Need advice plz!!

Hello posters, Im new to the site so plz forgive me of any flooding or reposting I may have done lol I recently became very interested in photography and I am getting my own camera very soon. I would like it to be digital for easy computer access and transfering photos, also I would like it to be pretty proffesional looking and have stats to match, Ive been doing my own research and I herd that Canon is a great company. I was wondering if the Canon PowerShot 6.0 megapixel cam(S315) is a good start. Ive herd from a few people that it would be an awesome beginner camera for a self proclaimed photographer with a pretty steady budget(im only 16 but I hold a job and have a huge interest in photography) so plz tell me what you think and tell me any advice you may have, thanks:D

The camera is a Canon S3 IS--for "Image Stabilization"--and, in my unprofessional opinion, it would be an excellent choice. Of course, I believe that because it was my choice, too. It is easy to use like any Point & Shoot, but still has a lot of manual control, if you want it. It is no DSLR, and the LCD display(s) can be hard to see in bright light, but it takes excellent pictures, detailed enough to blow them up to at least 8.5 x 11 with no noticeable lass of quality.

tink ewe belly mooch

Awesome it feels really cool in my hands, again though, my budget is pretty steady so I have a pretty good selection ahead. My mom believes that my first camera shouldnt be as flashy as the S3 IS, but thinks that I would be fine with an S2 IS, which i dont really mind but if I already tried the S3 out for awile at the local best buy-would I feel a big downgrade with the S2?

The S2 and S3 are built on the same chassis, and have a lot of the same features. If you have the money for the S3 then buy it, but if you want to save some dough for a camera bag, and some memory cards then I say go for the S2. The S3 does look better though with the matte black finish. Not to mention the S3 has a larger screen and faster burst rate of fire, but picture wise you aren't going to know the difference.

Z

I also bought an S2 recently (for my wife), and it, too, is an excellent camera. The "feel" is (almost) exactly like the S3. My only reasons for choosing the S3 over the S2 were the 6 MP instead of 5, and the larger LCD, although, I end up using the viewfinder much more than the LCD for taking pictures, and I primarily review them after I download them. So, if you "love" the S3, you'll certainly "like" the S2, and I doubt there's much you'll miss.

tink ewe belly mooch