed. My best advice, go to a camera dealer, at a camera store and look at different brands and try them, and have them explained to you.