1. Don't pay extra for more than 5-7 megapixels. I take most of my tombstones at 1mp. 2. Look for the small shutter lag time. This does not seem to add price. 3. I have an HP which takes nice photos, but when I go back for another one in less than 10 seconds, I frequently get a "Processing" message and have to wait. This has never happened with my wife's Kodak. In cemeteries, I can get about 250 pics an hour with the HP, but 425 with the Kodak. 4. Up to 3x optical zoom does not add price. More than that will quickly add a lot of price for the optics. This helps most on long shots. 5. You can get a 1 gb SD memory card for $20-25 which will hold hundreds of photos. I've never filled mine. 6. Some makes, like Kodak, have unique batteries. They are rechargeable, but can cost up to $40 for a spare or replacement. I like to have a spare in case the battery dies while I'm in the field. 7. I prefer standard AA batteries, but get rechargeable. At some point (months) they will die, but I have gone through a cemetery with the camera on for two hours and having taken 500+ photos before the batteries get low. 8. I like larger view screens. My wife's Kodak was $229 online, but I can go to WalMart and find several brands which meet all these qualifications for about $150, plus another $20 for the memory card. Brian Cartwright Johnstown