*steer clear of the samsung NV24 and your doing ok
Fuji F100fd - This is probably hands-down the best point and shoot camera, If I was in the market this is the one I would get. It has a 5xzoom starting at 28mm and 12mp of resolution spread over a larger sensor than most cameras, it's fuji super CCD makes it the best lowlight performer* before stepping up to an SLR and it even captures a fraction more detail than canons top of the line G9 - if you care about image quality, look no further.
*also the best underwater camera when combined with its underwater housing
Sony W300 - 13.6mp... lots of resolution and it holds up well, quick and fun to use, again the pixels are spread across a larger sensor but I think nearly 14 is starting to push it. Only has a 35mm wide angle but it's very sharp, has smile detection and it works... fun when you've had too much to drink to be able to co-ordinate your finger with the subjects smile. If you like Sony - go for it, it's their best point and shoot.
Panasonic FX35/36 - I like this little guy, 25mm wide angle lens, small, strong build quality, great carry anywhere camera, and full HD video recording, image stabilized, it's only downside is that it has a small sensor, so low light image quality is not as good as the fuji or sony. There is also an FX500 which increases the zoom from 100mm to 125mm - the equivalent of walking about 2 steps forward. If you like your video in a small strong package get this one.
Panasonic TZ5 (TZ15) - This is the best travel camera, 10x zoom starting at 28mm zooming all the way to 280mm with a nice strong build quality and full HD video, 9mp sensor and huge 3 inch screen. It's just alittle too big to stick in a jeans pocket but the quality is fantastic. Also available in a slightly cut back version, the TZ4 (TZ11) has 8mp and a 2.5 inch screen. Image quality between the two is almost a non issue, the choice is more down to the LCD screen and your budget.
Canon 860IS - This is the best IXUS, 8mp on it's small sensor is not pushing the limit like the 10mp on the FX36(above), and it's 28mm lens is significantly better than the 850IS. The main thing people love about this camera is the 3 inch LCD on the back - it's the best i've seen on any camera yet - so if you like good image quality and really enjoy taking photos of people then showing them on the back of the camera for a laugh - this is the one for you, until the fuji F100 came out, this was the one I recommended to everyone.
