Camera Recommendation for a Photography Noob

[Nerd Rage]

Hi guys! Just to get this out of the way, I love taking pictures but I am a total noob when it comes to camera knowledge. I have a question for you on what type of camera I should get. Most cameras I've ever owned are sub-$300 cameras that I just leave on the "Auto" setting to take pictures. However, it seems like most cameras I get, from the time I actually click to take the picture, to the time it finally gets around to taking the picture after the time to focus and whatever else it does, is almost a full second which causes me to miss what I was trying to capture in the first place. My question is, what type of camera should I purchase if I want to be able to click the button and immediately (or as close to immediate as you can get) take the photo and have it be a crisp as possible. I don't need a D-SLR or anything professional, just a point and click that actually performs as I described. Any ideas?

Thanks in advance everyone!

[sanctified Veteran]

Depends of your budget. The Lumix GX1 seems what you just described, and it's image quality it's great. However, if you have the money I cant suggest enough the Fujifilm x100, a work of art.

[Nerd Rage]

Thanks for the advice! The x100 looks very nice! I will pick one up and see how it goes :)

[mps69]

Have you considered looking at a bridge camera, I've been using a fujifilm sd6500 for a few years, it gives me the best of both worlds. This is an older model, but it give you an idea what's on offer.

[Argote]

I'd actually recommend you get a Micro 4/3s or (even better) a NEX camera. This will also allow you to grow in the future.