I would LOVE to know the answer to this is well. But after a couple of months of being torn between what camera to get to go with the iPad, in my iPad bag, I finally made my decision.
First, the criteria. I am not only a photographer, but a photography and computer teacher. So, I pretty much eat, breathe and sleep cameras and computers.
Second, I already have 6 personal DSLRs...partly because older cameras don't have that great of resale value, but also because my wife also shoots sometimes., and finally because I have specialized cameras...d3 is too big for most purposes, d90 has video and great for travel, d70ir is converted for ir only. Wife uses d300, d40 too old to sell but was perfect travel camera until the d90 came out. Oh, and the d700 is just a perfect camera, unless I am traveling and want video clips.
But, NONE of these fit in the iPad bag.
I also have a few P&S cameras, but they are older, and it was time to get a new one. I really wanted an underwater capable camera, but mainly just didn't want just another p&s. REALLY, I wanted an internet capable camera, something that would make sense wi the iPad, to be a great travel companion.
So, I searched, read, considered, agonized, etc., etc.
The more I looked, the more I decided that the best p&s cameras comi out right now are on cell phones, with the latest gen of 5-8mp cell phone cameras.
For a LITTLE bit, I considered other, non-ios cameras, like the droid 8mp phone. But in a stroke of genius input from my wife, she provided a moment of clarity to stick with same os. Duh...why didn't I see that so clearly.
So, I went to eBay and found a deal on a used iPhone 4..and bought it.
Now, at the time, I only bought it basically to have a wifi camera. I wanted to be able to take pictures, video, geotag shooting locations when using my dslrs, etc.
What ended up happening is nothing short of a minor miracle, technology speaking.
I discovered I could take the iPad 3g sim and put it in the non-phone iPhone (I call it iPad Jr) and it has been PERFECT. I don't think I could have written a better tech plan. I can take pictures, upload to anywhere, transfer to iPad, take the iPhone into stores to barcode, take notes in meetings, research, add to do items, add photos, make a movie (iMovie on the iPhone is pretty cool...already used it to merge clips from event...working on another), etc., etc.
A dedicated camera would be a better camera, but not a better overall device. Any small camera is still not going to be as good as the real thing, so the iphone has been the perfect compromise for me.
BTW, I did try the itouch 4...but what a sad excuse for a camera that was. I think Apple missed an awesome opportunitynto capture the small p&s market wig the iT4.
Anyway, I'll be watching this thread to see if anybody else has a better solution.
Oh, one other thought was that this decision paved the way for me to get my wife an iPad now, instead of waiting for a new iPad for me for her to get the old one. I decided that iPad 2 with camera will be really, really cool, but it will still be a large device to take into stores, restaurants, grocerers, etc. Don't take me wrong, I did just that. For the last 8 month, I took my iPad everywhere...on my bike, to theaters, everywhere. But now with the iPhone 4, the iPad has settled down more into a sedentary life...and serves it's purpose very, very well.
So, ultimately, I decided that unless Apple rocks the world with a higher than iPhone 4 camera resolution, say with a 10mp rear facing camera, which would be like Ansel Adams View Camera awesome, I should not feel compelled to get the iPad just for the camera.
