AAvK wrote:

...

Thanks. A few points:

(1) I don't need what you call insane zoom, around 200 would be ok. The
rest is bonus, welcome but not required.

(2) I take 28mm as beginning of wide angle. Now, one may say, what
about 29 which is so close? And if that is ok, what's the big deal with
30, and then 31? All of that is fine. If the rest of the package is
compelling, one need not quibble about 27,28, or 29.

Fuji E-90 is a good package which will suit many, but even if I accept
32, the tele end is too short and there are no manual controls: so I am
looking at *three* compromises. I have already determined that in the
present market I need not compromise on more than one featu
wide-angle, tele, manual control, size.

(3) I realize that given the market, I do have to compromise somewhere
even if there are no technological reasons why a camera with all the
features should not be offered (grrrrrr.....). I am trying to decide
what compromise is most acceptable to me. (Of course, waiting is one
possible compromise as I do have other cameras.)

(4) What I need is one single camera, absolutely no attachments etc.
When I travelled with my film camera (35mm fixed focal length) I seem
to miss the wide angle just a little more often than tele, hence my
goal of at least 28mm. I would *like* to have the option of manual
control, but when deciding what to give up it would be one chip on the
table.

The size, everyone has to handle and decide for themselves. For me,
Canon G7, Panasonic TZ-3, LX-2 would have been acceptable on size.
Like many here, I am waiting to see and handle FZ-18.

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Z (Remove all XX, YY, ZZ)