Cris Schroeder
EF2
Some of my better photos were shot with my old Powershot A40 at 2 megapixels. They were better because I spent more time looking at the scene and less time screwing with the camera. I love my DSLR but it definitely takes practice to use it fluently. You can't beat the DSLR for control, but sometimes all that control can get in the way.
I've found a good compromise to be the Canon Powershot G9. It is fairly compact, although it is heavy like a brick. There are tons of creative controls on the camera and it shoots reasonably fast in RAW mode. There is also very little shutter lag, which was something that has always bothered me with P&S cameras. G9's are running at the high end of your budget but you don't have to spring for accessories. Plus, it has decent optical image stabilization. I've shot hand-held images at 1/8-second that were reasonably sharp (the exception, but still possible).
I've had my G9 for a couple of months now, and while I took all my gear on vacation last weekend, I never pulled the XTi out of the bag...I shot all my pics with the G9. The G9 is definitely noisier than a DSLR, especially at high ISO's, what with the smaller sensor and all. It also seems to have less dynamic range than my XTi. However, it may be a decent option for you. Besides, it is just a really cool-looking camera.
I've found a good compromise to be the Canon Powershot G9. It is fairly compact, although it is heavy like a brick. There are tons of creative controls on the camera and it shoots reasonably fast in RAW mode. There is also very little shutter lag, which was something that has always bothered me with P&S cameras. G9's are running at the high end of your budget but you don't have to spring for accessories. Plus, it has decent optical image stabilization. I've shot hand-held images at 1/8-second that were reasonably sharp (the exception, but still possible).
I've had my G9 for a couple of months now, and while I took all my gear on vacation last weekend, I never pulled the XTi out of the bag...I shot all my pics with the G9. The G9 is definitely noisier than a DSLR, especially at high ISO's, what with the smaller sensor and all. It also seems to have less dynamic range than my XTi. However, it may be a decent option for you. Besides, it is just a really cool-looking camera.
