A lot of people search for inexpensive digital cameras, but what exactly does that mean? Inexpensive is a point of reference and your point will not be the same as mine. Inexpensive to you could mean $500, while to a single parent with four kids, inexpensive means $20. That being said, I think we can find some middle ground.
When I started looking for a new camera, I did quite a bit of research before I bought one. I also wanted one that was inexpensive because I am not a professional photographer and I did not want to spend a lot of money on what would essentially be a toy.
But on the other hand, I did not want a toy; I wanted something that would give me a good quality photo now with my limited skills, but that could grow with me, because I did not plan to stay an amateur forever.
So, if all you are looking for is something to pop off a few shots, maybe upload to the web or send as emails, you can get away with a VERY inexpensive camera. Head on over to Walmart and pick something off the shelf and you will probably be very happy with your choice.
If, however, you want a camera that you can make quality prints from, even enlarged ones, you will want to increase your budget somewhat. For a couple of hundred bucks you can get a quality camera that will make some excellent prints for you, and you can even get enlargements, maybe an 8×10 with good quality. For most people this will be sufficient, or maybe even more than sufficient. There is quite a selection of cameras to choose from in this price range.
If you have even better skills or plan on obtaining those skills, you can take your budget up another notch and for something in the $500 – $700 range, you can get yourself a pretty fine digital SLR. These are still inexpensive digital cameras, just in a higher wage bracket. They have the point and shoot built in functions for the beginner, but they also have manual controls that will let you experiment and grow.
In addition to the manual focus, you can set your cameras other settings, such as the ISO, or film speed, the shutter speed, the fstop, the backlighting and you can even set groups of settings as a picture style. With these types of controls on the camera, you have a good chance of getting good pictures now and better pictures in the future.
The great thing about the digital SLR is that while you are learning, you don't have to waste a lot of money developing crummy pictures, as they are digital, just hit the delete button if it does not turn out right. No Worry's!
So it is really your choice. If all you need is inexpensive digital cameras, there is no reason to spend a lot of money. But if you want something to grow with you, there is a camera that will get there without spending a fortune.