I agree with Paul. I have had several problems over the past years with CDs.

1. Some have de-laminated all by themselves (digital film has pulled away from the disc). 2. I was cleaning one CD with a liquid CD cleaner and capillary action pulled the Cleaner from the cloth and caused it to move under the film - againmseparating the film from the CD. 3. Some CD's have just stopped working. Apparently corrupted but this occurred on re-writable CD's instead of regular CD's. (The one that was most disastrous was some of the wedding pictures of our son) - irretrievable.

In addition to the CD issues, I have had the media cards you insert into a digital camera corrupt more than once. This manifested itself by not being able to read it into the computer and several times when the storage media corrupted while in the camera. If you have this happen too many times you get a little nervous about going digital 100%.

I liken film as my incorruptible hard copy. I always have it if I want to scan it and it is easy to store for many years. It is also easier to travel with - at least at this time. I still see all the pieces of the digital systems coming together eventually but they have not exactly made it yet for me. Some day.

Professionals that can afford the current systems and those that absolutely need the pictures the same day like news papers have overriding needs right now. And yet, we can enter this world on the low side or the high side if we can spend the money and don't mind all the pieces or the associated problems. Can you imagine taking all your pictures digitally on your trip to the UK and then get home and they screw up when you slide the card into the card reader. I have had two different card readers and this too has happened on both. (For those that this has never happened - good. I am just recounting some of the issues I have dealt with over the past several years of heavy photography.) If I lost my vacations pictures I would be shattered.

Digital or film is a decision only you can make but make sure that you have studied all the magazines, books and digital user groups so that you can make an informed decision.

Best regards, Mike and Fran