Small-budget camera with manual options?

[dsknight]

Hey all,

I'm (obviously) new here and am looking for some help. I currently have a Pentax Optio s5i that has served me well for many, many years, but as I'm getting more interested in photography, I get frustrated by the limitations from using this point & shoot. I'd really like to be able to set aperture, exposure time, and other manual settings, since they're something I'd like to learn. I've browsed Amazon and the like but have been inundated with the quantity of choices I've got. Unfortunately, my budget doesn't exactly lend itself to the newest & grandest cameras out there, so I present this challenge to you:

Can you recommend a trustworthy camera that can found for $225 or less? Color fidelity and sharpness are more important to me than pixel resolution (though I guess the higher number of pixels I have to work with, the better.) As I mentioned, I'd love to have control of every function the camera's got. Optical zoom at least 3x, 5x and anything higher would be neat. No requirements for flash capabilities, as long as there's a meager one built in, that's fine. Any night shots I do generally don't involve lighting large areas. I'd also really appreciate the camera having a viewfinder.

I don't mind at all if the model's a few years old, especially if it's proven to be relatively free of defects. If it's an exceptional camera that you feel has great value, I'd consider something a bit over $225.

Thanks in advance for any and all help

(by the way, I've seen the Kodak EasyShare Z1285. It looks like a nice camera besides some build quality concerns.)

Edits:
Just saw the sticky. My subjects are more likely to be objects and landscapes rather than people. I'll be using my images as digital art and for photomanipulations, which is why I'd like a high level of clarity. I've read a lot of reviews but generally have a tough time deciding between cameras based on reviews, so if you have any great insight as to a model you love, let me know. Thanks!