What type of digital camera should i buy?

The Nikon D70 will probably get you the most bang for your buck. At under $1000 for the basic kit, it is a whole lot of camera. In my opinion Nikons have the best metering and color balance. I highly recommend it!

It depends on what you mean by professional quality. If you just want really, really good image quality, you can get away with getting a top-rated five or six-megapixel camera from well known makers, such as Nikon, Canon, and Olympus. However, if you want to manipulate the images using the tools of professionals, such an interchangeable lens and advanced shooting modes, then you do want to look into investing in a digital SLR.

If you really want the kind of camera the pros use, you need a single-lens reflex (SLR) with interchangeable lenses. These are the same cameras photojournalists and others have used for decades (i.e. same basic body, same optics) but with the film part replaced with digital imaging. Several companies make these, including Nikon, Canon, and Olympus. A great site for getting information and reviews about digital cameras is Digital Photography Review. See link below.

It depends on what you mean by professional quality. If you just want really, really good image quality, you can get away with getting a top-rated five or six-megapixel camera from well known makers, such as Nikon, Canon, and Olympus. However, if you want to manipulate the images using the tools of professionals, such an interchangeable lens and advanced shooting modes, then you do want to look into investing in a digital SLR.

If you really want the kind of camera the pros use, you need a single-lens reflex (SLR) with interchangeable lenses. These are the same cameras photojournalists and others have used for decades (i.e. same basic body, same optics) but with the film part replaced with digital imaging. Several companies make these, including Nikon, Canon, and Olympus. A great site for getting information and reviews about digital cameras is Digital Photography Review. See link below.

i love my Casio Exilim. i was starting on a two week driving tour of the west when my other camera crapped out. i stopped in a Walmart and bought this camera at a reasonable price and then bought a memory card that would hold about 700 pictures. it was an easy camera to learn to use and i took some great pictures on that trip. since then i've learned a lot more about the extra features and my pictures get better and better. last time i was 4 wheeling in the woods, i lost it...when i went back looking for it, i found it...it had fallen out of my pocket and i had run over it...i felt like crying because i had gotten so attached to it. guess what? it worked just fine!!! i can recommend this one, it has performed well for me for over two years now. enjoy your trip...i am envious of your adventure.