Mother of god - not just jumping right into the DSLR end... but also 35mm sensors? I'm not sure when a few GRAND got affordable, maybe that's just me.
What you need to consider first, is whether you'll be PRINTING the wide aspect photos. So long as your image sensor has a decent pixel count, you'll be able to crop and still print an average sized panoramic (4x10). My immediate assumption (just happen to be looking for 1920x1080? Hmm...) is that you're looking for wide-aspect shots for your monitor/HDTV. This can still be done through cropping.
Let me put it into perspective, using my Canon S3 IS as an example, as I am most familiar with it: At the highest resolution, it can take pictures at 2816x2122. Even if you were to crop it to 16:9 (HDTV) ratio, you would have a resolution that looks more like 2816x1584, well above your native resolution.
A few KEY things to remember before and when buying digital:
1) The megapixel is mostly marketing fluff. If you intend to leave the files digital for onscreen viewing and expect to keep the prints you do make to small sizes like 4x6, a 3MP camera will do you fine. You do gain extra detail with higher resolutions, but unless you intend to make very large prints or want to dive into this with the same fanaticism as the audio hobby, you'll likely never see the difference.
2) Pay for the glass. Most of the non-traditional camera names have jumped onto the quality lens bandwagon: Sony with Zeiss, Kodak with Schneider and Panasonic with Leica, as examples. Not all are created equal though. I can assure you a Panasonic with a Leica lens is not hundreds of dollars less than a Leica with a Leica lens for no good reason. Generally, consider how you want your photos to look like you want your audio: The Japanese tend to have a softer (warm) focus, while the Germans have crisp, sharp (bright) focus.
3) Consider battery options. Outside of an SLR, you are stuck with what the camera will accept. Proprietary cells are more powerful and usually last longer than "AA's", but they are costly and if you run out of juice in Mongolia, you probably won't be able to hit any corner store for fresh power.
4) If you pay the price for a fast camera, buy a fast card. It is worth the money. A card that can match or preferably exceed the speed of your camera in read/write access time will make the difference between buying a point-and-shoot and a
point-and-hope
5) The basics: Weight, size, durability, quality construction. All the little tangibles that really add up fast. This brings me to the last tip...
6) Get out there and TRY it. These things come in such varied sizes and shapes, you really don't know if you're going to like the interface, functionality and usability of the device until you get your tiny/medium/enormous hands on them. One man's award winning product is another man's confounding gizmo that turns off all the time and takes shots that are under exposedwith fingers blocking of every shot.
When it comes down to it, consider your usage and run with it. Zoom is a big consideration, although
typically you either need it or don't and it's just another price tag raiser. If you have a baby, speed and a longer zoom is a must. Speed for obvious reasons
and zoom, as you don't want to expose their sensitive eyes to a speedlight at close range.
Digital imaging technology has come along that you can rest assured that no matter your budget, you will be able to find a quality camera that will do everything you're looking for (and more), and that will do so very, very well. Happy hunting!
