But it’s big. 

I also use a Pentax Optio V20 that I got at Woot for about $125.  It’s not quite as good at capturing pictures in ambient light indoors, at night—but it’s very good in daylight.

Here’s a picture I took with the Optio last night, no flashes (it’s a 3-piece stitched-together tryptich):
http://timpanogos.wordpress.com/2010/06/09/foul-ball-ouch/

I’ll have to search around for a low-light photo from the K10.

When I shoot waist level, I brace my forearms against my sides with the camera close to my body.  It works especially well when using a pistol grip or monopod.  But Image Stabilization makes even good holding techniques better, so I’m a definite fan of digital.

(By the way Image Stabilization predates digital cameras.  If I’m not mistaken it first appeared in very expensive binoculars.)

Back when I was repairing cameras, I’d have been very surprised to think that one day I’d consider buying a camera from Sony or Panasonic.  How the market does change: those are really great brands now, both filling new design niches (along with Olympus) that Canon, Nikon, and Pentax were late getting to; “mirrorless SLR’s”.  And Minolta and Konica are both gone.

Anyway (drumroll please) I decided:  I am getting the G11, then waiting six months to a year, and then getting the NEX-5.  My hands are getting worse, so both cameras need to be light, and both those cameras are.

Thank you everyone!  I’ll post a review of the G11 soon.  And if you’ve written any camera reviews anywhere, please link them in the comments too.

It’s also easier to hand-hold a camera with an eye-level viewfinder. Your two arms form a triangle, which makes them more rigid than when holding a camera away from the eye.

On both counts I think the Canon G11 is probably the best buy for now.

I often combine the two by using the monopod, collapsed and attached to the camera, as a kind of grip-on-steroids+steadicam. But you know what I really miss in digicams?  A cable release.

The Sony DSC-HX5V has a CMOS sensor and “Handheld Twilight Mode” which is a nifty auto-bracketing and image-combination trick.  So yes, it should give outstanding low-light performance!  Plus it’s Design By Sony.

I do like the professional-type controls on the G11, and the superb vari-angle viewfinder.  Handled one again last night and its shadow processing is clearly a big deal. I’d have to use an accessory handle for a better grip though.  I am tempted to get one, and use it for a year or two until Sony works the new-model bugs out of the NEX-5. 

But if the NEX-5 were released tomorrow, I’d be tempted to get one.  There aren’t even any good rumors as to the release date – does anybody know?

Wish I had more suggestions. I’m looking for a camera that can do well in low light primarily. “Do well” means photograph moving things without flash in good indoor light. I’ve been using a Kodak C763 for a few years now. It’s one of those entry level digital cameras. It was a great deal at the time, and it’s been a good camera for outdoor scenes. Indoors is quite another matter though.

One thing I’ve been wondering about with respect to zoom – how much zoom is usable when you’re holding the thing in your hands? My experience has been that even the 3X on my camera can be tough to get a clear shot with, even in sunlight. That could have something to do with the camera’s software, but I suspect that at some point, you really need a tripod, assuming there’s no level surface handy.