Brian,
You saucy git. On about the DSLR again! I’d love one but hell, I gotta get a new laptop first.

Anyhoo. If it’s any help both my brother and sister-in-law rate the Canon D-80 which is a camera which either does everything or leaves you to do it if, like me, you’re an F-stop philosopher. Perplexed the hell out of me but then I never got over my (alas stolen by a Frenchman) Pentax Super-A.

Speaking of panoramas, seen this?

Seems to me that whichever camera you choose, it must, absolutely MUST, have a letter either prefixed or suffixed to its name. I’m not sure anything else really matters.

I look forward to seeing what you will do with a fancypants camera. You may even inspire me to treat myself as well.

P.S. Tat - thanks for that link. Some wonderful images.

6000: aren’t they? The one with the pigeons in Stambul especially stunning.

Your daughter is 1 week older than me! Well, plus some [incomplete] decades… Congrats!

Tatyana: thank you very much. And - if my sleep-deprived brain can actually cope with basic mathematics - happy birthday?!?

I liked the “Football players near Mount Agri” - I suspect Brian could do a thin version of that one, too.

Yes, a very happy - thank you, thank you!

The good news is DSLRs are cheaper than ever.  And it’s best to get a cheaper body (like a Nikon D40) and maybe upgrade to a more expensive lens later.