I am in the market for a digital camera. I have never owned one and has only used a friend's a couple times so I do not know much about them. I am not sure what features to look for etc. I do know that I would prefer a more compact camera because most of the photos I take are while hunting, so weight and size are important factors. I would appreciate some advice on what to look for in a digital camera and perhaps some suggested models. Thanks so much, Rufous.

I have a Sony P72.You could get that or equivalent for $300-400 .Small enough to fit in a shirt pocket, 3-4 Mpixels, very versatil.Get bigger memory stick than they give you such as 128 or 256, and extra batteries. They come out with new models each year so don't get the obsolete one even at the better price. That type of camera is about the best value.

Rufous,

I just bought one yesterday after doing much research.

I think you'll find sites like: computershopper.com
and dpreview.com helpful in your search. You should be able to find some very good information on those pages to help you decide what features you will want, as well as providing you with an extensive list of the available cameras, many of which have reviews.

The camera I bought last night from BuyDig.com is on it's way today - they have pretty good prices, but you will likely find one of the NY stores has lower (I'd have to pay the 8.5% tax). You may also look on ebay, which is where I got my 256MB CompactFlash card for $58.

Good luck.