first time camera buying advice - please help

I hate photoshopping, but there's an easy way to get filter effects that I like to use.  It's called a filter.  They've been around since before digital photography.  The gimmick on compact cameras doesn't desaturate a specific area; it desaturates all colours except the one specified, and it's not an accurate colour sampling.  If you want the look of having something like a flower in colour and everything else desaturated, you need to hire an editor.

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http://www.alexanderrogge.net/arshutterbug