Requesting advice on camera purchase

[fromscratchmom]

I used to be very into photography when I was in college. But somehow got far far away from ever thinking about it for a long time now. I guess it is not like riding a bike. I can't for the life of me remember hardly anything that I used to know about lighting and f-stops and...well everything. But now I'm becoming extremely dissatisfied with seeing the digital photos that DH takes of our family and realizing how much I'd love it if I had kept up with it and had great quality photos of the last several years like I have of my college days.

To get back into it, I'd have to purchase a new camera. I can't even remember exactly what it was that happened to the good camera I used to have. I just remember that I decided to not have it repaired at the time. (I was flat broke like a lot of young adults before they really get settled.)

With paying for our upcoming Disney trip and needing to buy a new car or van in the upcoming months, and having one child in braces and another about to start.... You get the idea. I'm sure you all live in the real world, when you're not on a Disney vacation. Keeping in mind that I can't go terribly high in price, what camera would you recommend if you were thinking of me as a total beginner and not assuming that it will all come back to me once I take a few shots?

Maybe it will help if I give you a few clues about what I do remember. I used black and white film and color at about the same rate. I did my own developing along with some other kids in the college dark room, but I never did anything fancy on that end and seriously doubt that I'll do my own developing in the future. I absolutely loved taking candid people shots and coped with taking the posed shots that my friends requested. I'm sure we would do plenty of posing on a family vacation. My kids can spot a camera a mile away and love to pose but hate to be caught candid. If I can find the time, I'd enjoy taking interesting shots without anyone in them, such as a hidden mickey or a topiary that caught my eye or whatever. I tended to take a lot of my pictures outdoors in the past, but would probably need to get just as comfortable indoors for our Disney trip.

 

[Master Mason]

Sounds to me like a bridge camera would work well for you. It would allow you to work in the P&S world while giving you the flexibilty to relearn the manual aspects.

There are several recent threads discussing some of the bridge cameras on the market.

Take a look at the Cannon S2 and S3 The Sony HC line I think it is. Very good cameras for under $350. Also remember you'll need memory and possibly a few other accesories so keep that in mind with your budget as well.

Take a look at dpreview and steves. And after you've done your home work, go to a brick and mortor store and play with them a bit. Then go back home and find your best price remembering to get it from a reputable dealer. It is better to pay a bit more and have the peace of mind that comes from trusting the seller.