Genixia - I'm not going to argue with you. I said it's what I would do. I didn't include development because it's kind of a given and not a fixed item cost. I only wanted to make a suggestion as to a possible option that my not have been considered. To MY eye my $500 digital doesn't take any better photos than my $150 Olympus P&S. I don't want to get into a camera lens / religion discussion. Revlmwest mentioned a budget of about $500, and my suggestion is not nuts within that constraint. I personally don't care if he takes stone tablets and a chisel to take photos in China. Weatherproof P&S cameras are better able to resist misting/light rain and can take bumps pretty damn well. I just don't have that same level of belief in my Canon S30, I haven't owned it long enough. If you do, great.

Even with development I'm no where near the $900 or so for the digital camera, 1 GB micro, 2 extra batteries. Also, what if you want to actually have a real photo album? You would still need to send the digital copies out to a service for approximately the same cost as developing from film, although I'll grant you can be pickier about which pix you develop.

There is no right answer. What's best for you, me or Revlmwest are not the same thing.

-Zeke