At my work, the professionals only use the Nikon digital cameras. I played around with them and found they were okay, but nothing special. We also have a cheaper Minolta-Konica and it is terrible.
I own a Fuji and have had it for a couple of years. It's idiot-proof (hence why I have it) and takes good shots.
I've played with the Canons and I like them. Some have too many bellsa nd whistles that nobody needs.
What I think you should really consider is the following:
- Buy from a "camera" company (Nikon, Canon, Pentax, etc) and not another type of company (Kodak, Panasonic, HP, etc.). The camera still needs a good lense to capture the image thru.
- Digitals eat batteries. Try to get a rechargable one if possible that you can put normal batteries in if need be.
- Once you buy one, stop reading this thread. You don't need todoubt yourself!
http://www.steves-digicams.com/ is a good spot to check.