Peter J E Brunning wrote:
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I am very pleased with my FZ7. It's got a much better lens and zoom
than most point-and-shoot cameras and is smaller, lighter and cheaper
than an SLR. It was highly favoured in the zlr newsgroup when the
group was working well. I also have a personal preference for the
Lumix controls - I also have a nice small Canon but wonder if I
shouldn't have got another Lumix as they are perhaps even smaller.
That said, I am now wondering about an SLR...
Peter

Peter and others,

The rec.photo.digital.zlr group is still working well, and is the correct
place for this conversation. The charter of this newsgroup actually
excludes the ZLR cameras you are now discussing. Having said that, I
think that there is some justification for merging the groups having seen
how point+shoot cameras have advanced, and how manufacturers now prefer to
push DSLRs (greater profit on the accessories?) and have avoided producing
advanced ZLRs which might eat into those profits.

I have been using the earlier Panasonic FZ5 and been very pleased with the
results. I also carry a Nikon 8400 for wide-angle shots. Were I to get
another compact camera now, most likely it would be the Panasonic Lumix
TZ3

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonictz3/

I've recently seen a large number of images from this camera, and I like
the fit in the pocket size.

If you have need to use some of the large number of lenses available for a
DSLR, if you need low-light shooting at high ISO, of if you are
photographing randomly rapidly moving objects (no, not UFOs) such as
children or animals, a DSLR would be a good choice. I recently compared
the weight of the two small-sensor cameras in my bag (1.59kg) with a Nikon
D40 DSLR with kit lens and 55 - 200mm IS zoom (1.67kg).

Cheers,
David