3 Small 5MP Cameras to choose from

[kaitak98]

I hope you folks won't mind helping a first time poster... I am looking to replace my Canon SD110 with something that has larger LCD and better performance. I have narrowed it down to 3 cameras and would like your opinion on which way to go. I am looking for value for money so keep price in mind to some extent.

Here are the contenders, prices and my general impression from reading around the web.

1.Casio ExilimEX-Z57...$255 Shipped on Amazon with a Viking 256MB SD card thrown in. This looks like a great camera with a huge sexy LCD, quick boot up and shooting and great battery life. I have seen people say the image quality isn't what it could be and the LCD is fragile. Manual controls lacking.

2.Panasonic DMC-FX7K...$279 form 17th St. Photo via Amazon Market Place. Image stabilization is the big selling point here plus the Leica optics. Poor battery life and a design that makes camera shake more likely (really needs the image stab. I guess) are the problems that I have read about.

3.Fuji Finepix Z1...$236.99 from Abe's of Maine Smallest form factor. Battery life just OK. Photo quality can be questionable. Manual controls lacking.

So there we are. Please let me know what you think. I want an ultra compact camera with a large LCD and am willing to pay up to $300. This will be my "with me all the time" camera. I still use a film 35mm for serious photos (airshows, auto races, etc.) Someday I will move into the digital SLR world but right now I am looking for good quality every day photos with a lot of conveniences thrown in.

If I have missed a good candidate that falls into this range of price and features I would love to hear about it.

Thanks and Happy New Year-

Tom