Thank you, and I'm guessing that means I'd be OK in the $150-200 range, but because everyone has a different definition of expensive, I'll ask for your patience to clarify. Are the $250-300 cameras going to be that much better than a decent $150?
Just to put "expensive" in context,,,,the cheapest price-category that you'll find at Digital Photography Review's buying guide is,,,, "Cameras under $500." Mind you, there are a ton of inexpensive "under $200." pocket-cameras available that you'll find on websites like Best-Buy, or Wal-Mart,,, or Amazon.
I saw a used Canon XS400IS Powershot locally for $100. Is this something to jump on?
Thanks again, and I apologize for my obtuseness regarding cameras.
I'd stay away. Again,,,, read the reviews. There are probably more recent models of Canon PowerShot cameras available in that price-range. Canon's PowerShot cameras are fine cameras, and you may also want to check out Sony's CyberShot cameras (Zeiss lenses),,, or,,,Panasonic Lumix Cameras (Leica lenses),,,, or, some of the Olympus pocket cameras,,, or,,, Nikon's CoolPix cameras.
Simply put,,,, "price" buys you features,,,, for example, some cameras will have view-finders, while others don't (you have to compose your image on the LCD screen). Some camera screens are "fixed", while others have flip-screens that can articulate (good for taking selfies, or, improving visibility/reducing reflections/ enhancing shooting angles. Some have screens with better brightness and contrast,,, some have a higher degree of sharpness,,,some LCD screens are larger,,,, an on and on and on,,,,,, and that's only talking about the viewfinder.
You could write a book about lens choices. Many of these pocket-cams feature high-powered zoom lenses,,, which may seem desireable at first,,, but many of those will sacrifice low-light capability as well as image-quality and sharpness at longer focal lengths. (A good tripod and ball-head can be a big help.)
Video capability is also something which may, or may not be important to you,,,, if so, you'll want to pay attention to the auto-focus capability of the camera. Even when shooting rapid-succesion stills, you may tend to want a camera with a higher claimed frame-rate,,,say 10 FPS (frames-per-second),,,, but that's not of much use to you if 8 of the ten shots you take, are out of focus. Also be aware that while some cameras claim high frame-rates,,,, some can only sustain that rate for a VERY short period of time,,,, sometimes a mere fraction of a second. Once the buffer has reached it's capacity to transfer images to memory,,,, things can slow down dramatically.
PS - I'm beginning to think this question is akin to asking people what the best shoe for walking is....
Speaking of "shoes",,,, some cameras have a "hot-shoe" and some don't. (for mounting flash/accessories, etc)
As you can see, there's a lot of points you CAN consider,,,,,,if you want to make the effort.
If not, you can simply visit a local camera store and buy whatever a competent clerk recommends.
PPS- I'd rather be thinking about a TIG welder.