What you need depends on how fancy you want to get. Many years ago, I had a 35mm SLR with a big flash unit, telephoto lens and all, but I just don't like lugging around something that large anymore.

All I want these days is a camera with a decent zoom that's easy to carry. I looked at so many camera reviews that my head was swimming.

I settled for this Sony that has a 20X optical zoom and it's small enough to fit in my pocket. Technology changes so fast these days that it's a lot like computers - 4 to 5 years and your equipment is way out of date. Some small cameras have up to 30X zoom, GPS and the ability to e-mail photos.

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-WX350-Dig...ds=sony+camera