Hello, Laurinda:

I suppose it depends on what kind of photography (1) you are comfortable
with, and/or (2) what your intentions are regarding your photography...

as an example, if you are already comfortable with your scope, and you are
looking for a camera that will digiscope those images, there are a number on
the market (with the attendent accessories) that are highly regarded... i
suggest you join the digiscope group
(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/digiscopingbirds/ ) at yahoo...

pro: point-and-shoot camera is easier to use than SLR, and *can* produce
nice photos
pro: camera is usually much less expensive than SLR
pro: camera is usually much smaller than SLR
pro: you can get closer to your subject with scope than an SLR
con: nice photos are much more difficult to achieve, usually due to
limitations in optics (the more glass you place between you and the object
in question, the less clarity you will get, and in most cases, the smaller
the "sweet spot" of the photo, where everything is clear and undistorted)
con: carrying scope can be unwieldly in some circumstances


if you are looking for higher quality more frequently, you will be looking
for an SLR camera of some type, probably with at least one VERY HIGH QUALITY
long lens. my current workhorse is the canon 10d with the 100-400L IS zoom
lens. even in almost no light, with the proper knowledge, you can get
amazingly sharp photos.

pro: photos are usually of a much higher quality (not always, but usually)
pro: moving subjects are easier to photograph with an SLR
con: you can't get as close with an SLR (normally) as you can with a good
scope
con: a fair amount of knowledge is necessary to getting a wider variety of
photos, but today's SLRs are getting more forgiving by the day...
neutral: the price of SLRs can range from very affordable to the GDP of a
small third-world country


00 caren
http://www.parkgallery.org
from the net near JBP

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