Gone are the film-based rituals of killing off a roll or waiting until days after an event to see if you have a decent picture. Make the move to digital photography and you'll probably find yourself taking more pictures than ever before. Among the new cameras, the Nikon Coolpix 990 stands out. In a crowd, you can hold it over your head with the lens facing forward and twist the lcd screen down so you can see what you're getting when you press the shutter button. While cheaper, they are by no means cheap.
Battery life needs to be improved, and the memory cards are too pricey.
This may turn out to be the camera of the future, but right now it's too bulky for amateur shooters. Whatever direction digital photography takes us, snapping pictures for posterity will never be the same. Mama, please take our Kodachrome away. This article is from the current issue of TIME Digital on newsstands now. I fyou are interested in receiving the print version, please check out our subscription page.