Difference between Canon Powershot SX20 and Nikon D3100?

I need a little help here, I've been pursuing photography as a hobby and got a Canon Powershot SX20 IS because I didn't want to spend a lot of money if it turned out I wasn't very good.

But I think I turned out alright, my friends and family say I'm great and I'm proud of my work but now I feel like I need something… More.

Just better really, but I don't want something crazy complicated yet.

Can someone tell me the differences between these cameras and whether I should get a Nikon D3100?

The biggest difference is the Nikon is a dslr the Canon is not.

I'd also recommend the Canon Rebel line. I shoot two of them and I'm having excellent results.

The first obvious difference is the size of the sensor. The Nikon D3100 has a sensor that is over 15 times larger than the Canon P&S camera… That equals much higher resolution images, if you are up to the task.

The second is that the D3100 is fully adjustable, that means that you have full control of the camera, the Canon takes control of everything, you have no control other than how you compose the shots.

And third, the D3100 uses interchangeable lenses from fisheye to extreme telephoto.

The first thing you will want to do is learn how to use the light meter in the D3100.

The SX20 is a point-and-shoot camera. If you turned out very good with it, you might have a natural grasp of framing pictures correctly. The D3100 is a dSLR. It will offer you all the controls needed to vary the exposure level of your pictures. With it, you will no longer be just concerned with framing but with what stays clear and what's not, how light or how dark your picture will come out, which object should stay dark and which would come out visible, etc.

All dSLRs are basically the same. You get aperture size, shutter speed, ISO, EV and white balance controls. The more expensive the camera is, the more range of controls and more additional features you can ignore if you choose to. Peek into the link below to see if you can handle a more powerful camera.

http://www.illustratedphotography.com/basic-photography

Canon Powershot SX20 (superzoom) and Nikon D3100 (dslr)