If you're considering a new digi-cam, these 2 articles from PC Mag might help:::
10 digital cameras with sub-$300 price tags
4-, 5-, 6-megapixel Digital Cameras
Two quotes from this last PC Mag article:::
"If you are looking for a first digital camera, you may lean toward a cheaper 1- or 2-megapixel camera. But unless you plan on taking only snapshots (and e-mailing them to grandma), you'll quickly come to realize that more control, larger picture size, and higher photo quality are desirable. You'll eventually upgrade to a 3-, 4-, or 5-megapixel unit."
"....The trend won't be the race for pixels but instead the emergence of the all-in-one camcorder. We'll almost definitely see more cameras that take stills and videos and act as Webcams."
So, according to PC Mag, the Camcorder is the publics' form-factor-of-the-future. Already, digital cameras can capture movies (short ones, sorta), and camcorders can snap still pictures.
Like the merging of PDAs and cell phones that's happening today, these transitions can be clumsy. But they'll occur.
(FWIW, we've been using the 2.1mp Nikon 950 for 2 years -- amazing camera. "Editor's Choice" awards went to the: 1) 3mp range: Nikon Coolpix 885 (<$600); and, 2) 4- to 6-mp range: Fuji FinePix 6900 Zoom (~$750).)
10 digital cameras with sub-$300 price tags
4-, 5-, 6-megapixel Digital Cameras
Two quotes from this last PC Mag article:::
"If you are looking for a first digital camera, you may lean toward a cheaper 1- or 2-megapixel camera. But unless you plan on taking only snapshots (and e-mailing them to grandma), you'll quickly come to realize that more control, larger picture size, and higher photo quality are desirable. You'll eventually upgrade to a 3-, 4-, or 5-megapixel unit."
"....The trend won't be the race for pixels but instead the emergence of the all-in-one camcorder. We'll almost definitely see more cameras that take stills and videos and act as Webcams."
So, according to PC Mag, the Camcorder is the publics' form-factor-of-the-future. Already, digital cameras can capture movies (short ones, sorta), and camcorders can snap still pictures.
Like the merging of PDAs and cell phones that's happening today, these transitions can be clumsy. But they'll occur.
(FWIW, we've been using the 2.1mp Nikon 950 for 2 years -- amazing camera. "Editor's Choice" awards went to the: 1) 3mp range: Nikon Coolpix 885 (<$600); and, 2) 4- to 6-mp range: Fuji FinePix 6900 Zoom (~$750).)