Hi Cyndi, ..I'm sure many people here at the CF feel your pain. Often times a photographer is forced into a situation where the light he or she wants to photograph is not accessible for a closeup shot.

I'm currently on my fourth digital camera. If my memory serves me correctly, my first was around 1.2 megapixel. I bought it so I could post pics on eBay. The next was a 3.2 megapixel and actually allowed me to make small prints. Then came the 4.0 which allowed me to make small prints and reasonable small enlargements. The thing that was lacking with all these cameras was the ability to do good telephoto work.

Thanks to a $1000 gift from the indians at Foxwood Casino, I was able to purchase my Olympus Evolt 300, a 8.0 megapixels SLR camera with interchangeable lenses. My highest zoom capability is now 300mm. The fact I have that zoom capability along with the 8.0 megapixels, I can now take distant pictures and crop them down for a good print of what the focus of the shot was all about.

I have found that most people at the CF prefer Canon and Nikon cameras. I just happen to like Olympus and the dealer I purchased all the cameras from. I would definitely recommend a person seeking a new camera to spend as much as he or she can afford, buy a SLR with lens changing capability, and the most megapixels offered. The investment may seem expensive now but the rewards later will make the expense seem less in the future.

Bob