I guess that I need to put in my two cents worth. Depending on what you are taking pictures of I would recommend a scanner, especially for small flat items like chips. I don't have a digital camera but when my sister in law in Germany needed to see a photo that my wife had of a prize winning quilt that she made, I just scanned the photo and e-mailled it to her. She said that it turned out great. The scanner that I use is currently available from Circuit city for $40. A big savings from the $400 minimum for a digital camera.