I've got a bit of extra money this paycheck, and was either going to upgrade my processor, or buy a digital camera.  My PC really runs fairly well right now, and I'd likely have to mess around with a new PSU as well, so I'm leaning towards the camera.  I did a bit of research, and I'm liking the Olympus SP-350.  I found a refurbished one in my price range, and everything I've read on it says it's great for the kind of stuff I'd be using it for (mostly landscapes and people, not fast moving stuff).  Has anyone heard anything about this camera?  Any suggestions on different brands to look at?  After reading some reviews, I decided to steer clear of the Canon models (horrid customer service, I guess) and Sony's Cyber Shot (too fragile/cheaply made).

Canons are usually safe bets, but I'm partial to Sony digicams.  I own a Sony DSC-V1.  It's three years old and it originally retailed for $700... paid less than a third of that on ebay last year.

...user reviews for the SP-350 - http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/read_opinions.asp?prodkey=oly_sp350

http://www.photographyreview.com
@Mr.B I have the same camera.

I've fallen in love with my Kodak V530...everything about it (except the flash, which is a pain in the butt sometimes to properly configire) is awesome.

Top Digital Cameras
  Product Name               Price
1. Nikon D50 Body Only     $676
2. Nikon D200 Body Only   $2000
3. Sony Cyber-shot® DSC $500
4. Canon EOS 30D Body O $1500
5. Canon Digital Rebel      $900
6. Canon PowerShot A620 $500
7. Canon EOS-5D Digital  $3305
8. Canon PowerShot S2 I  $600
9. Canon PowerShot S3 I  $500
10.Casio EXILIM ZOOM EX $370
From my link above

george, that list is more a matter of personal taste...

i have this one

its great!

Every one of those is at least $250 more than I'm wanting to spend, George.  I'd love to get one, if I had the money.

@Flix: Nice camera!  Have you had to deal with Canon's tech support/customer service yet?

nope not so far.
everything working smoothly.

I've got me a Konica Minolta Dimage Z2, and I've been quite pleased with it. It's "only" 4 megapixels, but it's been working out wonderfully for me for over a year now, and the prints from it are astounding. If I were getting a new camera, I would try to get one with a good zoom. My Z2 has a 10x optical on it, and it's incredible.

Quote (FliX @ Aug. 07 2006, 1:40 am)

george, that list is more a matter of personal taste...

It wasn't meant as "The Ultimate List". God....every website has their own "Personal Taste" and slant/angle on things (not that their suppose to)