Entry level digital camera. Which one to buy?

I will buy a digital camera within 100 - 200 dollars. I need advice on which brand to buy Nikon or sony (i removed canon and olympus because i don't wanna buy them) and which model to buy. As you already know from my budget i can't have a DSLR, but please suggest me a camera that can shoot very good quality photograph and has features like close up shots, manual focusing,. A million thanks in advance.

I think it's a huge mistake to take Canon out of the running. I've owned several Sony's and one Canon. I bought one of the Sony camera's myself (the first one). The others have been gifts. Sony's picture quality is terrible in comparison to Canon. The Canon is more durable, has longer battery life, better components, and is much more user friendly. I can't imagine why anyone in his or her right mind would choose a Sony over a Canon. I really think you should reconsider.
If you are hellbent on the two choices you listed, get the Nikon. The Sony will disappoint you. It is a big name with perennially decreasing quality.

(Sony)
http://store.sony.com/...tlist=true

(Nikon)
http://www.nikonusa.com/...tag:nkE:Up To $150

You can choose on these websites…

I teach digital photography classes and have seen hundreds of different point & shoot cameras. By far the best camera for the price that takes great pictures is the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS8 14.1 MP Digital Camera which sells for a whopping $150 on Amazon. The only thing you will not get is manual focusing. For manual focusing you need to look into a DSLR. At the $100-200 price point that is a feature you will not see.
The Panasonic Lumix is such an under-rated camera that is overlooked in favor of the Nikon's and Canon's.

I agree with the first answer, it really is a big mistake to cut Canon out of you list. Canon is known for quality and that surely is true. But if you still want to stick to either Sony or Nikon than I'd suggest Nikon, you won't get what you want with the Sony.

The camera model that i recommend is the Nikon Coolpix P7000. Its a little bit over your budget but its worth it. It has a 10.1-megapixel resolution, large 1/1.7-inch CCD sensor, 7.1x Wide-Angle Nikkor ED optical zoom gass lens; 3-inch ultra-hgh resolution (921, 000-dot) clear color display, records HD (720p) movie with stereo, mic input jack and HDMI output and dial controls for key functions (including ISO, white balance, bracketing, exposure compensation and more). Read this review to help you further:

http://www.amazon.com/...BE434PN60/

You can get a good price for it here:

http://www.amazon.com/...00427ZLRO/

Actually, you can get a Canon SX130IS or SX150IS under $200 that can manually focus.

But perhaps the best camera by far right now for a few dollars above your price range ($229 at Amazon) is the Nikon P7000.

It is a $500 camera, but when the P7100 came out, these went on close out. They have only been out a year, so it is not exactly an old camera, but it is lower priced now it's replacement has arrived. In reality though, there's not enough difference in the P7100 to justify the $499 price tag when you can buy this one for $229.

Yes, I own one - so I can state that it is a very good compact camera. I use it when I'm not using my DSLR when I want something small and lightweight.

Manual exposure controls, auto and manual focusing, and filter, optical viewfinder, larger sensor (40% larger than most compact cameras), RAW and JPG files, hot shoe, IR remote capability, and DSLR-like controls and features.

It's the best camera you will find for just a bit more than $200, and if I were going to spend $200, I'd pony up the $29 extra. But since this is on closeout, when they are gone, they are gone.

If you buy one, make sure to update it with the latest firmware - but this is true of any camera.

There are lot of brands, lot of models, lot of features and prices are various too. You can check or compare from here http://www.comparecamera.com.au/ then you can decide easily to buy.