I stumbled on an article at PC Mag a couple of days ago that’s incrredibly relevant as more and more plain old point-and-shoots are turning up the image quality while turning down the price. That’s not to say there isn’t a market for DSLRs, and it’s not to say most serious photographers would still choose one of them over a regular point-and-shoot, but that’s no reason to believe that you can’t get great image quality out of the point-and-shoot digital camera that fits in your pocket as opposed to the DSLR that’s a weight around your neck.
The always-wise Molly McLaughlin has an incredible roundup of point-and-shoots from the top of the market to the most entry level camera, and if you read closely you’ll pick up some tips on how to make the most of your digital camera at the same time.