Are you in the market for a new camera?  Wondering whether you should invest in a DSLR?  I have some opinions and things to consider.  (Oh, and DSLR stands for Digital Single Lens Reflex camera; it's the camera where you can change out the lenses, where the light goes through the lens and then to a mirror and prism and, finally, to the viewfinder, so you can see the image as it appears to the eye.) 

• DSLRs are often sold with a lens, called a "kit lens".  Consider whether you intend to invest in additional lenses.  The kit lenses are not always great and are not all-purpose.  Do your homework and find out.

• Do you intend to use the DSLR as more than just an expensive point-and-shoot?  In other words, do you know about or intend to learn about such things as aperture, shutter speed, and exposure?  If you are going to let the camera decide all these things, maybe a higher-end point-and-shoot would suit your purposes.

• Do you intend to make large prints out of the images?  This might be a good reason for a DSLR.

• Pixel count isn't as important as some make it seem.  And the sensor factors into it, too.  I have made beautiful 16x20 prints from a 6 megapixel DSLR camera.

If money is no object, then, by all means, go for the DSLR.  But if you aren't really sure if you want to invest the money, why not try a nicer point-and-shoot?  Here are some advantages to point-and-shoot cameras:

• They are cheaper than DSLRs.

• They are easier to carry because they are normally smaller than DSLRs and you don't have to carry extra lenses with them.

• If it gets stolen/lost/submerged in water, you won't cry as long as you would have if it had been a DSLR.

• It's easier for other people to learn how to use.  If you want to be in the picture sometime, a point-and-shoot might make it easier for your child to take the shot.

• Many of the newer ones allow you to shoot in RAW format, which gives you more control when editing.

I have a low-end point-and-shoot that I use to document stuff mostly.  I don't feel pressure to work on the images much in photoshop because I don't expect a lot from the camera and I'm not trying to make award-winning images with it.   

Ironically, though, one of my favorite pictures of my husband and me was taken by our son with this point-and-shoot on our very first camping trip. It makes me smile every time I see it.  And isn't that the most important thing with your family photos? 

Don't hesitate to e-mail me with questions!  Thanks so much for reading.

Dawn