What camera would be best for me ..

The S90 is 82% more than her allocated budget.

Basically I'm newbie to photography .. Many new things have come into market like slr dslr .. Don't know much about these
anyways what if I expand my budget to 330 - 340 $
talking about requirement .. I'm not professional photographer .. I need one with best available possibilities of functionalities .. General use camera .. Lot of potraits , flower and scenery photography .. With occasional wedding use .. That's all ..And long lasting in the sense that it could meet my requirments as mature photographer later on And please tell me little breif what is the real difference between different manufactring companies .. Don't all cameras serve the same purpose ..?? Because ( may be I am wrong ) I have noticed that Sony cameras are lil cheaper than canon's
and one last thing .. I have seen at many forums .. There are talking about extra lens .. What is this really all about ??
Is this the way to enhance funtionality of machine ?and where they stay in market at price level

Unfortunately, most of the manufacturers have taken manual controls off of the lower cameras. The only decent camera that I found in the lower price ranges was the Sony H20. It does have a Program and Manual mode for choice. I would choose other cameras, but those are past your current budget, such as for superzooms the Canon SX20 and Panasonic FZ35 or for regular cameras the Canon S90 or G11.

Ahan .. Right
so what should be the ideal budget you think for a really reasonable and good camera ..
I am looking for camera with the view that one couldn't find enough time in daily life to quench thirst for photography .. So camera with good scope for beginners as well as once in blue moon passionate photographer .. I think you are getting my point =p
what if I get Sony for me .. I think it bit reasonable in price stake and giving greater mps at low price
and please also answer other questions in last post ..


Help appreciated

The S1500 has the important manual controls, 12X optical zoom, image stabilization and has a viewfinder in addition to the LCD display.

You can find the S1500 for under $200.

Here is a link to a review of the Fujifilm S1500:

http://www.steves-digicams.com/camera-reviews/fujifilm/finepix-s1500-zoom/fujifilm-finepix-s1500-zoom-review.html

..

Sony doesn't necessarily give the best bang for the buck. It might seem that way with how many megapixels/zoom/features, but if the camera seems cheaper then there's a reason. Take most of the Samsung cameras for an example, they have the most cutting edge features of any camera but are not the best picture takers by any means.

Manufactures use different processors which affect speed, menu system, etc. They also use different software to process the photos. For example, Nikon DSLRs use the same sensors that the Sony DSLRs use, but the Nikon DSLRs perform better in almost every category. You pretty much have to read reviews and discover what you're willing to live with, whether that be size, speed, spending to much money, etc. Those weak/strong points are different to each individual and that's why there are so many different cameras and models.....almost something for everyone, except for those that want a compact point and shoot that does well in low light and has a ton of zoom.

Hmmm .. Right
and speed doesn't much here for me .. The only thing strikes is price tag ..
And what is your view about Sony alpha 200 . Have seen some great comments and reviews about it on the same site . Good dlsr for beginners .. And user friendly too .. Though price is lil high ..
Can you please guide me what is the story of interchangable lens . And what is the thing behind it .. I mean functionality wise ..

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Snapshot2
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It's a DSLR, and explaining what a DSLR is for and what interchangeable lens means would take a more than a page to write.

Here is a pretty decent article of "point and shoot vs. DSLR"

http://digital-photography-school.com/should-you-buy-a-dslr-or-point-and-shoot-digital-camera

The only two things I don't like about the Sony A200 is that's it's not near as good as other DSLRs in high ISOs and that Sony lens almost always cost more than their counterparts.

Hmmm .. Right .I have also heard and read on different forums that sony lens are quite expensive comparitively And in long run it makes no diference in price tag as compared to other manufacturers i.e. Nikon and canon
what do you think of dslrs pointed out by senior editor on the same site . Here is the link
.
http://reviews.cnet.com/4321-6501_7-6553204.html?tag=centerColumnArea1.1
.
Considering sony , nikon and canon only..

Nikon D3000- great follow up from the Nikon D40. Problems with it is a very dated CCD sensor that lags behind in high ISOs and it's not compatible with many lens(which should be a problem for you), but it has the best AF system of any entry level and has been reviewed very well.

Canon XS- This is probably the Toyota Camry or Honda Accord of the bunch, it's not outstanding in any area but performs very well in almost every category, for an entry level.

Sony A230- I'll just put it this way, it's already been discontinued and was considered, by many, a flop.

Sony A330- has the same problems, mostly design of the body, that the A230 has and has received low marks in reviews.

Olympus E-620- Has the best kit lens of any manufacturer, great for a light DSLR, very good all around, but it's a 4/3rds sensor, which means you don't get that shallow depth of field on that you'd get on the others(means how much it blurs the background). It's great if you are looking for a very small DSLR.

Canon XSI- These won't be around much longer with the new T2i coming out. The XSI has all the photography features that the XS doesn't have, better auto focus system, and faster shooting. The XS is designed more for the casual photographer and the XSI is designed for the more serious type but on a budget or wanting a lighter DSLR.

The one camera that isn't on the list is the one that I think is the best bang for the buck and best performer in this class. It's the Pentax K-x. It's a plethora of features in an entry class model and it's image quality is very good.

Here's the conclusion to the review of the Pentax K-x.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/pentaxkx/page29.asp

The lack of compatibility for Nikon lens "should NOT be a problem for you".

Right .. What are lens problem with nikon D3000 ??
Will you explain it little because i am thinking to go for nikon as it is yet in budget and with good specs all around.
Hoping so it will worth my spendings , is it ?
( by the way thanks for guidance )
By the way have seen new Nikon p1000 coolpix on site .. What do you think of it ??

So I'll reply to mine. It means there are many lenses don't auto focus on the D3000. This really limits choices for those that are really into photography. It'd be a deal breaker for me, but there's enough lenses for the casual shooter.

You said it was well spec'd, but it's the least featured and spec'd camera out of all of them, except for the AF system. Even that Cnet article called it the "least featured camera of the group".

I figured you meant P100, but I double checked and it is the P100, not P1000. I really like Nikon DSLRs, but they have never had top notch point and shoots. They are always in the middle to lower group of point and shoots, and that has also been the case with their superzooms, such as the P80 and P90. Now, unless they made major revisions to the P100, compared to it's predecessors, then I wouldn't even consider it. Panasonic and Canon pretty much hold the superzoom top area.