Canon PowerShot SX1 IS

Fifth generation 'SLR-like' superzoom from Canon is the first in a new wave of CMOS-sensored 'serious' compact cameras, and boasts an impressive spec list that includes a huge 28-560mm (equiv.) 20x zoom, 1080p HD movie capture and high speed shooting, plus a wealth of photo enthusiast features (manual controls, raw mode). There's no doubt the SX1 IS offers a lot of camera in a compact package, but it's expensive (especially compared to sister model, the SX10 IS), the image quality is nothing special, and unless you really want HD movies it's hard to recommend.