A reliable point-and-shoot at a reasonable price

I chose this camera because it has 4x optical zoom and a reasonable price, and because it was the most user-friendly of those in store.

The camera feels good to handle and the back is easy to read and manipulate. Both are things you want if you're just trying to quickly take an auto focus shot. The curved body provides a good grip. It's also helpful to have a viewfinder as well as the LCD screen.

This camera (in a camera bag) is still small enough to fit into a medium sized handbag. It's not heavy (though it feels reassuringly solid) and I can carry it around with me.