looking for a compact camera w/6+ zoom, trying to narrow down choices

[welldone]

I'm having a bit of trouble narrowing things down.

Budget

* What budget have you allocated for buying this camera? Please be as specific as possible.
I'm pretty flexible.

Size

* What size camera are you looking for? Or does size not matter at all to you?
Pocket-sized, preferably fit in jeans or cargo pants pocket.

Features

How many megapixels will suffice for you?
From what I've been reading 6 should be fine. I'm not sure if I should go higher or lower though.

* What optical zoom will you need? (None, Standard = 3x-4x, Ultrazoom = 10x-12x, Other - Specify)
I was thinking 6+. I'm not sure how great a difference 6x is from 3x.

* How important is “image quality” to you? (Rate using a scale of 1-10)
8

Do you care for manual controls?
Doesn't matter. I don't mind the modes for scene types and white balance etc.

General Usage

* What will you generally use the camera for?
Travel. Mostly hiking outdoors. Sometimes indoor shots of family/interior of buildings I visit.

landscape photos from mountaintops.
Macro and general plants/animals/people on trail (dimmer light, depends on tree cover), or in clearing. Sometimes I need to be quick.
I like taking pics of birds, which tend to be quick and sometimes high up
It's been fairly often that I've been frustrated that an object/animal is too far away and seems like a smudge in the photo (I currently have 3x zoom)
Not too often indoors
Movie mode w/sound is very important to me


* Will you be making big prints of your photos or not?
Only occasionally

Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos?
Light can range depending on amount of sunlight (tree cover etc). Sunset/evening/skyline photos sometimes. Not so much indoor.

Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos?
Not really

Miscellaneous

Are there particular brands you like or hate?
Prefer brands that use common storage - not like Sony's memory stick, or I guess Olympus xD card.


Are there particular models you already have in mind?
From searching for 6+ zoom compact cameras I've seen the following (listed not in any particular order):
Canon A710 IS / G7 (they seem to be rather similar)
Canon A700
Panasonic DMZ TZ1
Panasonic LZ5
Nikon S10
Kodak v610
Samsung NV7
Ricoh Caplio R5

The last two, the Samsung and Ricoh - I haven't seen much about them.
I'm not sure how much the zoom is truly usable either, if the pictures are pretty noisy then there doesn't seem much point.


(If applicable) Do you need any of the following special features? (Wide Angle, Image Stabilization, Weatherproof, Hotshoe, Rotating LCD)
IS

Other Preferences:

I do have a concern about the lens cover staying closed, I tend to have other stuff in my pocket, or the fit is rather tight for the camera (I've scratched my cell phone with keys and the metal thingys on jeans above the pockets). I'm afraid the lens might get pushed open. Though I always forget to remove external lens caps...
I would prefer a viewfinder, but I'm finding that I'm using the LCD more often now, as I can see what I'm really getting
I prefer it to be easy to change modes and not have to fiddle with the settings too much while taking photos.
I have a strong preference to not having to touchup photos using software
I prefer it to be durable, I can be a bit clumsy at times, but I'm not expecting it to survive falling down the side of a mountain.
I don't plan on adding special lenses etc.
I don't mind carrying an extra proprietary battery, I usually have a chance at the end of the day to charge the camera, but longer battery life is better

[John_Reed]

I can tell you more about the Panasonic DMC-TZ1. It sounds like you have been looking at all the cameras, so I don't need to spell out all the details. With respect to your "Jeans Pocket" requirement, the TZ1 doesn't have an automatic lens cover, it has a plastic lens cap that attaches to the camera via a string. With the lens cap in place, I have carried it in my jeans pocket. (I wear standard fit 501 Levis; if you wear tighter ones, could be an issue)

With respect to your photo needs, I'll just let you look at a couple of my TZ1 galleries, and you can see the types of photos I've taken with this versatile little jewel of a camera. First, my general TZ1 Gallery; (http://John-Reed.smugmug.com/gallery/1357189/1/64120973) and for a flavor of traveling with the TZ1, my Washington D.C. Gallery. (http://John-Reed.smugmug.com/gallery/1615491/1/78608034)

I'm sure you'll have more questions; feel free to ask for others' opinions as well.

[welldone]

So far from reading more I've managed to narrow it down to:

Panasonic A710 IS / G7
Panasonic TZ1
Panasonic LZ5
Canon A700?
Kodak V610?

From what I've read so far, it seems the Ricoh has some problems with the lens jamming and problems with AF not working properly.

I can't find anything about the Samsung NV7, I haven't seen it either, but from the pics it looks like the lens sticks out and is not pocketable.

I'm not a big fan of Nikon, though I think that's prejudice from checking out past Nikons in the store, but I liked the swivel feature. From pics in reviews it seemed grainier than the others to me. And the reviews weren't as enthusiastic.

I worry about the lack of IS in the Kodak v610 but I seem to be reading good things about it. The same goes for the Canon A700. The size and zoom of the kodak appeals to me, but from the reviews the battery life seems short.

If that's the case that leaves the TZ1, the A710IS, the G7 and the LZ5. I have a bias towards Canon, since I have one of the older Elphs, so I might not have an objective view of the Panasonic. Although the TZ1 has the greatest zoom... I was glad John shared his pics, but I think I'm a good ways away from being an amateur photographer! It will be hard to say how my pics will come out till I actually use the camera.

Even if I like the looks and feel of the camera in the store, I think it's going to be difficult to actually test them outside without purchasing them first. I have a feeling most stores would frown upon my taking them outside, even if I stay in the vicinity of the store.

[speaklightly]

Hello John-

As always, I am impressed by your beautiful photos. I especially liked the Washington DC album. Congratulations!

Sarah