[MrYorkiecrazy]

Originally Posted by RowdysMom

Here is a site that will help you - a camera review site where you can look at the reviews of almost every camera made.

Steve's Digicams - Main Menu

And from the same site, here are the reviews for the best cameras in each category

Steve's Digicams - The "Best" Digicams ...

My two cents (if that)
Step one - Research all the available features in digital cameras and understand them.
Step Two - Decide which ones are important to you and which ones are definitely not important. Features cost money.
Step Three - Research the cameras that have the features you're interested in.
Step four - Narrow your choices down to three, maybe four cameras.
Step Five - Read reviews on only those cameras.

And finally, consider your needs in portability, durability, and abuse.