Purchase Advice from experts needed

[PhotographsNeverTake]

Alright, I'm new to these boards and need any and all advice that you guys can give.

Right now, I have a Kodak Easyshare CX7300 that I got last Christmas. It was my first digital camera, and it has really taken good pictures. The resolution is 3.2 megapixels. However, it sometimes leaves something to be desired. The flash is very average, has no optical zoom no manual focus, and only one shooting mode (night). This Christmas, I'm looking to upgrade.
Here's what I want and need:
A durable camera that will take a beating at my High School Football Games
A pretty good Optical Zoom
A good flash
And affordable

Emphasis there is on the durability. I want to be able to stick it in my pocket and it will still hold up for a couple years. Can anyone give me some advice? Thanks.

 

[dragos]

try olympus.

 

[felixcat8888]

There are a number of brands you can look at:

Canon
Nikon
Panasonic
Olympus
Sony

Cheers....


try dpreview.com for the various brands and models too look at but take the results with a pinch of salt.

 

[sORe-EyEz]

There are a number of brands you can look at:

Canon
Nikon
Panasonic
Olympus
Sony

Cheers....


try dpreview.com for the various brands and models too look at but take the results with a pinch of salt.

gd advise from felixcat8888!:thumbsup:

but wad price range r u looking at? another feature u may 1 2 add is d optical zoom range.:think: