The world has gone digital. With great budget cameras on the market, you can go digital too. Professional photographers might not be happy with a camera under $200, but your bank account will be. These compact cameras are ideal for traveling, shooting quick photos, and learning how to use a digital camera for the first time. Things to look for include zoom capabilities, user-friendliness, and megapixel size.

Note: all prices were approximate at the time of this writing.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W350 -- $120+

Sony has been turning out quality products for decades. The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W350 proves to be no exception to the Sony excellence rule. This compact little camera is lightweight, easy to handle, and comes with a price tag that leaves a few pennies leftover for a rainy day. The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W350 has 14-megapixels, a wide-angle 2.7 lens, and a 4x zoom that includes optical stabilization. Sony has also created nice candy colors that really pop. While the camera quality isn’t comparable to a top of the line Hasselblad, it is a great camera for under $200.

Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS -- $150+

The Canon PowerShot is Canon’s answer to the popular Sony Cyber-shot. The main difference here is the look and feel of the PowerShot versus the Cyber-shot. Canon’s compact camera is lightweight and takes decent photos, though you won’t get the same candy-like colors that Sony’s currently offering with its Cyber-shot. Sony aside, the Canon PowerShot has 10-megapixels, a 2.5-inch LCD (with optical zoom viewfinder), and a 3x zoon. The PowerShot consistently gets positive consumer reviews, and it’s a rugged camera to boot (perfect for your next vacation).

Nikon Coolpix S570 -- $140+

Nikon’s Coolpix has been around for awhile now. The S570 is an updated version of the original, and this camera has lots of nice qualities that many will find appealing. Unlike other cameras in its class, the Coolpix comes with a 5x zoom. This camera is also extremely easy to use, and it will serve snap and shoot purposes very well. Nikon gave the S570 12-megapixels, which is a bit less than competitors, but the zoom more than makes up for the shortage of megapixels. All in all, the Coolpix is a great little camera that can be purchased for less than $200.

Kodak EasyShare Z915 -- $130+

The Kodak EasyShare Z915 has received rave reviews across the board for good reasons. This 10-megapixel camera is as user-friendly as digital cameras get. It also comes with various manual controls, which gives you more options. Anyone looking to have more control over a simple shoot will enjoy the design of the EasyShare Z915. This camera is also very sturdy, which makes it ideal for traveling or for carrying around in a crowded backpack.