Sony vs Canon
Both are popular.
Canon has a larger variety of digital cameras.
7.2mpx/5mpx
More megapixels are only needed when printing very large photographs. Or if you plan to do some extensive cropping of photographs.
6X zoom/12X zoom
You almost threw me on this one. You are talking about optical and digital zoom.
Only think about optical zoom.
Digital zoom degrades the photo.
Digital zoom should not be used if you want quality photos.
Memory stick/SD (preferred)
There is no advantage to a Memory stick and it costs more.
Carl Zeiss?/Canon (trusted name)
Carl Zeiss is a trusted name too.
Both make excellent lenses.
It may be time to toss a coin.
...
..
.
Okay...
This is my first "real" digital camera purchase. I've been looking for a good, compact digital camera with nice manual options, too. I'm trying to decide between the two, and here are the arguements going on inside my head:
Sony v. Canon:
7.2mpx/5mpx
6x zoom/12x zoom
Memory stick/SD (prefered)
Carl Zeiss?/Canon (trusted name)
Both are priced the same, but I need someone to help me decide between the two. Is Sony a good brand in the Digital Photography world? Etc...
Thanks.

Chowhound
Comic Vine
GameFAQs
GameSpot
Giant Bomb
TechRepublic