Muse
Lifer
G11:If you just want to take some snap pics that are still very good quality then something like the Canon G11 would be an excellent choice. Im a member of a photography forum and people are always asking what lens to use in taking a trip to disney world or other places and many times the response is to keep the dslr at home and take a smaller type camera. So all these things need to be considered.
Continuous Shooting
Normal: approx. 1.1 fps; AF: approx. 0.7 fps; LV: approx. 0.8 fps (Large/Fine)
One of my main reasons to want another camera (see OP) is response. My P&S takes about 7 seconds between shots. I'm not certain that if flash is off it's somewhat faster, maybe maybe not. It's dog slow and I miss a lot of shots. The G11 is way faster, but nothing like the Pentax K-x with it's 4.3 shots/second (a review at imaging-resource.com says this is what they tested, although it's said to be 4.7/sec). The K-x is relatively compact for a DSLR, I'm told. Haven't seen one yet. Traveling, I'd likely just take the 18-55mm kit lens.
I've seen it said in this forum that someone seriously into photography needs 3 types of cameras:
DSLR
midsize, such as the G11
compact P&S
I got my Samsung P&S before the really compact P&S's started appearing. It's kind of a cross between midsize and compact, having a viewfinder. Other than that it doesn't have a lot going for it. It's OK for some things, but for any kind of action it sucks.
When I told an acquaintance a couple of years ago that I wanted to get a DSLR, she simply said "Nikon or Canon?" She has a 5D. I told her I was looking at other brands. At the time I didn't know about buying into a system, what it entails to be seriously into the DSLR world. From where I am, I'm not sure I want to or will get that into it. A DSLR and a couple of lenses and a flash, some filters and hoods may be as far as I go, so maybe I'd be OK and happy with a Pentax or Sony, is my thinking.