help choosing a camera

[caps]

Hi,
We started off 4 years ago with our 1st digital camera a Kodak DX3900 3.1 mp. It has been good to us but now we have children and we are beyond frustrated with the long delay in between taking shots. We have missed so many "kodak moments" because of the delay. We have decided it is time to buy a new digital camera.
We'd love the new Canon Rebel XTi but it is more than we can spend. So we must stay with a digital point & shoot ($100-$300).
I have spent hours reading reviews and I am beyond confused with all the technical language.
Our photos are primarily indoors of the kids, photos of items we list on ebay and we love close up shots. Most photos are printed as 4x6 with some enlarging to 5x7 and 8x10.
What is the best camera for our purposes??
It appears Canon is such a leader in the digital world - but I could be wrong.

Any opinions would be greatly appreciated!!! Thanks for reading!

Capri

[gryphonslair99]

At least in the ditigal SLR world Canon and Nikon are the leaders. They make top quality cameras and some great glass. You might take a look at what a used XT is going for. I have seen some going around $400. I have also heard great things about Canons S3. They run around $360 at B&H and they currently have a used one for $299. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...yUsed&Q=425379

If you have never used them, B&H is a very reputable company to deal with.

Don't rule out other makers like Nikon, Olympus and Pentax. The make some great P&S cameras.

[Rocket_Scientist]

Well, you might consider the Canon PowerShot line. I (and my wife) personally own an S3 IS, an S2 IS, and an A540. They all take fantastic photos which can easily be enlarged to 8x10. My wife, who began her foray into digital photography just last July, has the same complaint about the "time between shots" with her A540, but, usually, the problem comes from not learning how to use all the "features", and, believe me, they are legion! There are ways to automatically take 3 (or more) photos at a time, with the only delay being the charge time for the flash, if used; there are ways to have the camera continue shooting while the button is depressed; and there are ways to "lock in" a setting, including focus, so that you may continue to shoot as fast as you like. The delay between shots is also affected by the "write time" to the storage card, and, in some cases, the battery level. I have not yet mastered these features, but I know they exist, and are probably better on the S2 and S3 than the A540, and are certainly better on the more expensive dSLRs. Hope this helps.

[espressotalk]

Hi

Any Canon with at least 5 megapixles for great print sizes. The rebel xt is a great choice and even a new one is a pretty good deal right about now. But if you want a camera that will go everywhere and not be in the way a point-and-shoot is the best choice. Look for good low light camera. Any camera takes great shots in bright light but most of your moments happen inside and you may not want to use your flash all the time. Test them out before you buy.