Whenever I contemplate the purchase of a new camera, I think about several things. There's the usual cost/benefit analysis -- size, weight cost, number of pixels, etc. But the most important question is an intangible:

Will this camera change the look of my pictures?

I am now using my fourth digital camera. Each one gave my pictures a different look. My first had a long-range zoom and an image stabilizer, but suffered from too few pixels. The next had very solid color rendition, and built-in infrared capability, but had a limited zoom range. The third had a wider angle lens and more megapixels, but suffered from noise and a limited zoom range. My current camera has fewer pixels, a long-range zoom, image stabilizer, and weighs almost nothing.

Looking through my pictures, it's easy to see the personality of each camera. And each new camera, with its new capabilities and limitations, brought new challenges and new opportunities.

It's also a good question to ask when considering the acquisition of a new printer or any other piece of hardware or software that can affect the look of your pictures.