When I began shooting with digital cameras in 1999, we were using these terrible 1.7 MP cameras that produced horrible files. The cameras cost in excess of $12K. I purchased an EOS-1Ds (11mp) in 2003 for considerably less than $12K, but it still wasn't cheap. I've been looking for a point-and-shoot for at least a couple of years. The major drawback for me was the lack of RAW capability. Well, if you are looking for a high-quality point and shoot, look no further. I just got my Canon G9 on Friday. And while I haven't really put it throught its paces, I am amazed that I could buy a solid point-and-shoot that will give me 12MP of RAW capability--for under $500. No, it won't replace my DSLR--it's not super fast and above 400 ISO it's quite noisy. But what I do have now is a wonderful little pocket camera that produces very nice files at low iso (80, 100, 200). And it's just perfect for travel and photographing scenes that you come across during your daily life. What's even better is its macro capabilities and image stabilization. It will focus down to 1cm. I have posted several macro images I shot just messing around.
