Canon Powershot SD1100 IS Digital Camera

I am not an expert photographer.  I'd venture to say that my experience with digital cameras is somewhere in the vicinity of intermediate (read: not a total idiot).  What I do have is experience.  I've been on top of the digital camera revolution nearly since its inception, and since that point, the best point and shoot digital camera I've owned is the Canon Powershot SD1100 IS.  Why?

• It has the best image quality* I've seen from a camera at this price point, and better image quality than some cameras three to five times its price.

*mr. stuff says: "When choosing a compact digital point and shoot, don't get caught up in the mega-pixel wars. 10 mp is as high as I'd go with this compact a camera. Higher mega-pixels means more sensors cramped onto a tiny chip. The tighter those sensors are clustered, the greater your likelihood for noise/color distortion.The SD1100IS comes in at 8.0 megapixels, a perfect resolution for its size."

• It's a beautiful little machine, feels good to hold, is extremely sturdy, and comes in an attractive variety of colors.
• The picture processing time* (the time it takes the camera to save each pic to the SD card) is quite quick.  

*mr. stuff says: "Canon DIGIC processing engines have led the pack since the inception of digital photography. Coupled with a high speed SDHC card, the DIGIC III engine has virtually no delay."

• For a point and shoot camera, the videos this thing takes are very nice, and the length is only limited by the size of your SDHC card.
• The Canon Face Detection Technology is nothing short of eery. It's right about 90% of the time, and vastly increases your image quality.
• Plenty of shooting modes for the average point-and-shooter.

• The LCD* is beautiful.   
  

*mr. stuff says: "The SD1100IS is equipped with a 2.5 inch Purecolor II screen, allowing you to preview your results in crisp, accurate color"

I picked up this gem of a digital camera when my Kodak started to kick the bucket (after only  a couple months of use).  The camera salesman at my local Best Buy suggested the Canon Powershot SD1100 IS.  Until then, I had never read a thing about the camera, but once I got it going, I realized his wisdom.  The SD 1100 simply blew my Kodak away in terms of ease of use, functionality, attractiveness, and most importantly, video and image quality.

You can grab one of these cameras at your local Best Buy, or off Amazon for as little as $155.