a bit of a grey area, no so photography for hunters, more help in choosing a small compact digi camera for my wife.

you know how women love to snap pictures at weddings, christenings etc.

well has anyone got some good advice on which camera to go for, criteria will be,

compact enough for a smallish handbag
large viewing screen
easy to use
quick to snap pictures
excellent picture quality
cheap enough so i don't have to sell any guns to buy it!

any help would be much appreciated

i think the canon ixus route is a good one but which one?
the 960 is looks good, any views?

should i worry about shutter lag? the 860 is is seemingly quicker but has less pixels, should that be a worry?

You wont go wrong with the Sony Cybershot range one of my favorites.
The canon looks ideal as well youre definetely on the right path.

Look @ the G series canons. Of course the G9 is the latest ( and is probably the best ) plenty of features that you can grow into, certainly much more than a point n shoot but a VERY capable point n shooter as well. Dr.C

G9 is the best there is in a point & shoot BUT it's not simple to use. It would likely frustrate a novice. If someone is willing to read and understand the huge manual then it's the way to go!!

I've been shooting 35mm and medium format for years and bought the G7 and am very impressed. The G9 is the replacement for the G7.

I don't know what is locally available for you, here is a list of top 10 models to see if there is something available in your area:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,139659/article.html

Personally, I would not want a lens that protrudes that much. The 2 digital camera fatalaties in our house happened because someone knocked the open lens and broke the zoom motors. I just got a Canon S5 which is a different animal, but for a point and shoot that will be rattling around in a handbag the simpler the lens the less that can go wrong.

We have tried practically every make of compact - and SLR digital cameras on the market. And finally decided that for compacts, Canon are tops, followed by Panasonic.

Go for a camera that has a wider angle lense - 28mm equivalent. It makes life so much easier when taking photos amongs friends, as you can include everyone in the photo.

Pick one that has image stabilization. Again, both Canon and panasonic have a great system of avoiding the shakes.

Sometimes you have to choose between a higher magnification factor, or a wider angle lense.

For a small compact camera, I would pick the wider angle model any time.

I would also suggest you avoid any camera that has more than 8 megapixels. All you will get is more noise on photos taken indoors.

I personally use a canon 860IS, and I love it. It is always in my pocket. And it also takes great video clips too.

Just make sure you have a high capacity memory card - I use an 8GB card.

Saeed is right on the money here. I have put the G7 through it's paces and it is surprisingly capable for a relatively inexpensive camera. Not sure I can comment on the noise over 8 MP but users will find the limitations very easy to live with. FYI - the macro function of these little cameras is the real test. Long daylight outdoor photos are easy to pull off.

thanks for all the help,

in the end i picked up a canon 950IS, it seems to fit the bill just nicely,

thanks again