Nikon Coolpix S5

Pros: A large LCD and the easiest interface I've ever encountered make this a very user friendly camera. The round scroll dial makes reviewing pictures and selecting menu options a pleasure

Cons: Like most "point-and-shoot" small cameras, this does amazingly poor in low light. JPG artifacting is quite present in all lighting condtions and especially in anything less than bright sunlight.

Summary: I researched this class of camera exhaustively before making this choice, selecting it over Canon's Elph SD450. I selected the Nikon largely because of it's interface, but in I have my doubts now, because of it's poor performance in medium to low light. Another important quality about it's construction: the lens is all self contained. It operates vertically and uses a mirror to turn the corner. I suspect this makes it a very fragile camera, even more fragile than most. I had one small drop, in a padded case, from a 2 foot height and that was enough to cause a "lens error" that required warranty repair. My previous Nikon 2500 sustained multiple drops and shocks and never produced such an error. Many have reported to me that the Canon Elphs survived many drops. If I were buying again, I'd go with the Canon.