I agree with TPeers about zoom. What digital zoom does is just the equivalent of a selective enlargement - it only uses part of the image and blows it up.

I use a digital SLR with a range of lenses for serious stuff, but for general use, I find the Fuji 9600 [link] to be pretty good. Its maximum zoom is OK for a lot of not too distant wildlife (equivalent to 300mm on a 35mm camera) and, for close up in super macro mode, it focuses down to less than one centimetre!

I have heard good things about the Panasonic Lumix FZ range as well.

KK