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Compact Point & Shoot: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX9 -or- Canon PowerShot ELPH 500HS?

Any other compacts to consider?

1. Need good low-light performance without flash
2. Lightweight point & shoot
3. HD-capable video
4. Image stabilizer (shake proof)

Also, what is your favorite site to buy such a camera?

Thanks

boca2blr;372969Compact Point & Shoot: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX9 -or- Canon PowerShot ELPH 500HS?

Any other compacts to consider?

1. Need good low-light performance without flash
2. Lightweight point & shoot
3. HD-capable video
4. Image stabilizer (shake proof)

Also, what is your favorite site to buy such a camera?

Thanks

Amazon and eBay

The best compact camera for low light performance is Panasonic LX5. If you are a fan of Canon then you can go for S95. LX5 is a bit larger than S95, but it's still pocketable (google for videos on LX5 to see how large it is). LX5 has almost everything you can think of except for long zoom since if low light performance is expected than longer zooms have to be compromised. It also has a really wide lens of 24 mm.

suba;373017The best compact camera for low light performance is Panasonic LX5. If you are a fan of Canon then you can go for S95. LX5 is a bit larger than S95, but it's still pocketable (google for videos on LX5 to see how large it is). LX5 has almost everything you can think of except for long zoom since if low light performance is expected than longer zooms have to be compromised. It also has a really wide lens of 24 mm.

After having tried several I agree that panasonic (though not as popular as canon), makes some of the best compact cameras and features to cost wise too they are better.(True with camcorders also).If one is looking for long zoom, or wide angle in a compact camera, pan I think made them earlier than others, one draw back is they tend to be bulkier (not pocketable), for this feature alone sony or casio (Exilim series), is better.

A friend of mine who is really into photography as a serious hobby, suggested Panasonic Lumix too, the Leica lens it uses is supposed to be top of the line. I had this for over two years and am not disappointed with the indoor pictures. I bought mine from Costco. I have never used it for Video, but satisfies other three requirements of yours.

suba;373017The best compact camera for low light performance is Panasonic LX5. ..................

dpreview mentions it otherwise compared to s95 -- http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/q42010highendcompactgroup/page18.asp

rsvpvr;373194dpreview mentions it otherwise compared to s95 -- http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/q42010highendcompactgroup/page18.asp

Panasonic LX5 scores 73%, Canon S95 scores 72%. 73%>72%, so Panasonic wins. Are you looking at this differently.

Panasonic LX5 is the best compact camera currently. Panasonic literally created this category, build a pocketable camera with a large sensor and a bright lens, the LX3. It was so successful that everyone else started to copy. I had to pay a premium to buy this few years back because it was so much in demand, unheard for electronics these days. To compete, Canon came out with S90 but did not offer HD video in S90, when LX3 had it 2 years back, as if customers are idiots. If not for Panasonic, Canon and Nikon would have continued to offer tiny sensor slow lens point and shoot, and market it as the best thing that ever happened to photography because it has eleventy million pixels. Being the biggest or popular player in a category does not neccessarily transform into a better product. They have a vested interest in contnuing to fool the customers and keep making profit.

If I had to buy a point and shoot that is good in low light, I will consider the following in this order:
Olympus XZ1
Panasonic LX5
Canon S95

Almost all cameras these days have image stabilisation and HD video.

sumeet;373075After having tried several I agree that panasonic (though not as popular as canon), makes some of the best compact cameras and features to cost wise too they are better.(True with camcorders also).If one is looking for long zoom, or wide angle in a compact camera, pan I think made them earlier than others, one draw back is they tend to be bulkier (not pocketable), for this feature alone sony or casio (Exilim series), is better.

Sony and Casio do not make a point and shoot that is good in low light. For Sony, it's hard to think of any category in which they lead. They are a typical corporate giant, jack of all trades, where engineering has taken a back seat to marketing. There is no need to innovate.

Chakra;373849If I had to buy a point and shoot that is good in low light, I will consider the following in this order:
Olympus XZ1
Panasonic LX5
Canon S95

Trust Chakra for all things regarding fine living, forums own encyclopedia of consumer reports (and better than CR) :)

Adding Later

Chakra meant above as compliment. I take your reviews seriously and find them very useful.

Chakra;373849For Sony, it's hard to think of any category in which they lead. They are a typical corporate giant, jack of all trades, where engineering has taken a back seat to marketing. There is no need to innovate.

What do you think of DSC-TX9's 3D Sweep Panorama and the Intelligent Sweep Panorama?

Chakra;373849Panasonic LX5 scores 73%, Canon S95 scores 72%. 73%>72%, so Panasonic wins. Are you looking at this differently.....

Chakra,
My comparison between LX5 and S95 is in the area of low light performance. Sorry, I should have mentioned it in my previous post.