1. Digital Concepts

Price: $34.38 at amazon.com
Wow – prices sure have come down since digital cameras first came on the market. Of course, you won’t get anything fancy for $35, but this would make an ideal first camera for a young girl. I like the pink casing as well (makes a change from basic silver!).

2. HP Photosmart

Price: $99.95 at amazon.com
I’m no technical expert, but 6MP for $100 sounds pretty good. If you’re like me and a bit wobbly with a camera, you’ll love the anti-shake mode. It also has a large display screen (my current camera has a fairly small screen).

3. Polaroid 7MP in Pink

Price: $129.99 at amazon.com
There seems something strange about Polaroid making digital cameras, if you remember the old instant cameras, but I guess everyone has to move with the times! Looks aren’t everything, but this camera is a lovely pink shade. Like many digitals, the batteries have a short life, so get some rechargeable ones.

4. Samsung L100

Price: $109 at amazon.com
Here’s a smart red camera for a change. It has a very decent 8MP, so if you want to print out photos you will get an excellent resolution. If you’re a bit confused by camera settings, like me, you’ll enjoy the Function Description, which talks you through the various functions.

5. Nikon Coolpix

Price: $134.99 at amazon.com
And now we’re up to 10MP! This little number is also in red, my second favorite color after purple. The 3-inch screen will allow you to see your shots really clearly. Some great reviews as well.

6. Vivitar Vivicam

Price: $58.99 at amazon.com
At last – a purple camera! Plus it’s another 10MP camera. I’ve never heard of the brand, and there are no reviews to tell you what users think of it, but at under $60 it might be worth looking into if your budget is limited.

7. Fujifilm Finepix A170

Price: $78.55 at amazon.com
My previous cameras have both been Fuji’s, and on the whole I’ve been very happy with them – except for the current problem with the zoom lens! So I might well consider sticking with the same brand. This one has a good size screen and MP, although a more powerful zoom would be nice. But for $80 you can’t have everything!

8. Olympus FE-4020

Price: from $110 at amazon.com
And I'll finish with a mammoth 14MP! This camera also has a 4x zoom, comes in a cool light blue shade, and has the decent size display screen that I’m looking for. I’ll definitely be doing some more research into this model.

So I hope I’ve shown that you can get quite a lot of camera for your money these days, without spending a fortune. What camera do you have, and would you recommend it? What is your dream camera?