I need help selecting a digital camera...

[s51997]

I Am digital camera illierate and need help....


Here are some basic questions I found that may help someone direct me to some digital cameras to consider

Budget
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* What budget have you allocated for buying this camera? Please be as specific as possible.

+/- 1100

SIZE:
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* What size camera are you looking for? Or does size not matter at all to you? I do not think size matters


Features
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How many megapixels will suffice for you? I am not sure - I do not think I will blow a pic beyond a 10 x 13

* What optical zoom will you need? (None, Standard = 3x-4x, Ultrazoom = 10x-12x) ultra zoom / can't really decide -

* How important is “image quality” to you? (Rate using a scale of 1-10) 8 - although what are we talking about when we say Image quality?

Do you care for manual controls? Unknown


General Usage
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* What will you generally use the camera for? Sports pics (softball - baseball games and auto racing) Kids pictures (inside the house mostly) and vacation pictures.

* Will you be making big prints of your photos or not? rarely.

Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos? Yes - I will do indoor with the kids - but more SO I want the camera for action shoots

Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos? Yes - this is the primary reason I am upgrading my camera so this is the most important factor - I want a camera that I can click click click pics


Miscellaneous
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Are there particular brands you like or hate? Canon - but I Am open the what ever

Are there particular models you already have in mind? CAnon Rebel
(If applicable) Do you need any of the following special features? (Wide Angle, Image Stabilization, Weatherproof, Hotshoe, Rotating LCD) - I am new to all this so I am open to ant receomendiations of things I will need

[Telecorder]

rather than jumping into a dSLR system, based upon your answers. While others may disagree, I'd anticipate that you'd be hard pressed to achieve the level of image quality you're looking for with a dSLR system right out of the box.

My recommendation would be to look at and consider some fixed lens digis as a 'starter' camera to get the experience in digital imaging before going into a dSLR system. You'll be much more understanding of the various aspects and capabilities of what to look for in a dSLR after a few months of shooting w/a prosumer fixed lens system...

[truflip]

The S3 IS is your camera. Use this baby to teach yourself the basics and advanced features of a camera. When you think you know everythign about this camera and can easily take nice shots without the need for post processing, then move into a dSLR such as the Rebel XT. :)