Olympus C-770, Canon S* IS, or Panasonic FX15/20???

[Jen]

I'm going crazy trying to choose between these cameras. Ultra zoom and around $500 budget, manual control, and great pictures are my main criteria. The lack of IS on the Olympus gives me pause, but it takes great pictures. I also do not like the style of the Olympus -- I prefer the bulkier grip like the others. But, it takes great pictures! The pros and cons of each one seem to balance the others out.

My Olympus C-700 was recently stolen so I'm sentimental toward the Olympus, but I don't want to spend money based on emotions alone as I will be keeping this new camera for at least a few years.

Besides the IS of the Canon and Panasonic, is there any show-stopper that I should consider in my purchase? Memory card type, battery type, etc?

Thanks,
Jen

[Jen]

In my original post I asked about the FX-15/20..... I mean FZ-15/20.

Jen

[Rex914]

Your best bets are either of those Panasonics (I'm more partial to the FZ-20) or the Canon S2 IS. As much as the Olympus is nice, the lack of IS does hurt, especially if you'll be shooting things at night or indoors.