Looking for some advice....

[Reileen]

I'm an amateur, but have recently committed myself to learning more about photography, primarily to take better photos of my kids, but also because I enjoy it very much. I went to the shop the other day intending to buy a Canon 1000D, but when I looked at it I was a bit intimidated by the size of it. I felt that I wouldn't feel comfortable with it, and was unlikely to take it along for day-to-day photographs.

I wound up buying a Nikon p90 (for a VERY good price!), and while I looked at the mixed reviews of it carefully, the primary problem seems to be the image quality, which isn't much of a problem for me as I never print large prints, etc. I felt the Nikon would be a lesser learning curve for me, and would allow me to learn a lot before committing to an SLR. However, I'm having a bit of buyers remorse.

I'm considering returning the Nikon in order ot buy the Canon. Does anyone have any thoughts on which camera would be best for me in my particular circumstances? Was I right to take the smaller, more portable, easier to operate Nikon, or should I just dive in and learn what I need to learn on the camera I initially wanted (I think I'd get used to the size of it with time)?

Thanks so much for any input. I'm having a really hard time deciding....

[Almond.Butterscotch]

smaller learning curve, but much less features. I've been trying to find a p&s that I could carry in my pocket for those times when an SLR is just too big or inappropriate or "wrong" to have, but I haven't been able to find anything that I'd actually enjoy using anymore. SLRs are teh awesome.

If you're really gonna dedicate time into photography, you may as well get the SLR.

[sk66]

A DSLR isn't the right choice for everyone.....
You don't need a DSLR to learn about photography nor take advanced pictures and you can use anything to take "artistic" pictures.... Yes, a simpler camera will have some limitations, but it will have it's benefits.... If you do not wish to invest a lot of money into the hobby, and you are taking mostly "parent shots" then the p-90 might be a good choice for you.

Heck, I have somewhere in the $15-20k range in DSLR gear but I take probably close to 30% of my pictures with a Canon G10 P&S.