RPS wrote:
I am looking for an all-purpose travel camera which I can always keep
with me. I made a list of all the features I would want and DPreview
tells me it doesn't exit! Great.

So which of the following features would you give up in a travel
camera if it were your only camera:

1. Manageable size. Not necessarily light, but should fit a big
pocket.

I would like light and small, but I find I usually carry my DSDR

2. At least 28mm at the wide end.

While you can stitch a group of images if needed, I consider wide angle
a most important feature and seldom travel with less than 24mm or wider
equalivent.

3. Approx 200+ mm at the tele end. (No tripod.)

I can live without this on most trips.

4. IS

I can live without it. Practice and a little knowledge can do a lot
here.

5. Possibility of either aperture or shutter priority.

Since you can control one with the other.... Why Worry?

6. Optical View Finder.

Only if I must.



All of the above was based on my needs your may vary greatly.



OK, no such thing at present. Therefore which are one or two of the
most dispensable features in your experience and opinion?

[BTW... if I take out optical viewfinder, I am left with one choice
Lumix FZ18, which has not been reviewed yet and seems too big anyway.

If I give up the wide angle instead I am left with Canon G7, also
large but (barely) manageable. I could live with the size, but hate
to give up 28mm.

If I give up optical finder and settle for 100+ telephoto, then there
good pocketable choices: Lumix Lx2, LX1; Leica D-Lux3, D-Lux2.]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit