Which camera?

I'd like a little help if you could here guys. I have decided to get myself a decent digital camera as my old HP R707 just takes too long to take the kind of pics I want to take now. It was ok when I was just taking pics of pc parts for review purposes, but now I want to get into proper photography, so I need a proper camera. The problem is, I don't have a lot of knowledge on what cameras are out there.

I have been looking at the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20 and Fuji Finepix S7000. Can anyone tell me whether either of these are a good choice or whether I can get a better cam. I am looking to spend about £350.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Anyone?

[witters]

I owned the FZ20 briefly. Took excellent photos and the lens was top quality. Sadly the ergonomics let it down. I found it difficult to grip in my hands. Not unlike the EOS350D.

Can't comment on the 7000.

What will you be using it for?

£350 could probably get you a used 300D with lens? This would offer better photo quality and a lot of new options re lenses etc. Problem with DSLR's though is they are a lot bulkier than comapcts, so not as easy to carry around. In my opinion they are way better than any compact I've ever owned (and believe me I've had a lot!).

I could never get used to using the LCD as a viewfinder or evf's either!

I'll be using it mainly to take photos of local bands and also using it for it for more artistic shooting. It will also be used for taking photos at trade shows and events for websites.

[witters]

In that case I would definetly consider a DSLR. Then you'll get to use high ISO values to keep your shutter speeds up, especially useful for shooting bands.