Help needed!

[cam_noob]

so,

i want to get my own camera now and i want a digital one. for some reason im scared of using a manual one and the thought of messing about with things and metering frightens me... so i want a digital camera.

having looking through magazines and catlogues, im still unsure on what i want. all i do know is that i want a decent camera to take shots. digital SLR maybe?

money wise, mum aint gona give me a penny for this 'thing' which means i can only have X amount to spend. im thinking of spending NO MORE than ’…’‚‚£400 on this camera (around $750).

it would be nice if some of you more experienced fellows can steer me in the best direction and allow me to get my moneys worth! try keeping the amount to a minimum but the limit is what i've just mentioned above. of course, i'll get what i pay for but i'm not looking for something really proffesional and snappy here, just want something to take good pictures with that i can use in my projects and also make up collages to go in my portfolio.

any help would be much appreciated guys!

thanks

p.s. i've been told to look for a Cannon

[Al Gervais]

I use a panasonic FZ10. The newer model is an FZ20. So far I like it due to it's versatilite lens. It is a leica lens that has a staggering zoom range of 35mm all the way up to 420mm. This is not an slr so you cannot change lenses but you can add a wide angle adapter or a telephoto adapter if you need to.
If you go to www.panasonic.com you can read all the specs.
It sounds like the camera would also be in your price range.

[Brooke9]

I'd say go with a Canon or a Sony. If you wnat specific models tell me.