Can anyone recommend....

[mothhawk]

...a good, but not expensive, plus idiot proof, digital camera? Mine died on me yesterday. The lens is stuck and won't move in or out any more. It's a K@d@k and is giving me an "error 45" message. Checked on the net and the consensus seems to be if a sharp bang doesn't free it (it hasn't), then it's scrap metal.

So I need a new one, or alternatively a pay as you go phone with a camera - I use a camera more than a phone though - don't know anything about phones with cameras

What does everyone else have?

[taff]

Depends on what you want to spend.

I'd go to amazon, and pick some you like within your price range, then go and read the user reviews because they usually tell the truth...Then choose one after checking prices elsewhere

[Kirk]

Heavily depends on what you want it to do, size for transport and budget.
Canon Ixus are small but looking at them there is a lot of "features" on them and not sure if you want everything. Samsung do a number.

Really easiest is to take an amble around somewhere like Curry's or browse the Argos site, equally look into Tesco next time you are close to one.

I use either a small point and press that is way old now or a DSLR.

[veggiechicken]

I have an old Fuji Finepix. It has a lot of features that I never bother with - I just use macro and zoom and that's probably all I'll look for when it packs up..
In theory, my phone takes photos but the quality is not very good. A friend bought a phone just for the camera on it, the phone bit was incidental to her. She did a lot of shopping around to find one with enough pixels or whatever it is

[Potstubsdustbins]

More or less my criteria when my last camera went down.

Settled on the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W510 entry level jobbie with extras. 4x zoom, 26mm wide angle lens and so on for about £50.

Had 2 years now and so far no complaints. I never use anything but the zoom everything else is on auto. The only thing I change is the picture size so I can post on the net and send e-mails without resizing.

And it is deffo idiot proof I can use it.

Potty

[taff]

I've got a fuji too but it's a pain the harris...it's too big, too clumsy and there's always a delay before the photo gets taken and it's not good in low light situations...otherwise, it's great

[mothhawk]

Thank you everyone for all the replies. Pots, that sounds EXACTLY what I'm looking for. I'm very much a John Wayne photographer and need something that is as basic as possible. So many I've looked at on the web seem to go not just for bells and whistles, but carillons and calliopes! it looks nice and slim too, not a two handed jobbie.
Thanks all

[Glutton4...]

I have a lovely little Nik0n C00lpix 7900. It is yeeeeeeeears old, but fantastic. I was going to buy the little $0ny Cyb€r$h0t, but the man in the shop said this was a far better tool. It has a very good, and easy to use, menu system. It takes fab pictures, and video, and the battery lasts for ages. I bought a spare memory card and a second battery, so I wouldn't run out on a two week Caribbean holiday, and didn't need either, but I did buy a big capacity card in the first place.

This little Camera has sat in a drawer since I discovered 'smart' phones, so that's got to be four plus years. I took it out a month ago, charged the battery and off we went - yes I had to reset the date and time, but it never missed a beat. I can't fault it, and I'm sure the more up-to-date model will be just as good.

Hope this helps!