froufrou...I'd recommend that you go the library & look up digital camera's in "Consumer Report." ...that way you can get the plus & minus' ...price range....and more for your buck! If you have online service to your library, you may be able to look at Consumer Report online. This is my 3rd digital but I take pics everyday (practically)...mostly nature pics. I have a Sony Cyber-shot, Model DSC-H5, 7.2 MP ...had it a few yrs. now & like it alot..has a 12X optical zoom. And I use Microsoft Photo Suite for my software program but that is old now (as my computer)...if you have VISTA or the new Windows 7, my program won't work. Good luck hunting! Jeanne S.

There are several good telephoto lenses (the kind you want to buy) available for your cameras. Since your current lens can cover distances to 80mm, you should look for one with a focal length of at least that. Bigger numbers indicate the ability to handle longer distances. A 160mm lens will focus to twice the distance your current lens will. A 240mm lens will focus to three times the distance. However, as this focal length increases, three things will happen to the lens: it will get more expensive; generally larger and heavier; and less able to handle lower levels of light. Expensive is expensive; there is not much you can do with that besides buy a used lens or a third-party lens (in your case, a lens by anyone other than Canon). The inability to handle lower levels of light can be compensated for several ways. You could keep the camera lens open longer to admit more light -- but that can cause blurring if you're shooting a moving subject or holding the camera without a tripod. You could use flash, though the flash that comes on the camera likely won't have enough power to light something far away, so you might have to buy a flash unit. You could spend more money :-) and get a telephoto lens that has a wider maximum aperture. These are sometimes dramatically bigger and heavier than less-capable lenses. Or you could buy an "IS" (Image Stabilization) lens; the lens largely eliminating blur caused by handholding. Neat feature; not cheap. If you choose to buy a used lens, it's best to buy one in person at a place that sells used photographic equipment and will give you at least a little warranty. Bring your digital so you can see some results right away. Since Canon is a popular brand, if you live near an urban area you shouldn't have trouble finding a good lens. If you buy a third-party lens, stick with better-known brands (Tamron and Tokina come to mind, but try to avoid their very cheapest lenses). A good third-party lens will have a metal lens mount and operate smoothly and quietly. You also will have to make sure it works with your particular Canon camera model. Sometimes third-party lenses don't work well with a given manufacturer's camera, so you may lose some automatic features or exposure information. That's a lot to digest at once, I'm sure. There also are several Web sites which discuss lenses for Canons -- but be warned that there is just a firehose of information out there because Canon is such a popular brand.

Wow, it looks like I have some thinking to do. I don't have a smartphone and not sure that I want one, but I do really like Ann's pics. Yesterday, I was looking in the direction of maybe a Canon PowerShot ELPH 150 IS, but was talking to a friend last night and she said that her iPad takes pretty good pics and I have been thinking about getting an iPad. Maybe I'll explore that first...I don't know, gotta think about it. Thanks for pointing out the Gallery...I don't think about that and Conversations much because many years ago there wasn't a lot of activity there, but I see that has changed. And, you are absolutely correct about Sharon's tips...I looked at a few of them and know they will help me. Again, thanks to everyone for your help and I promise some day you will see a food pic from me...it may only be a mouth watering ear of sweet corn or BLT (my current diet), but you'll see something someday. Janet

Sophie, an artist friend of mine told me that when we get older, our eyes tend to see more yellow in things. What looks to my son as blue probably appears as a blue green to me. Lizzy, keep that in mind as you get advice. A professional designer is still a good idea, no matter what age.