I got mr. flea a DSLR (a Nikon D40) for his 40th birthday, and I don't know anything about cameras, but it takes awesome pictures even when I use it.

I wouldn't recommend anyone buying an SLR unless they understand why they need an SLR.

Well, my thought being that often I can't take the pictures I want with the cameras I've had (ie, stage photos during drag shows). ...the only problem being I don't actually know how to take them with a better camera, I just know it's possible. I'd have to figure that part out.

In the meantime, I definitely want a camera for going to Peru...and the LCD screen on my current one cracked, while in Prague.

I don't actually know how to take them with a better camera, I just know it's possible

You need to work out why you can't take them. If zoom, for instance, then an SLR with replaceable lenses will help. But if it's lighting or camera shake there are other issues at hand.

Zoom's not the problem (my tiny camera had plenty)--it's speed and lighting. People are moving, and the lighting is not usually the best. My current regular type camera (er, before it broke) didn't take good lowlight pictures, and didn't take pictures fast enough (especially in low light) so I'd try to take a picture of someone doing an exciting pose, and it wouldn't snap until a second later, and half the time it would then be blurry/grainy, even if it wasn't a shot of the side of their face instead of the awesome splits or whatever.

Yes, it was the Exciting American Crime, billytea! Wouldn't want you to leave the States without observing freerange Crime. By what I assume was a bipedal mammal.

I definitely remember the perp fleeing via a bipedal gait. I'm sure I mentioned that to the police.

meara, I will ask my dad what small not SLR he's been using because it's phenominal and he ditched some really awesome and 'spensive SLRs once he started using. Pictures out of airplanes, pictures of cars racing. Might not be your answer but worth adding to the mix. I'll get the name and model and stuffs at dinner.

See, bipedal and going that a'way in a hurry. WITH A GUN. THERE WAS A GUN. The possibly bipedal mammal was probably wearing black too. WITH A GUN.

I just bought Ben and Jerry's AND cookie dough at the store. Take THAT, stoopid holiday.

Yep, still cranky.

I might have bought cookie dough at the store yesterday also. At the same time as (belated) cards for my mom and lil sis. Dang, Mom sent me a card AND a shipment of honeybell oranges. I'm sending a card that will be at least a day late. *sigh* my poor mom, she really should have had more children.

Okay, this outs me at the one person who has not seen Brokeback Mountain. Now I know!

Sits in the didn't-watch-Brokeback-Mountain corner with bonny.

"What is your favorite pairing of fictional character and inanimate object?"

Hmm, Jayne/cunning hat or Spike/wooden-door-with-Buffy-on-the-other-side... dunno that I could answer that one without having brain getting squishier than usual.

Yeah, it looks like this year is going to be rough for me, too.