camera for the outdoors

I do alot of outdoor activities, such as climbing, backpacking, mountain biking and other stuff. I'd like to get a good 5mp 10Xoptical zoom camera and maybe beable to take video. I'd like to keep it in the 400 and under range. I really just want beautiful outdoor shots. thanks

Honestly, most digital cameras 5-megapixels and over are very good now. Learning to use your camera and make good exposures is more important than what camera you own. That said, I am not a fan of any 5-megapixel camera because I think the 5-megapixel sensors are all pretty poor. I'd rather save money on a 4-megapixel camera or step up to one of the 7-megapixel cameras. The 7-megapixel sensor in the Sony, Casio, Olympus, and Canon cameras is excellent!

I think you need to decide what your priorities are. There are some potentially conflicting issues. They are size, speed, and weatherproofing. If you want a compact camera for biking and hiking, then you might want to sacrifice on the lens length and go with a smaller camera. If a 10X optical zoom is your top priority, your options will be limited, and you're going to end up with a big camera. If you can accept a more reasonable zoom ration, you'll likely end up with a better quality lens and a more compact camera. Right off the top of my head I'd like to recommend a few cameras for you to take a look at. They might not all be what you had in mind. But they represent a variety of options that will be good for outdoor photography.

Olympus C-7070
Canon S70
Canon G6
Pentax OptioWP
Olympus Stylus Digital 800
Konica Minolta Z6
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20

Some of these cameras have newer versions out or on the way. You can decide whether to try to save money buy buying the older version. Sometimes that's a great way to get more camera for your money.

What about the Kodak DX6490. I found it on overstock.com. It's refurbished, I think so does that matter? I read a review a guy posted on this web site for it, and it sounds like a good deal. Is it a good choice?

Just found KODAK EASYSHARE DX7590 on beachcamera.com for $263, what about that?