I now have an Olympus 550uz.
The combination of manageable size,weight, 18x optical zoom and far more features and settings than I can shake a stick at, made it an ideal compromise.
I had the opportunity to buy the Canon 400D SLR but decided it was too big,heavy,complicated and pricey for what I needed.
I wasn't sure I had made the right choice at first but soon settled in with the bells and whistles. I could still do with some instruction to explain all the camera can do but I also enjoy experimenting.
R.B.