hee hee.........so i just signed up so i could post the exact same question.....and i mean the exact same one.....those are the 2 cameras i have narrowed down to----now john, i know you know some of my history, but for the rest of y'all, my history is this: i used film cameras for years, then upon a recent trip to australia, i got my first digital camera---a point and shoot by casio(an EX-Z750), and with the advent of the ease of digital, i began shooting a lot. that camera, despite it's modest appearance and kinda crusty little lens, takes fantastic pics(i know some may be thinking, oh yeah, right, but i've been in the industry a loooooong time and i do know what constitutes good and bad....; )

now i don't shoot landscapes very often, nor do i shoot moving thing too often either.....i generally like to work in very close----i do a lot of macro and abstract work, but i do like the option to take other things as well. in fact, my style has very much built itself around how my point and shoot works----i compose on the screen, i get in close--often as close as the camera will allow, and i love that it is just so easy----the lens works close, far, normal....i'm wanting some nicer glass and a better sensor, as i'm wanting to print bigger and bigger, and i'm tired of lens distortion. i know this means i will likely need 2 lenses---a more normal lens and one for macro, but the prices of good lenses are a bit prohibitive, in that i'm a musician, and money is indeed a huge concern right now.....

i don't really keep up on camera equipment----i just like to have my 'tool' for the job(no funny comments folks....: ) and get to it. in fact, i sort of like the camera to be easy and transparent....i don't like to dilly dally with lots of features, and both those cameras have so damn many..............i do like the stabilization stuff, as i tend to have an issue with shaking.......(i'm a musician......: )

thanks for any help.................i'm feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the technical stuff...