For flower shots a macro setting is a must. That's how I shoot all my rose pictures. Macro on and zoom in to frame the bloom how I want it. For one thing it allows me to do most of my shots standing up because I don't bend like I used to. And for another it gives me that blurred out background (like the one in Kim's picture) that I like. I tried using a black backdrop one season and hated it. Not only was it cumbersome to use but I didn't like the artificial studio look it gave everything. But I also don't want a messy bunch of stuff visible and identifiable in the background like sticks and pots and things. So I really like the more natural blurred out ones. As for reds...well...that's tough for all cameras I think. It has a great deal to do with the white balance settings, the amount of light you have and the exposure setting. Every camera is different and you have to play with yours until you find the settings that work for you. I still have problems capturing some reds but I'm getting better at it. Veterans' Honor It also helps the reds to underexpose your photos a little so the reds don't flare out. Like I said you have to play with the settings on your camera. And get a photo editing program. I have Photoshop Elements 6 which works great for me but there are lots of them out there. You can do so much in post editing to enhance your photos with only a little bit of time and effort. And besides, to post on most sites you need to be able to down size them anyway. An editing program will let you do that easily.

Carmellia, I'm Canon all the way. I have one of the S series that joyfulsnowflake mentioned. Mine is the S5 IS and I've had it since the firt of the year. It takes absolutely stunning photos and is fairly reasonably priced. The only negatives are that it is 'slow' meaning if you're shooting fast moving subjects or low light you may get some pretty blurry shots. So for birds, wild animals, and fast moving kids it's just so so. For gardens and scenery it's fantastic. The other negative is that the lens cover pops off easily. I also own two Canon SLRs, both older models (D30 and 10D) and they are great cameras too, both available second hand for reasonable prices. If I were buying a new Digital SLR, I'd be looking at the Canon Rebel. I have a Rebel 35 mm and loved it. It's just a backup now as I don't use film unless forced. But the digital Rebel looks great. I know a few people who have it and they say really good things.

They are awesome!!!!! You can buy boxes with them already mounted. Ive had mine 5 years and still working like a charm! The only thing you cant do with it is MAKE somebody nest in it! Mine was empty last year :(

I have a Kodak EasyShare, it's my second one. My first one didn't do closeups very well. My new one is a Kodak EasyShare CX6330, actually lower mega pixels than my first at 3.1 versus 3.2 but exceptional picture quality and very simple to use. Not sure about football field pictures, but otherwise it's a wonderful camera, dead simple to use, and I bought it used on ebay for about $60! There are quite a few comparison and rating articles on the net similar to this one I've linked to - you may find that helps you make a decision on what's best for you. Suzan J Here is a link that might be useful: Digital Camera Comparisons