The rebel is down to [ulr=http://www.pricegrabber.com/p__Canon_EOS_350D_Digital_Rebel_XT_Digital_SLR_Camera_Kit_w_18_55mm_Lens_Black,__7139451/search=digital+SLR]$800[/url] I am going to buy this sucker once I have the cash, if you really want to get into photography (that includes textures) this is a great first step.

If that too much, I dont know much about point and shoot. I've used a Canon supershot S30 3.2mp for almost 4 years. Here is what I think you should look for in a good point and shoot.

• build, get a nice strong metal camera that will take a beating. Your going to have this in your pocket alot, so you want something that can stand a few knocks.
• Battery life, not only life, but recharge time and battery alternatives. Look for a camera with a long living battery pack that can also hold a few AAA for emergancy use.
• Turn on speed, my Canon took 3-5 seconds to turn on and that felt like a life time. This is something you'll have on hand but not always on. When that once in a life time shot rolls by you'll want to whip that sucker out and fire it up ASAP.
• 3-4 mp, dont waist your money on anything more. Unless you plan to make large prints (anywhere above 3x5) you dont need more than 3 mega pixels.
• Good picture modes, Auto mode is standard but make sure you also get a manual setting. Look for M, P, AV, TV, & Auto modes, dont worry about those other modes, like landscape, night, etc. I never use them and you wont need to if you learn some basics about photography.
• Auto Focus, fast (and accurate) auto focus is a must! It goes hand and hand with fast start up, you dont want to wait forever to focus.

Thats about it, my camera uses Compact Flash cards and I think this is the best storage. Your camera will come with a small card, so go out and get a 512mb card at the least. They can hold about 200 max quality or almost 600 medium qulity pictures. Stay away from micro-drives, you dont want a small card with moving parts in it. My cousin said that he lost 2 micro drives by setting them down too hard on a table. CF are strong, small but not too small that you'll lose them. If you want more pictures buy more cards rather than larger cards, all memory can get messed up and it much better to have 4 512mb cards and lose one than lose one 2 gb card.

hope that helps.

In that case I would go with a larger camera. Dont shop for a brand new camera, look for some older brands they will be cheaper becuase they wont be as small or fast. So you can get better quality and more options out of it.

I'd sell you my camera if shipping was possible.

Check out a generation or so back, the only thing that really changes is size and speed, so it thats not a problem for you, you can save your money and get higher mp (note that you'll need a larger card if you get a higher mp camera, becuae if you dont shoot and max size your just waisting the extra mp)

That's funny...I just stumbled upon this thread right after I spent an hour looking the Internet for the next camera I want to buy. I take lots of pictures of bugs and such and love making scenery panoramas.

I am thinking seriously in saving up to by the Canon PowerShot S2 IS. It is a digital SLR camera. Around $400 USD. It has what I need:

Decent amount of MegaPixels (5)
Records up to 640x320 video w/ sound (limited only by card space)
Image stabilization (semi-important)
Fully manual controls over flash, focus, etc (very important)
12x Optical Zoom
One of the highest battery lifes in the industry
Flip-out LCD screen

Anything above 5MP is grainy? Maybe you are thinking of the ISO amount. ISO amount is exposure you adjust usually for night shots. The higher ISO setting you have it at (200, 400, 800, 1,600) the more detail you might get out of a night shot...but adding grain. As for more megapixels=more grain....that isn't true.

The only reason you would get more grain out of a 7MP camera and not a 5MP camera, is because that 7MP ISN'T REALLY A 7MP camera. Some cameras are labeled 6MP cameras, when really, they are just 4MP cameras. They are allowed to say 6, because the camera takes the 4MP shot, then interpolates the rest, giving the illusion of a bigger, higher quality picture, when in reality, it is just blown up with a smart censor.

Granted, a 4MP camera with image-enlarging-interpolation is better than a 4MP w/ out interpolation, but it is still no camera with 5 or 6 effective megapixels. Research the camera before you buy it (and don't go to its homepage: Kodak, Canon, Fuji, etc., unless you just need basic general info.)

I would like clarification on the "grainy" comment.

Perhaps I am such a n00b, but my camera takes perfect pictures at all Mega-Pixels (1.2-5.0).

Please clarify "grainy"