Pimp Me Digital Cameras

The vast majority of the SteelyKid pictures posted here have been taken with our Canon PowerShot A95 camera, which is around five years old at this point. It’s served us well, but is getting old, and has a few sub-optimal features, in particular the lag time between pushing the button and actually taking the picture– I can’t tell you how many incredibly cute baby pictures have been missed because she moved or changed expression during the shutter lag.

I’ve got a little disposable cash at the moment, and I’m toying with the idea of getting a new camera. I’d probably look at something a little fancier than the PowerShot, because there are a lot of pictures that I attempt that don’t quite turn out because of the limitations of the camera. I’m not looking for a full-on professional camera, but I might go for a basic digital SLR.

I’m sure that some people reading this know vastly more than I do, though. So, I’ll throw this out for my readers:

If I’m looking to upgrade my digital camera, what should I buy?

Price is not a huge factor– I’m not looking to spend multiple thousands of dollars, but several hundred would be ok. My main priorities are (relative) ease of use and shutter speed– I’d like something that can take good quality pictures quickly, especially now that SteelyKid is capable of rapid motion.