One of the questions people ask me all the time is what digital camera they should get. Since new models come out all the time, it usually takes some time to research the best cameras at any point in time. So I decided to give you my personal recommendation for a compact digital camera in 2011 (point & shoot) by comparing available information and data from Amazon, Flickr, eBay, dpreview, CNet, and more:

Canon Powershot SD780 IS Digital Camera

Price: $279.00 (Click to check current price)

This camera is a new model from the popular Canon Powershot / Digital Elph line. It’s an Amazon Bestseller (4.5/5 star rating), is one of the highest rated point-and-shoot cameras on Zdnet, dpreview, and Cnet. I’ve loved the Elph series since a friend of mine bought one in 2002 – the picture quality has always been really superior.

• 12.1 Megapixels
• Image stabilization
• 3x Optical Zoom
• Face detection & red eye correction
• High quality lens & 2.5″ LCD screen
• More features and reviews

See sample pictures taken with the Canon Powershot SD850 IS.

So there you have it. My picks for the best point and shoot camera on the market today – just because I know it’svery well rated, I’ve had personal experience with it, and have seen the quality of the pictures taken with the Canon. If anyone asks me what camera to get, I’ll just point them to this page. Oh, and if it’s out of your price range and you don’t need it to be very compact or full-featured, you might want to check out the Amazon compact cameras line, which has some decent lower-priced options.

See the entire Amazon bestseller list or look at Trey’s SLR camera recommendations if you’re looking for something more sophisticated.