Two missing points... (Score 2, Informative)

Image noise, and speed of operation. Compare a consumer type camera at ISO 400 with a DSLR at 1600. The DSLR will almost always give a cleaner image with less noise. Why is that? As the author shows, the consumer cameras have much smaller imaging chips. It doesn't take too much to figure out that cramming 8 million pixels onto the smaller chip will give much smaller pixel wells than 6 million onto the larger. A smaller pixel well doesn't capture as much light as a larger one. When you up the ISO equivalancy for a faster shutter speed, or working in low light conditions, you're amplifying the signal more. More amplification, more noise. Which looks very much like film grain. I've looked at D70 and 20D images at high ISO settings against almost all of the 8MP all in ones and it's not even close. The DSLRs win hands down. Also DSLRs focus and make their calculations MUCH more quickly than the small cameras. It all depends on what your own individual preferences are. Buy a compact if size and convenience are the most important factors, or if it's the almighty buck that's the biggie. But if image quality and speed are more important, than pony up to the big leagues. tbuck