Is it true that by the end of the year there will be a digital cameral with a CCD at the 35 mm size?

a ccd of a 35 mm camera already exists. The Canon EOS-1DS Mark II digital SLR has a 16.7 Megapixel image sensor. But it is neither cheap nor compact.

The Hasselblad H3D-39 is a 39 mega-pixel digital slr. The sensor captures 36 x 49 mm, slightly less than the 60 x 60 mm frame of 120 film that Hasselblads traditionally used. You can buy a luxury sedan for the price of the Hasselblad. Even though Hasselblads traveled to the moon (nad many other places) they never were meant to be very portable.

One thing to keep in mind is that some of the best digital shots are taken with Nikon cameras with the DX (smaller than 35 mm film) sized sensor, or the models from Canon that have a smaller size sensor. An excellent sensor combined with super lenses and very fast proprietary processors that translate the sensor's image to a RAW or JPEG file is really what counts. There are certain laws of physics and electronics that do not improve picture quality when the sensor is larger than a certain size, except that more detail is captured.

A very important distinction is between the sensors of compact digital cameras and D-SLR's. D-SLR's have much larger sensors than cameras that fit in a pocket, and this translates into awesome quality. There is nothing like a D-SLR when it comes to picture quality. Except....that most people do not want to haul a D-SLR around.

In the end, your artistic vision counts more than your gear. The most challenging part is to take that picture that has most impact. This takes time, practice and talent.

i have also seen rumors of a canon 40D on some forums. ones have said its just a rumor..as now no one can find info on it. canon seems to put a camera year and the 30D is a yr old..so its possible.