Hey Locgo,

My first piece of advice would be to do some research online first, getting to know the specs of various cameras so you have some background knowledge before you go shopping. Start with the big-name brands (Nikon, Canon, Sony etc) as they have the best service support here in Beijing and you can't really go wrong on quality if you just want it for casual snaps.

For expert advice, you could try the actual stores of the big names (Sony and Nikon, for example, both have stores at Oriental Plaza on Chang'an Jie). But for cheaper point-and-shoot cameras, try Bainaohui (near Chaoyangmen, opposite Landao), or of course Zhongguancun. If you don't speak Chinese, take a friend with you who can help, and be prepared to be patient and shop around if you don't know exactly what you're looking for. The salespeople are generally friendly and will do their best to help you. Don't succumb to pressure though, and be prepared to go away and think about it before buying. While you should always ask for real memory cards (and they'll give you real ones if you ask), all the cameras are genuine.

I've bought two point-and-shoot cameras here and never had any problems.

Hope this helps!