Camera for starters

If money is not an issue, I'd go with a DSLR. You can get a Nikon D40 for around $500 (6MP), or a Nikon D80 or Canon Rebel XTi (10MP) for around $800. All of these will have many program settings which will allow you to learn adjusting shutter and aperture settings. If it were film, that would be a little expensive and time consuming, but with digital, there's no added cost. If money is an issue, then there are many quality point and shoot digis. I'd go with a good name, Canon, Kodak, Fuji, to name just a few. You'll want to get a good megapixel rating and one with good quality. http://www.cnet.com is a great site for reviews and comparisons. Also, http://www.popphoto.com is a great magazine site that's very helpful.

I'd recommend starting with film, but only if you can get access to a darkroom. The darkroom experience is something that if you have the opportunity to do, you should. It's more fun than digital, and feels more rewarding. Also, a film slr is about 1/5 the cost of a digital one. Pretty much any slr these days has the automatic settings and the manual settings. So, pick whatever's in your budget. A digital slr is a hefty price to shell out for a starter.

My advice .... since you have been using a point and shoot camera, and feel that you want to advance to know how to control your shutters and things like that, you should get a prosumer camera. A prosumer camera looks a little like a DSLR, but smaller. Some of the manufacturers even gave the users free hand to tweak their cameras. The price? some of them are lower than entry level digital cameras. Shop around and see what you is suitable for you. Don't rush into making a decision just because the salesperson (who know nothing of cameras) tell you wonderful things about the gadget.

Have you worked with SLR cameras before, or have you only had experience with point-and-shoot cameras? I'm not a pro, but I didn't attempt to even use an SLR until I was comfortable with the photography basics (films speed, shutter speed, light variations and how to adjust your camera, etc). I find that if you are just starting to get serious about photography but don't know that much, then make sure you are comofortable with your point-and-shoot first. Then, move onto the more expensive SLR, where you can build upon your experience and experiment. Hope that helps. And above all, HAVE FUN!

I'd reccomend a point-and-shoot first because they are more user friendly and you can get used to photography easier. Also DSLR's are a lot more money and thats a lot to spend for something you might not be good at or might not end up enjoying as a hobby. I just bought a canon G7...its kinda of in-between a point and shoot and a DSLR (altho classified as a point and shoot). There's not a lot of cameras in that inbetween category but that's a way to go too.