Should I upgrade to a DSLR for Europe?

I currently have a Panasonic TZ3 and I love it. Problem is, I'm afraid I won't be able to take spectacular pictures in my 2 month trip across Europe. A DSLR will probably be bulky, expensive and suck if stolen but the pictures will surely be a large step up.

The last thing I want is to get to Europe and dred the fact that I don`t have an amazing camera for all the photo ops I will have. Glastonbury festival comes to mind.

Budget
<$800

Size
No preference

Features
Ultrazoom = 10x-12x

How important is “image quality” to you?
9

General Usage
The main reason for getting the camera would be for Europe.
I may make a few big prints.
Roughly 10% of photos taken will be indoor or action photos.

Thanks.

P.S. I really like photos and I feel my trip may focus around taking them, this is what brought up this desire. I don`t know a ton about cameras but I currently do overkill in how many photos I take. I literally took about 200 photos on a plane ride...

 

I suggest buying a Nikon d80. It can take very stunning pictures.

 

I'm not sure that I would, if it were me. If you want to buy a DSLR, it's a great move, but getting the most out of a DSLR requires a little more involvement and learning on your part - something you probably don't want to worry about right before your trip. Given that you have a TZ3, which takes very good pictures and has a fantastic zoom range, I'm doubly not sure. If you're not going to be taking huge numbers of photos indoors, I'm not convinced that you'll see a huge difference. Plus, to get the kind of zoom range you have with your TZ3, you'll need two lenses (or one expensive one).

Ultimately, if you want to get a DSLR, do it, but I wouldn't run out and buy one specifically for this trip. The TZ3 should be able to handle everything most people need for travel photography.

Just one opinion,
dr

 

For any DSLR there is the Sigma 18-200mm OS(Stabilized), it's about $350 or so.

For this job, I might suggest one of the higher-end Panasonic ultra-zooms, like the FZ50. It gives you stabilization, a REALLY nice piece of glass, but without the size, cost and complexity of a DSLR. It doesn't have the high-iso performance of a DSLR, but almost all the other features
-a

 

A late comment: Never buy new equipment just before taking off on a trip. If you get it awhile beforehand, you will have time to become familiar with it. There's nothing quite as frustrating as learning something new when hurried.

 

If I were you I'd stick with the TZ3, which is an excellent camera, especially for outdoors shooting. I think it's the perfect camera to take with you on a vacation. I don't know why you'd want to lug around a DSLR while traveling from place to place, especially when a DSLR is so visible and attractive to would-be thieves.

I recommend that you purchase several extra 4gb SD cards, so you won't have any reluctance to take as many photos as you want.

 

Don't buy a DSLR. DSLRs are awesome but they are not designed for backpacking (personal experience). It's verry bulky, heavy and draws way too much attension.

Been to venice with my old D200, incl tripod to make some timelapse photos. Result: groups of people standing behind me, taking take same photo over and over again. 'The guy has a tripod, he must be a good photographer!' But I didn't really had a moment for myself to focus on the pictures... Was quite annoying. Also when I visited major art galleries pictures aren't allowed. With a compact a quick photo is no problem, but hiding a DSLR is somewhat more difficult.