help us choose a new camera!!

[kochh2]

so my trusty camera bit the dust while we were on vacation, and we picked up a cheapo digital one to get through the rest of disney, but i hated the totally automated, no control aspect of the point and shoot.... so i am thinking i want to look at something more like a DSLR camera, but have no idea where to start- can you recommend something?? I need to stay under $500 for this investment, and would prefer something that I can add to over time, as in nice lenses, if needed, etc... but nothing too complicated, either!!

[BillK]

Nikon D3100 is nice and fairly small for a DSLR.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/730210-REG/Nikon_25472_D3100_Digital_SLR_Camera.html

[AnnieW625]

I have a Panasonic FZ 28 (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001CCLBSU), which is a power point and shoot and I am really happy with it. I bought mine 3 yrs. ago so I am sure there is a newer model out there. If I were buying now though I would probably get an Olympus Pen (http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/product.asp?product=1501&page=reviews), which is a compact camera which takes actual lenses. It is similar to the Nikon that Ashton Kutcher advertises.

[chottumommy]

If you're considering point and shoot look for a bridge one like the Canon G12 or Panasonic Lumix. They have much better sensors than normal point and shoot and still pretty much donot need any intervention if you're not interested in the manual options.

[AnnieW625]

If you're considering point and shoot look for a bridge one like the Canon G12 or Panasonic Lumix. They have much better sensors than normal point and shoot and still pretty much donot need any intervention if you're not interested in the manual options.

I find the user menu on the Panasonic to be 10x easier to operate than the Canon and I had two prior digital Canons and thought I would be a Canon girl for life (my old non digital camera was even a Canon). One nice thing about my camera is that I can shoot in raw, and play around with lighting, speeds, and I just don't have to figure out which lens works best for me. I would love a DSLR as well, but I just don't have the time to devote to one.