I have been photographing objects for databases for awhile an I far prefer digital. It is very cheap and saves alot of time. The Olympus cameras create beautiful pictures and use the Smartcard memory system that just downloads into your computer. With a big card you can hold hundreds of pictures. They start at $300 (360-L which does beautifully)and go way up from there. The Sony cameras use regular floppies, but I get annoyed with constantly haveing to keep track of all of them and it is slower. Lower end Sonys do not take as nice a picture either, at least the Mavica I used didn't. As for the expense, you probably do not need the highest resolutions out there, most computer moniters do not display the full resolution of the pictures and they will eat up memory. If the pictures are for reference in a database just stick to the lower end and hire a photographer for professional/publicity shots and slides when you need them. Also, you need someone who knows how to work Photoshop if you want the pictures to look good. It is an easy program to use (once you learn it). Other programs offer more fluff and less practicality. Good luck and e-mail me offline if you have more questions Elizabeth Walton ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).