Which compact camera?

[kalniel]

First off, I'm looking for a small, trouser-pocketable camera, so no interchangeable lens or bridge camera malarkey

And it has to be excellent in all ways, cheap, flexible.. ah darn it.. OK, some priorities:

-Size/lack of protrusions. See pocketable comment.

-Image quality - I have a canon A720is and the image quality is superb in optimal conditions - it has a great lens and doesn't try to cram too many pixels in. I don't need lots of megapixels.

-Usable ISO up to 400-800 - the A720 can't manage more than 200 usably.

-Control - if image quality is highest in a particular range of settings I need to be able to control this on the camera. One of the reasons the A720is is so good is precisely this control - plus it has custom firmware that lets me at even more

The types of photography it would mostly be used for are landscapes, portraits and wildlife, so the requirements are quite tricky (wideish angle, long end with either fairly open aperture or high enough ISO for OK shutter speed, distortion free, sharp). Narrow D.o.F. not a huge priority, I've got the DSLR for that if I really need it.

The sony rx100 would be superb, but seems very expensive. Panny LX7 has nice specs, but a bit large and not long enough. Oly XZ-10 is the right size and image quality, but lens is a bit short? Panny LF-1 could be worth a look when released?

Or do I go down the travel zoom route and the likes of the canon sx240 etc.?

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Budget??

Edit!!

These two Fuji cameras look OK:

http://shop.fujifilm.co.uk/fujifilm-...furbished.html

http://shop.fujifilm.co.uk/fujifilm-...furbished.html

They both use 2/3" sensors.

Second Edit!!

The Olympus XZ1 is £234 on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...m-21/ref=nosim

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...m-21/ref=nosim

Third Edit!!

The Canon S100 is £230 from Currys:

http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/cameras...42760-pdt.html

However,IIRC there was some batch to batch variation regarding the lens.

[kalniel]

Budget - ideally under 200, but realistically would pay more for something that's a very good step up from the A720, but £450 for the Sony is too much.

Fuji XF1 is an excellent shout thanks, just a bit short on tele range. Will have to think if I need it.

The Oly XZ-1 is too big, sadly or I would be drooling at the XZ-2 which is amazing.

[Smudger]

Something from the last generation of compacts? Now the TZ40 is out, the TZ30 is £200 on Amazon. Similarly, the Canon SX270/280 are out, so the 240/260 are cheaper now...

Edit:

Sony DSC-HX20V is £180, again last year's model...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_...Asony+dsc-hx20

[kalniel]

Thanks, and agreed. Of those the SX240 seems the best in terms of image quality. Just got to decide if I want the nice zoom of these, or the low light performance of the short zooms like the XF1 etc.

[GoNz0]

i thought £450 for the Sony RX100 was too much, until i got one!