I purchased a replacement digital camera for the wife.. Specifically because it had the shortest ramp up time in it's class at the time. Without it you cannot photograph many things. She does like the 18X zoom with an additional 4X digital zoom though. The image stabilization seems to be well above average as well. Even at 18X zoom.

People are not estatic about their digital camera purchases so all brands and models appear on ebay as used very frequently after. Hugely discounted compared to new. This was a panasonic by the way I got her. So far she is basically happy with it.

Still a comprimise as certain other features are better on other brands of cameras in the same class. I have not kept up so do not know if low light imaging has really improved a lot. It has been a sore point for a long time with digital cameras. Or I have heard many endless complaints of it.

As was mentioned by another poster MTI they are refined fairly often so anything aquired that is a straight diogital is going to be fairly obsolite in a short enough time. That is why I decided to limit the cost by using ebay. Most of these cameras also have a point and shoot function. The problem is they are a little larger. Not as large as a single lens reflex digital. Perhaps half the size though.

I totally understand that there is a vast difference overall between a single lens reflex digital camera and a normal digital camera. So much so that if I wanted a digital camera for myself I would go for the slr. Unfortunatly in my opinion there is still not much comparison between the two. Straight digitals are always going to have some things you possibly really do not like still at this point of their evolution.