The Panasonic's FZ30 12X zoom produces excellent results. The IS System works great.

As well as interchaneable lenses, I like the option of manual focusing and manual aperture/shutter speeds instead of relying on auto focus digital cameras.

I love the freedom and creativity I have with a digital SLR. The digicams are a great otion for the consumer but for those who truly love photography you can't help but go with the SRL.

Having lost more good pictures than I was able to capture I realized that a single point and shoot solution doesn't deliver the pictures that will last a life time. Like anything else, you need to do the work to reap the rewards.

Yes, one lens and one body would be great, but it does limit your seeing, when you see with a 17mm it's not the same as a 17mm/85mm with 4x optical zoom at least in my mind ???

I have an FZ20 and love the zoom and basic manual controls. It gives me the chance to learn about photography without spending lots and lots of money. As a result I'm now consdering an FZ30. I just wish Panasonic would handle the noise issue.

The noise factor is a major issue for me...

However, since I want a sharper viewfinder and faster response I will have to forgo the longer zoom lens and buy a digital SLR.

My first camera was a 10x optical zoom, I loved it. What I didnt like was the shutter lag at times when I needed faster capabilities. I enjoy my DSLR with all the control and more capabilities. My photography has definitely progressed even more since my DSLR purchase.

I have 2 SLR systems with multiple lenses so when it came time to go digital the choice was easy. I went with the digicam of course. Now I can spend more time making photos instead of trying to juggle lenses or wondering if I had the right lens with me to do the job. Plus I do not have to worry about dust on the image sensor.

As a casual photographer who does a lot of traveling, the digicam, with a good zoom and manual controls, fits the bill. Did the interchangeable lens thing before and wouldn't go back.

Compact size, 8 MP, 24mm wide angle and low price. Perfect!

Digicams are very useful and making great stides, but have a long way to go yet, but for the money great value.

Generally the DSLR cameras are larger and are a steadier platform. They also provide a higher quality lense along with more features.

More and easier control of DSLR. Photo quality better than digicams.

I have Panasonics' FZ30 and Nikon's D100 and D1X with multiple lens. The Panasonic stays in my SUV most of the time and is used frequently. When I go out to shoot wildlife or landscapes, I carry the SLRs. I really enjoy using both types of cameras and use both alot. I will say that I updated the Panasonic from their FZ10 which I enjoyed using for several years. The update was much more economical than updating the Nikons.

I find that, overall, the SLR is best choice for what I need in a camera. One camera is never best suited for "every option" I carry a smaller digicam to always have camera with me. As the features increase, the options of what I can do with the smaller digicams expands. This increase in capabilities may allow me to get a shot that previously I may not have been prepared to take.

I chose a Canon DSLR to compliment my EOS film cameras and lenses.

I use the Canon 20d and my wife uses the Canon S2 IS. I need the instantaneous (no lag) shutter and all the camera setup functions on knobs and buttons at my fingertips instead of on menus. Also for serious photography, the low noise, high resolution, high quality output from a DSLR is a must. My wife is a casual shooter and doesn't know an f-stop from a bus-stop. She shoots in auto mode all the time...the S2 IS is the perfect camera for her.

It's not a hard choice but the price is. I have a Nikon N65 film camera and want to get Nikon D200 10 megapixels. The price of $1,699.00 is very pricy. I have several lenses for the N65 that I want to use for the D200.

For my use in conjunction with travel, the freedom of an all-in-one ergonomic was a deciding factor. The cost/benefit ratio was the clincher. I'll consider an up grade from my Konica-Minolta A-2 when a manufacturer introduces a camera with a similar outstanding feature-set combined with larger photo sensors, accomplished with either fewer than 8MP or a larger sensor or a combination of both.

I found that I outgrew the digicams quite quickly. Only when I held the Canon Rebel XT in my hands did I feel like I had come home with digital photography.

Last year I read a positive comment on Olympus C-2100. I now bought a second one on eBay and I seldom pull out my Nikons since. I am a semipro. I only wish Olympus wanted to make a camera like my C-2100 but with 6 Megapixel.

This is an important choice and probably depends more on what your pocketbook can afford. Right now I would go with the DSLR because my own past experience has not demanded long zooms. However,I can see a great use by soccer moms and dads for the 10X digicam as they follow their kids' activities. I would be particularly interested to know how the anti-shake mechanism holds up over the life of these cameras.

I have a Nikon 8800 and I am very pleased with the camera. That said I'm now looking for a DSLR to go along with the 8800.

While I use zooms (about 4X) on my DSLR, it seems to me that 10-12X would be more of a compromise on optical quality. i.e., resolution, contrast, edge effects, etc. While I don't have a full frame DSLR, I understand that the digicams have still smaller sensors, which would also reduce resolution - all things being equal. I make my images available for publication and commercial use. I question whether digicam quality would be suitable.

I use DSLRs because they are the closest to 35mm photography. The switch from film phography was much easier. In fact, my long-standing hobby was reborn.

Digital SLR's are great and I wouldn't trade my D70 for anything, the only thing that is sometimes an issue is the size.

Think travel. Think portability. Think click click instead of "which lens" with only 5-10 seconds to make all the required decisions and shoot the picture.

With interchangeable lenses I can have the very best lenses or lenses that can be adapted for fun or for special applications.