LAST EDITED ON Nov-15-09 AT 10:54AM (MST)[p]After all is said and done, I will probably still get the Panasonic ZS1. AT $210, you are really not risking much. The Sony H20 is probably a safer bet quality and service wise, but it is not truly a wide angle camera.
What do I want out of new camera:
1) Compact: able to be put in a shirt pocket if necessary. Otherwise, I just don't take it with me or get it out to take pictures.(the Sony is noticably bigger)
2) 10-12X optical zoom
3) One that takes decent scenery (wide angle important) and live animal shots (long distance, low light photos). This is the point where ALL of the pocket cameras lag, so no clear winner emerges, but the panasonics and the sony, at least in the reveiws I have read are the better choice. The Olympus comes out dead last in this category.
I certainly don't expect a $200 camera to take magazine quality photos, but that is not what I am after. So, playing the odds (I don't buy after market insurance policies either) I will probably be happy with the ZS1. You can't beat the price for what the camera is capable of doing.
Also, if taking good indoor photos is what you are after, the Panasonic is not the best camera to chose, but again, that is not what I am after, and you certainly don't need the extra optical zoom for that.
txhunter58
venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)