Apples, oranges, new crop of P&S's

I don't want to haul my 5D and all it's gear on vacation. Yesterday I
checked out the following P&S cameras, most of them recent releases.

Lumix DMC-TZ3
Coolpix S700, S200
Coolpix 5100
PowerShot SD 750, SD 870-IS, SD950-IS
Powershot A650-IS

A couple of these have manual mode, most don't. Some have the annoying
"pre-flash" for red-eye reduction. Some claim high ISO, but I can't
seem to find adequate (or in some cases any) info on the noise
generated at high speeds.

Would appreciate some feedback on these models, especially if you own
any. Thanks!

JJ

jj.TakeThisOut@unspameljefe.net wrote:
> I don't want to haul my 5D and all it's gear on vacation. Yesterday I
> checked out the following P&S cameras, most of them recent releases.
>
> Lumix DMC-TZ3
> Coolpix S700, S200
> Coolpix 5100
> PowerShot SD 750, SD 870-IS, SD950-IS
> Powershot A650-IS
>
> A couple of these have manual mode, most don't. Some have the annoying
> "pre-flash" for red-eye reduction. Some claim high ISO, but I can't
> seem to find adequate (or in some cases any) info on the noise
> generated at high speeds.
>
> Would appreciate some feedback on these models, especially if you own
> any. Thanks!
>
> JJ

JJ,

I have the TZ3 and have been very pleased with it. The combination of
28mm wide-angle and 10X optical image-stabilised zoom suits my style. Any
small-sensor camera will struggle at higher ISOs (or present a
highly-processed picture), and they are best used at ISO 100-200. You can
turn off the pre-flash with the TZ3, and there is an element of manual
control (.e.g using the scene modes, which are described better in the
manual than some I have seen).

I have bigger cameras, including a D40 DSLR and lenses which was chosen
for small size and weight, so that I can take both the DSLR outfit and the
TZ3 on vacation. How the cameras handle for you is worth considering as
well.

Cheers,
David