Is that the Canon thingy?

If so, Batman used to have one. Very nice little camera.

Have a look at the Lumix LX5 too. A few reviews suggest the S95 has the edge on IQ but you get a bit more on the wide end (24 versus 28mm), faster lens (f2-3.3 versus f2-4.9), faster maximum shutter speed (1/4000 versus 1/1600) and more shots per charge (400 versus 200). There really isnt a great deal in it I guess.

Samsung also have the EX1 with an f1.8 lens and built like a tank http://www.photographyblog.com/reviews/ ... onclusion/ - but no video mode

Olympus have a fast f1.8 compact too - XZ-1http://www.pocket-lint.com/review/5219/olympus-xz-1-camera-review - looks interesting and a bit sexy

Sigma DP2 and Ricoh GR Digital III also come to mind

I guess there's the Canon G12 and Nikon P7000 but they're not as pocketable as those above.

It is. And so I'm hearing. I was hoping one of you nerds might have something pocketable that you carry around with you when you don't want all your nerdy gear.

I think quite a few of us do.

I have a Canon G9. It's pocketable, if your pockets are large.

I bought it as a carry-around camera. It has all the pro-level features I want, such as RAW, full manual control and support for the full range of Speedlites (not that I use external flash units). I carry it around in my handbag most places I go. It also has a use in the scale model stuff I do, in that I can stand it on a model railway to get a shot simply impossible to do with the DSLR.

Jeans pocket, do you reckon, Heather? Or handbags only really?

So what is it, what kind of shots do you use it for, and what do you think of it.....?

Ok, cool. Thanks.

Could I possibly trouble you for an example shot of the same subject from both the w and t extremes, so I can gauge the range on offer?

I think that might be my sticking point on these bigger sensor, "better" compacts.

If you need more range the TZ series is about to get an update (or may be out already?). The TZ7 (mine) was one of the best travel compacts at the time and was replaced by the TZ10 a while back. This has now been replaced by the TZ20 which I think (from the top of my head) offers 16x zoom and Full HD movies.

But the sensor is half the size of the afforementioned models and the lens are way slower.

If somebody made something halfway, I'd bite their hand off. But they don't and I'm trying to get a handle on whether or not I could live with something more "pro" without the zoom range.

In that case I wonder if a CSC would be the best option? Something like a Samsung NX100 is compact (ish) especially when fitted with a 20mm f/2.0 pancake and has an APS-C sized sensor. Then when you want to get a bit more zoomy you can pop a 50-200mm on although lose some of the compactness of course. You can even get a K mount adapter which opens the doors to a massive back catalogue of lenses.

The Olympus PEN and Lumix GF1/2 are other similar cameras but (IIRC especially where the Lumix is concerned) the lenses are more expensive.