About five years ago, I was faced with the decision to buy a new camera. A new grandson was on the way, and I knew I wanted a camera better than the point-and-shoot, a Casio Z3, that I had used for several years. I knew I wanted less shutter lag -- the time between pushing the shutter and the time that a photo is taken. I knew I wanted to return to an SLR format, and I knew I wanted to stay digital. I spent hours researching on the Internet, and finally, I walked into a camera shop and asked the guy behind the counter to help. I had always heard that Nikon was a good camera, so I let the discussion go in that direction. The dealer was very helpful and recommended a couple of models.
I returned to the Internet to read reviews of the models that I learned about at the store. I found Ken Rockwell's web site and read his reviews. Ken does a very thorough review and makes good recommendations. His current proclamation of the finest point-and shoot camera is a Canon model. He also made a very solid review of the Nikon DSLR that I favored. I bought the D40x and shot with it for several years. About a year ago, I upgraded to a Nikon D7000, selling my D40x to a friend that was just getting started.
What's left to do? There are many factors in the decision process. Do your online research. Introduce yourself to a camera dealer in your area and get better educated, then enjoy the camera that you buy. In the central Texas area, I highly recommend Precision Camera.
Still need a recommendation, here is one I gave to friends a short while back:
BTW, the Nikon web address is www.nikonusa.com. The camera models that I mentioned are the D3100, D5100, and D7000. Depending on your budget, any of them would work great for you. All three are SLR cameras and are a major step up from either a phone camera or a small point-and-shoot. I highly recommend a visit to Precision Camera. The staff, there, are very knowledgable and can help you with your decisions. They often have specials for camera body and lens purchases [as do most dealers].
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