I've got some old 1.1 pix digital camera I bought at Walgreen's 3 yr. ago for 99 bucks.

Time to upgrade? lol

I think so.

I'm looking for something around $300--$400 dollars, and I don't have a clue what to look for. My knowledge is limited to "optical zoom is better than the other kind".

I used a Pentax K1000 35mm SLR for years (non-digital). A real workhorse of a camera--nothing automatic--that forced you to do the aperature and shutter speed on your own. Great quality pics.

Anyway, anything digital in the price range that takes similarly great photos?

Thanks.

I bought a cannon A510 (3.2 megapixels) just a couple of weeks ago for about $200 in Boston. I think it is a good mid-range camera, not cheap, but not professional photographer grade. In your price range, you can probably buy a beauty.

A510/520 is indeed a good camera. Canon powershot A95 would be my choice, though. It's definitely a higher-end camera in that price range.

Here's a link to a great site, if you're looking for digital camera reviews. (http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canona95/page9.asp)