ainorb.com/truescapes.html is good for comparison. The above three links are for three different types of digital still cameras. Most digicams these days come with a built in screen. To use the LCD as a viewfinder, it is not necessary that the LCD be bright, so a lot of modern cameras have small screen, and the screen doesn't display every image from the camera on it. Instead the camera can tell you what it thinks the image will look like when displayed on the screen. Most modern digicams allow for ISO control. What is this? Let's say you are taking pictures in a room that has a lot of light, and you turn on the auto ISO control, which usually is at 3200. In this case the camera adjusts the shutter speed so that it gets the desired effect. For example if you keep the shutter speed at 1/125 sec (to keep noise low), ISO could be set to 400, and if you want the shutter speed to be faster, you have a trade off of increased ISO with more noise. Many modern digicams have Auto ISO options in the menu settings to automatically make the change. The three links are for three different brands, and are a good example of why I like to use comparisons when shopping. Here is a link to a list of things to look for when shopping for digital cameras. http://digital-photography-school.com/digital-camera-reviews/ A: Here are some good questions to ask: Does the camera have manual settings so that I can increase shutter speed, set ISO, or use a different lens? Can the camera be set to take more, or less than a full screen? Is there a mirror (for SLR cameras), or something similar to allow the camera to take pictures without opening the shutter? Are there any modes/settings available in the camera that you will not be using for casual photography (like sports, or action shots)? Does the lens have any filters built into it (like polarizing filters, or specials lenses that are great for shooting waterfalls)? Does the camera have a lot of settings that are easy to mess up? Are there things that you are going to want to do with your pictures that are going to require a lot of fiddling with different settings? One of the best things about digital cameras is that they can be used to take great pictures, but they can also be used to take a complete mess. The more features the camera has, the more likely it is to be something you don't want to use. A: I was in your position 2 years ago when I decided to get a dSLR. I made my final decision on whether to go Nikon or Canon, based upon the number of lenses that each offered for my specific needs. If your goal is just to get good pictures, then the Canon Rebel series of cameras (D10, 20D, 50D) is what I'd recommend based upon the number of quality lenses you can get for each. The Nikon D90 is also a great choice. The basic difference between SLR and DSLR is that an SLR uses a mirror to reflect light through the lens to an internal sensor, while a DSLR uses a prism to direct light to the sensor without a mirror. This allows a DSLR to be used in a lot of situations that an SLR can not be used in, most notably those situations with bright light (indoors or outdoors). In either case, it's always important to pay attention to the histogram as you are shooting, so you can make adjustments to the exposure based upon where you want the image to fall. For instance, if your subject is darker than the background (or vice versa) you want to expose for that (for an SLR, this means the correct setting for the shutter speed). You also want to make sure your settings for flash are correct as well (for an SLR, this means the correct settings for your flash in manual mode or with your speedlight, and for a DSLR, this means that the ISO needs to be set low enough that you can use a high enough shutter speed that will allow for a correctly exposed image for the flash in addition to what it needs to expose for the ambient lighting). Finally, a couple of things to keep in mind. First, a camera's settings are designed to work with a specific lens (whether it's the specific lens you purchased or a different one, such as a different brand, make or model). You need to make sure that the lens you choose can match the settings of the camera (both the settings for aperture and shutter speed as well as the settings for ISO). Second, a camera can produce poor quality images if it's used under low light conditions or is held wrong. This means that if you plan on using your camera at night with the flash, you should test the camera and find out exactly what settings the flash requires so you know how to properly set your camera for proper exposure. This is a skill in and of itself, and it is key for the camera to have a lot of custom settings available, so that the settings can be adjusted without taking too much time or adjusting too many other settings, and it is only one of many other things you need to adjust to properly take a good quality picture in low light. A: I will start by saying that I'm not a Canon user. I do not own any brand-name Canon SLR, but I am a keen user of Canon-mount cameras and I own a couple of other Canon EOS camera lenses. I use EOS 50D and 1Ds MKIII as well as 1Ds MKII. As for your question: are they good cameras? In general, the answer is YES. I personally own Canon 400D, 400Dx and 50D. I love all of them. I think I would be more comfortable with them than with a 'consumer' camera. If a choice between a Canon XTi and a Sony DSC-P35 were on the table, I would choose the Canon. If I wanted to upgrade to a much newer model but my needs didn't change much, I'd probably buy another Canon model (I already own quite a few, this makes it easy). But if I wanted a 'superzoom', it'd definitely be a Sony. The camera brand isn't the sole deciding factor, though, of course. However, there are other brands to consider. As you mentioned, Canon is the market leader (at least in the enthusiast camera market). Sigma and Panasonic are very popular and produce quality cameras in addition to offering their own lens brands. Fujifilm makes great cameras in a compact and affordable package. Olympus makes very nice cameras. Sigma, Panasonic, Nikon, Fujifilm, Pentax and Sony are also known for creating a lot of unique lenses. The lenses are what makes the picture... Well, part of the picture. A 'nice picture' is one that fits the concept of the photographer: does it fit the genre of the photograph? If you love landscape photography, would you consider the 'average' SLR with a fixed lens like Sigma 18-200mm, a wide-angle zoom or an extremely wide prime lens such as Sigma 70-200mm or 70-300mm for a landscape? Do you like fast action? A superzoom with zooming capabilities would be a better choice, right? A camera is only as good as the lens that you put on it. There's a lot more to it than just the lens, though. How will you use your camera? For my casual shooting, I use my Canon 20D with Canon 18-135mm IS and my Canon 50D with Canon 70-200mm IS USM. Neither of these lenses is one I like to use for action shots. That's why I use my Olympus E-P3. For the superzoom, I use my Nikon D80 with the Olympus 12-100mm lens. All of them are capable of delivering great pictures, just not always in the right situations. And as for your question about IS: the D80, E-P3 and the 1D MKIII