I finally broke down and bought a digital camera. I've been putting off spending the money, but now that I have, I'm glad I did.

The camera I purchased is a Nikon Coolpix L1. I was apprehensive at first, as I'd intended to save up for a different, more expensive camera from the same maker. Having tried the L1 out for a day or so, I am impressed.

I didn't think that digital photography would become this accessible this quickly. The camera cost about $200+tax. It lacks a traditional viewfinder, but the huge 2.5" LCD screen is brilliant and easy to read, even in direct sunlight. The pictures, so far, are beautiful, even in low-light situations. I will note that the flash takes an annoyingly long time to charge, so any rapid-fire shooting must be done in very bright sunlight or with a tripod to avoid blur. Even without the control I'm used to on my SLR, I can still get most of the photo effects I regularly use thanks to the L1's many scene modes. Beginning photographers will benefit from the scene composition help available is some modes. For example, in portrait mode, the camera can show you an outline of where people should be in the frame for a great shot.

When I plugged it in to the USB port on my laptop (running Edubuntu Linux 6.06), it just worked without any effort or intervention on my part. Also cool is the ability to connect a special cable (included) to the camera and any TV set for convenient showing-off almost anywhere. The camera runs on two AA batteries, though it really chews through them when the flash is in heavy use. I'll have to pick up some rechargable batteries and a charger. I also plan to pick up an SD memory card to suppliment the camera's paltry 10 MB of internal memory, and a slim camera case, when my budget allows. Overall, this camera is far better than I expected to get for $200.