Before I bought my camera, I was online for nearly 3 days total, reading everything I could about digital cameras. The best source for me was a site called
www.dpreview.com. And then after narrowing it down to 2 or 3, I went to a camera store - NOT a superstore - to ask questions and feel the product. I chose the Canon Powershot A700, by the way, and am very happy with that choice.