Just an update and a quick thanks for the help.
So after all the research i finally picked up a Panasonic FZ28 and i'm reeeeeally happy with it so far. It got a good review at
dpreview.com in a "
superzoom test" and it just felt really solid and well made. 10mp 18X optical zoom (good IS!) Face detection, macro up to 1cm, good performance in higher ISO (not DSLR quality but one of the best of it's kind) and it records movies at 720p. Camera+Bag+2x8G SDHC+power converter for $550. I almost bought a Canon Rebel XS (1000D) with the standard kit lense for $600 and i'm glad I didn't.
Very happy with this little camera
