The S95 is a more capable camera, but it can be intimidating if you're not a very experienced photographer. The ELPH 100 is the best camera for under $200 right now, and it's super, super easy to use. They're both very good for the money -- you're the only one that can decide which makes the most sense for you.

It's very likely that Canon will announce a replacement for the S95 sometime soon. Based on when they announced the S95, it makes sense, and canonrumors.com (a reliable source) seems to back this up.

But, also according to canonrumors.com, it'll probably be a modest update. Likely to bump the megapixel count and maybe the zoom out a bit as well. Whether or not that's worth it to you, only you can decide. Probably won't be out until September in any case.

No problem, glad to help.

I was surprised how well the finder works on the s95.....in general I like a view finder too. But this one is bright enough even outside and is actually useful. Try it.

Yep, great camera, though the zoom range is definitely on the low side for what many folks prefer in a travel camera. But I agree, it's a great, great compact camera.

It's a toss up between the two, if you're set on a Canon -- the S95 is more compact, the G12 has more advanced controls, is what it basically boils down to. Can't go wrong with either, just a matter of personal choice based on body type.

The S95 has gotten great reviews. And compared to the ZS7, they're almost a dead heat up until you get over ISO 400. Then the S95 starts to pull away as the ZS7 begins to invite more and more noise to the party.

According to the manual, it only has digital zoom while shooting video.

S95 is the best camera in the bunch, hands-down, so if money's not a concern, it is the top option. But, the SD4000 is about $100 cheaper, and the image quality (even in low-light) is still very good. The shots are a bit "softer" but you're not likely to notice a difference unless you make really big prints.

Yeah it's hard to quantify, which is why you don't usually see that listed as a spec. But most current digicams, even cheap ones, don't have that much of a problem. Unless you're using a dSLR, there will always be a fraction of a second of lag, but you probably won't notice it.

A lot of times when people think a camera is really laggy, it's because they're not pre-focusing, which is an absolute must. Hold the shutter button halfway down while you're framing the shot. The camera will focus. Then finish pressing. You'll get the shot you want that way.

Totally fine with the action shots -- any camera that costs more than $250 doesn't have much of a problem these days.

The logical step-down from the S95 is the SD4000, which is about $300. It's not as high-quality as the S95, but it does take some of the best indoor images for its price. It's compact, easy-to-use, and all that good stuff too.

Do you know when S100 is about to come out?

The FX700 is a bit sleeker and cuter looking, but the S95 takes better photos and is a little bit more straightforward to use. I'd go with the S95, but you'd know your gf's tastes -- if she likes cutesy cameras, the FX700 might make her a bit happier. She won't be disappointed by the photos from the S95 though.

It can shoot on Auto as well. Good camera. It's battery life is rated at 200 shots without flash or 300 minutes of video. There is an extended life battery, but I don't think it would be that much of an impact.

And if you travel internationally, it would be worth it to buy a power converter. Hammacher has a great one for about $35.

Yeah this is a tricky question -- there is no camera that does it all.

The S95 will give you the best photo quality in any situation, hands-down, and it's the smallest of the bunch, easiest to carry around.

But nobody ever regrets having more zoom. I'd cross the SX210 off your list -- has some irritating design characteristics, picture quality has a number of problems, and it's overpriced.

SX130 on the other hand is quite a value. I'm posting a full-length review tomorrow, so you can check back for that if you're interested. But the 12x zoom can definitely come in handy on your travels (decent shots of far-away landmarks/sights/what-have-you) as does the fact that it runs on AA batteries, so you don't have to be near an outlet with your charger. Better shots than the SX210 too -- not by a big margin, but noticeable. In good daylight, the shots will be great, but in dimmer settings, you'll notice that the S95 is much more consistent, turns out crisper shots. The SX130 can shoot in dark settings without the flash, sure, but more pictures will turn out blurry, and the crisp ones have a fair bit more noise (white specks) than the S95 would produce.

The best compromise that I can think of is one of the Fuji EXR cameras. Not as good a user experience as you'll get from a Canon, but the F80EXR has a biggish sensor and a 10x zoom range.

So I can't pick for you, but hopefully this helped with some considerations.

When you're dealing with water, it's always good go cut the specs in half just to be safe. Especially in salt water. Better to stay too shallow than go too deep and live to regret it.

Two very different cameras -- the S95 has much better low-light quality, the SX30 obviously has a better zoom. Video quality should be similar on both. I think you should look at a camera somewhere in the middle. Check out the SD4500 -- it has a CMOS sensor, which is typically decent in low light, 10x zoom, and 1080p HD video.

A good viewfinder adds some bulk to a camera, which is why the S95 doesn't have one. Some of the 2009 Canon SD-series compacts have viewfinders, but they're somewhat crummy and it sounds like you're willing to pay for a better camera.

With that in mind, check out the Canon G12 -- similar camera in terms of performance and it does have a viewfinder, though it's slightly larger overall. It's still considered to be a compact though, no doubt. For a smaller camera of comparable quality, check out the Panasonic LX5 -- it does not have a built-in viewfinder, but it accommodates an add-on electronic viewfinder. Hope this helps.

In bright sunlight? None of them. You really need a viewfinder.

The amoled screen is suppose to be good in bright light. The Samsung is one camera that has it.