Ok so this isn't exactly a "what camera should I buy?" topic because I won't need this until next fall and no one knows what models will be out then, but it's something I'd like to know now so I can be thinking about it over the next year. Most likely I will be studying abroad in Australia in the fall of '08 and I'd like to take some nice pictures of stuff while I'm there (and of course, for the next several years). I'm currently debating between spending money on one of the better quality point-and-shoots to use most of the time/on a daily basis and then buy an SLR to use when I have the time/space to carry it around and set it up properly or to spend less money by buying a nice pseudo-SLR camera to use most of the time, one of those ones that isn't really a digital SLR but is definitely not a point-and-shoot, and just keep my old point-and-shoot to only use when I really need the portability.

The issue is, I crave the amazing image quality and great zoom that can be achieved with DSLRs, but I don't know the first thing about using them and all of the manual settings, and I'm not sure I have time to learn over this next year with all of the other stuff I'm involved in at school. I know the "in between" cameras can have image quality that gets pretty close to the SLRs, plus it's more portable and usable in more situations, so that's why I thought of it as an option. I figured I can use my current point-and-shoot, which is a Casio EX-750 if I need something portable that will slip in my pocket.

However, I'm not sure how outdated that Casio is anymore, and I'm wondering if the current point-and-shoots are leagues beyond it now? Maybe it would be better to upgrade that to use the majority of the time and then get an SLR for really nice shots?

Anyway any advice on this I'd appreciate. Hell maybe the tech has gotten good enough that I'd only be able to tell the difference between a pic taken with a really nice point-and-shoot and one taken with a DSLR if it was taken by a pro, which means that for my pics I wouldn't even need to splurge the money on such expensive tech.

Well are you satisfied with your current point-and-shoot?

I was until I saw some of the better stuff current point-and-shoots are doing now

I'm satisfied with pictures that I was really careful with, but my average picture I feel is lacking.

Meh, in that case I'd almost say just get a good DSLR or a psuedo-DSLR.

And keep my old Casio then?

Off topic, where in Australia?

Not sure exactly where yet, I'll have to decide over the course of the next year.

I'll decide for you. Brisbane. I'll be back in the country by then.

Haha ok well I'll think about it. It has to be one of the universities that my school approves for the study-abroad program, and it has to have a solid Biomedical Engineering program.