Camera recommendations...

[zora]

i generally recommend nikon or canon for every kind of camera (dslr or compact) - i never had problems with one of these, but much with casio cams..!

i had 3 nikon coolpix cameras (highly recommended for beginners), then i upgraded to a nikon D40 DSLR cam with 18-55mm lense, later i upgraded the lense to a 18-135mm because i wanted to take some macro like shots . since february 2012 i own the nikon D3100 with live view (i dont need that but ok..) and a movie function (that means you can use your DSLR cam for making high res videos!). this is my photography and art page: www.isartwork.at

if you have any questions dont hesitate to PM me (but i think there are some more experienced photography pros here in the arena too you could ask for info )

hope that helps a bit

[Knibitz]

Also Pop - Do you have any friends or family with a DSLR? See if you can get together with them and they'll let you shoot around   make sure the camera feels good in your hands and it's what you want   Some people literally just feel holding a nikon vs canon vs whatever is more natural.
I played with my brother's D50 for a year before getting my own and now I've surpassed him in skill and artistic knowledge \OUO/  (he knows more of the tech side though typical engineer)

If you were anywhere near me I'd throw my camera in your hands and drag you on an adventure but alas! there is a entire country between us! and my camera may scare you away. It's way heavy and there's a good bit of size difference between entry level cameras and what I have now. When one of my friends at college got her D3100 after I had my 7000 for a while I held it after she opened it and was like "WHAT IS THIS?! A TEENIE PLASTIC MODEL!?" it was so freaky.  But I remember first getting the 7000 after owning my d40 and feeling like I was going to die from the weight of it.    You adjust!

[DoctorMowinckel]

DoctorMowinckel, thank you for the rundown - the information was very useful and does bring back some memories.... When I was in school for graphic design we were required to take one semester of black and white photography. Looking back I have no idea why were limited to black and white but it was fun. I actually own a Minolta X-370 film camera which I used for a few years - nothing automatic about it. Unfortunately, I've forgotten most of what I learned and my girls have helped to turn my brain into swiss cheese.

I wasn't considering a DSLR before but now...  I just don't know.

D00d! The Minolta X-370 was my go-to camera forever! Even when I went digital,  I still had one kickin' around. The 50mm Rokkor 1.7 is a great lens, I almost never took it off of mine. I only recently sold my Minolta gear 'cause I went to Canon and an autofocus system.

If you can handle an X-370, you can handle a DSLR. If you're shooting with an X-370 you're probably going to be shooting in aperture priority, and it has through the lens metering, so all you need to do is focus, and release the shutter. With a DSLR, same thing, only you have autofocus, which you don't have to use if you don't want to.

[Tiggums6]

I love my Canon Ixxus! (Portable and dependable)

and my sister who is a photographer swears by her EOS.

[ZennaBug]

I have an Olympus E-PL1 and I adore it!  Here's a review from one of my favorite camera review sites:  http://www.steves-digicams.com/camera-reviews/olympus/e-pl1/olympus-e-pl1-review.html

It's easy to use, his nice megapixels, and a good macro.  If you're just looking for a nice everyday camera, I'd really recommend it.  I took all these pics with mine:

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/zennabug/7446170906/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zennabug/7446170436/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zennabug/7316662510/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zennabug/7316660016/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zennabug/7316700446/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zennabug/7316698410/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zennabug/5695125278/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zennabug/5695125536/ (It has filters too, they are fun to play with)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zennabug/7316703102/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zennabug/7317087286/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zennabug/7317091840/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zennabug/7317088526/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zennabug/7506482968/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zennabug/7506482746/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zennabug/7506482246/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zennabug/7506482092/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zennabug/7506481654/

(Most of the pics in my "Road Trip 2012" album on facebook were taken with this camera too)

I got mine brand-new on eBay for about $300 

[banditpony]

Ah, I got my Sony when it was on sale-- I forgot they were pricy (but Sony generally is - sigh - ). I know my specific camera is an older model (not super old), and if I recall right the body is only worth around $170-ish. (Then again, I'm not so fearful of used. ) We have a decent store around here, where there is one for only $300. So it just depends on where you hunt.

Best of luck in finding a camera ~ and despite what has been a big push for DSLR in this thread, I think you should look into what Zennabug has I recall hearing great praise about Olympus micro 4/3rds cams even before I thought about getting my NEX. Those also have a bigger sensor than p&s too-- and offers manual and auto settings just like the DSLRs. They have tons of lenses for them, and they are even better quality than Sony's.

[pop-girl]

Zenna, I'm taking a serious look at your camera. While a DSLR is tempting I like the idea of the smaller camera body and still having the capability to change out different lenses.
Is there anything you don't like about your camera?

[DoctorMowinckel]

There are a few things to consider when going with a micro four thirds camera, the biggest thing is lenses. An Olympus EPL-1 uses a 'four thirds' lens mount, so it requires four thirds lenses, of which there are few, and there are even fewer under $200. Here are some prices from B&H for four thirds lenses. Not a lot, they're expensive. The cheapest long lens is $400, and their primes (lenses with fixed focal lengths, which usually offer the lowest apertures) cost a lot more than the offerings from Canon and Nikon, so you're going to be paying a lot to get down to those low apertures. For comparison, here are some lenses for Canon EF cameras. Notice the prices, they're a lot lower, they also have a ton more options. There's a lot more Canon EF lenses out there than four thirds, so the used market for Canon EF lenses is way, way bigger. And the function of an Olympus E-PL1 isn't much different from a DSLR, they're pretty much identical. You'll have manual, aperture priority, shutter priority, and a few pre-programmed shooting modes.

DSLR bodies aren't big. Here's the Canon Rebel XTi I linked you to. I put a styling G4 next to it so you can get an idea of the size. It was taken with my phone because that's the only other digital camera that I have.

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In terms of the money invested in for what you get, an older DSLR is a pretty solid deal. For $500 you can get a body, and a nice suite of lenses. Either one is a good option, and the function of both them would be almost identical, but the lens options for Canon are way, way bigger.

[ZennaBug]

Zenna, I'm taking a serious look at your camera. While a DSLR is tempting I like the idea of the smaller camera body and still having the capability to change out different lenses.
Is there anything you don't like about your camera?

The only thing that I miss is having a super zoom.  I could always buy a new lens, but they can be pricy and then there's the issue of changing it.  For regular everyday use (and the occasional photoshoot with toys, animals, or flowers), it does exactly what I needed it to.  I bought a leather case that looks very much like the kind my mom used to have on her old 35mm when I was a kid and a cute camera strap.

I'm pretty sure my sister has the camera DrM posted.  She loves it.  I can ask her for the details if you'd like, but I know it was more expensive than mine.

*edit for spelling*

[pop-girl]

Haha! I'm so indecisive! I'm now leaning towards a Canon EOS Rebel T3.

[DoctorMowinckel]

T3's have a pretty solid sensor, but it's still APS-C sized, which is a 1.6x crop. Flickr has tons of pools, and they'll usually have pools for every camera, the T3i is no exception. Poke around, see how the shots look. Put in 1600, 3200, and 6400 into the search bar to see how it looks at higher ISOs. Dunno how important ultra high ISOs are to you, but if you'll be shooting in low light, definitely scope out it's high ISO performance.

[Diamond]

Find me a camera that can take shots like this -

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and this -

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And I would be interested in looking at it.