I have a Nikon Coolpix 990 and I think it's as close as you can get to a SLR without going into the Thousands of Bucks Universe. It has apperture/speed control, white balance (which is very important for a digi-cam), exceptional macro (good for textures) and countless features more. The new model, the 995, has a connection for studio flashes and something more. On the other hand, Fuji and Sony have a lot of good cameras which you should check before making your decision. claudiow