I think there is a site somewhere that I can find if a particualr camera is compatible with Linux. Personal use and advice is much better.

Two cameras are of interest at the moment but I am open to suggestion at that pirce range of $500.

A Canon PSA 610 X4 Zoom 5MP at $349.88 new

A Fuji Finepix s5600 X10 Zoom and 5.1MP at $450.00 new

I know that I will have to buy a larger card for either one.

the Fuji uses 4 x AA batteries

I would like a camera with the quick sesnsor, maybe sports mode, 5 to 6MP for enlargement purposes. Zoom is not critical but the X 10 sounds good if it is not suffering too much camera shake...I would use a tripod.

My Linux system is Mandriva 2006 and my printer is a HP 1510

welcome to lq
did you look in the hcl (hardware compatibility) of lq?

A long list
http://www.teaser.fr/~hfiguiere/linux/digicam.html

I do not disagree but I think you have been lazy here

PS: http://www.digikam.org/docs.html (one of the main linux software for camera)

Any camera with usb which can connect PTP will connect. Most will detect as removable media devices using "normal" mode. And, of course, those with removable memory cards are best.

My Casio Exilim can use the USB Mass Storage (USB DIRECT-PRINT)driver, and works just like a usb-key with my Slackware install. No software needed. (it also comes with the PTP (PictBridge) driver if you want to use that instead)

http://www.casio.com/products/Camera...ard/EX-S500EO/

Any camera that uses a memory card.. simply pull the card from your camera nad stick it in a USB card reader and copy the pictures off it..