I need to buy a new compact digital camera tomorrow in the United
Kingdom and would appreciate some impartial advice on the best one to
buy.  The factors affecting my decision:

1.	Must be small enough to fit into jacket pockets (I already own a
large Olympus E10 digital camera which is good but too large to meet
my current need)
2.	Must be the highest resolution (5 megapixels minimum)
3.	Should have the best possible wide angle lens capability (sort of
28mm in the old SLR camera sense)
4.	USB upload to laptop is adequate (and storage of 30 images at max
resolution would be enough)
5.	Should produce best possible quality of photos from a compact
camera (I  am expecting to spend about UK£300 (US$500) but would be
happy to spend more if there is justification ? price is not an
important factor)
6.	Any other nice features I might find useful in the future

I would appreciate a couple of recommendations based on up to date
(impartial) website recommendations and also maybe the personal
experience of researchers.  It seems it is hard to find really up to
date reviews.

Hi dogbreath,

 I have found 4 compact cameras that meet your criteria, and one that
meets the criteria, but is just a bit more costly. I checked to see if
all of the following models are sold in the UK, and they are. One of
the models, the Canon Digital Ixus 500, is not sold in the US, but in
the EU and SE Asia only.

1)Olympus Camedia C 5000,  UK£ 229- UK£320, dimensions: 105mm x 74 x 46mm
5 megapixels, 3x optical zoom, USB connection, 38 - 114 mm 35mm
equivalent, weighs only about 250 grams.  There is a store locator
link on this page. Simply click ?Store Locator? located near the top
of the page,(in purple) and enter your post code.

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/martprd/store/pcw_page.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@2056393193.1081208903@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccciadcldjflfjjcflgceggdhhmdfhm.0&chain=PC_World&channel=WEB&browserName=ie&browserVersion=6&platform=pc&firstrun=yes&page=Product&timestamp=12:48:23&sku=092352&page=Product&chain=PC_World&channel=WEB&browserName=ie&browserVersion=6&platform=pc&timestamp=12:48:23&sku=092352

Read a review here:
Steve?s Digicams (My favorite impartial review site)
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2003_reviews/c5000.html

DC Resource
http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/olympus/c5000z-review/index.shtml

http://www.jjmehta.com/products/olympusc5000.html

See sample photos here(Click the thumbnail for larger, clearer images)
http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/olympus/c5000z-review/gallery.shtml


2)Canon Digital Ixus 500 , 5 megapixels , 3x optical zoom, weighs 350
grams, USB connection. This camera has an optional waterproof case!
UK£ 298- UK£ 329


??models feature the same dedicated DIGIC processor now installed
across all Canon cameras up to the EOS 10D Digital SLR and
professional series PowerShot Pro1. DIGIC delivers superb colour
rendering and image quality, handling all the complex algorithms
required to make colours brighter, images sharper and focusing
crisper. It does this with unrivalled speed and efficiency, making for
highly responsive cameras and eliminating the phenomena of staring at
the back of the camera waiting for an image to display. iSAPS
technology uses camera settings and environmental data to predict the
most likely scene and makes adjustments accordingly.? My favorite
digital camera review site does not have one for this model, as it is
available only in the EU and SE Asia, and not in the US.
DP Review
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0402/04020906canon3ucs.asp

http://digitalcameras.kelkoo.co.uk/b/a/ps_9167331/124901.html


http://www.internetcamerasdirect.co.uk/spec_matrix.php

This review is in German, but you can see it got high marks, in any language!
http://www.kieskeurig.nl/nl/product.nsf/search1/Canon%20Digital%20IXUS%20500.htm


3)Casio QV R51, £268 to £300, 5 megapixel, 3x optical zoom, weighs 168 grams. 
This camera has won the prestigious 2004 DIMA Digital Camera Shoot-Out
Award sponsored by the Digital Imaging Marketing Association. It also
appears that you can share smart media cards with this camera and your
present Olympus Camedia E10.
http://www.casio.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=corporate.pressrelease&page=/corporate/pressreleases/2004_02_24_qv-r51-award.htm

?Casio has been able to further enhance its high-performance graphic
engine, delivering superior performance with unbelievably realistic,
high-resolution pictures. Casios QV-R51 delivers nearly instantaneous
startup and quick response, as well as improve the battery life to
shoot as many as 900 pictures (2 1/2 hours) on a single charge. The
QV-R51 includes a rechargeable battery. A large 2.0 LCD screen enables
users to comfortably view the pictures taken and share the moment with
friends and family?
http://www.dealtime.com/xPF-Casio_QV_R51

Steve?s Review: You can take a virtual ?tour? of this camera here:
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2004_reviews/qvr51.html

http://digitalcameras.kelkoo.co.uk/b/a/sbs/124901/9167337.html

?While I doubt the review I wrote two weeks before this one had
anything to do with it, Casio's QV-R51 addressed many of complaints I
had with their QV-R40. First and foremost is noise. It was pretty bad
on the R40, and now it's gone -- images have a nice smooth look to
them. I also didn't like the R40's slow shutter speed limitations; now
you can shoot for up to 4 seconds. As added bonuses, Casio upped the
LCD size to 2 inches (though the resolution didn't go up as well), and
the longest movie you can record is up to 60 seconds (though still
without sound).
Everything else is the same as the R40. You get super-fast
performance, especially in startup time, and a sleek, compact body. I
had some problems with focusing, but I think my particular camera was
at fault. The R51 is point-and-shoot camera, with white balance and
focus being the only manual controls. The extensive Best Shot modes
are a boon for beginners, and the calendar and HTML album features are
nice as well. The most annoying carryover from the R40 is the lack of
an AF-assist lamp -- which previous models used to have. I also think
the 9.7MB of included memory is inexcusable on a 5 Megapixel camera,
along with putting the manual on CD.
Overall, I'm much more enthusiastic about the R51 than I was the R40,
mainly due to the improved image quality. It's far from perfect but
for $399 it's an impressive "go anywhere" camera.?
DC Resource
http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/casio/qv_r51-review/index.shtml
See sample photos. (Author suggests judging only the full size versions)
http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/casio/qv_r51-review/gallery.shtml


4)HP PhotoSmart 935  UK£ 195- UK£ 299, 5.3 megapixels, 3x optical
zoom, 230 grams, dimensions : 97 x 45 x 67 mm. Lens Aperture
F/2.6-4.8, 22.8 mm maximum focal length

http://digitalcameras.kelkoo.co.uk/b/a/ps_318192/124901.html
Steve?s Reviews
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2003_reviews/hp935.html
?Overall the image quality of the PhotoSmart 935 is impressive for its
price point. Once in an image manipulation program, the large image
size allows for a lot of cropping to get closer to a subject without
giving up photo quality prints.?
 http://www.steves-digicams.com/2003_reviews/hp935_pg5.html
?The area where HP's Photosmart cameras really shine is in the
software department. HP's Photo & Imaging Software is for Mac OS 8/9,
Mac OS X, and Windows. Combined with the Instant Share system on the
camera (more on that later), HP has created a system that lets you
easily share photos in a number of ways. Photo quality on the 935 is
very good, though certainly not class-leading.  ?
DC Resource
http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/hp/photosmart_935-review/index.shtml
See sample photos here (Click the thumbnail for full size)
http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/hp/photosmart_935-review/gallery.shtml

 5) For a just little more money (£309 to £449), this Casio QV 5700 is
a bit nicer camera, and well worth the extra £.It is still considered
a compact camera, and has 5 megapixels, 3x optical zoom, weighs 355
grams. It is a tiny bit heavier, and is 11.8 cm wide, 7.5 cm high, and
6.5 cm deep. (Your current Olympus weighs in at 1048 grams)
?The QV-5700 features a fast F2-F2.5 Canon optical 3x zoom lens,
F=7-21mm (equivalent to 34-102mm on 35mm camera). Eight
high-performance aspherical lenses in seven groups produce images of
outstanding contrast and amazingly realistic detail.?
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2003_reviews/qv5700.html

?For the more experienced users the QV-5700 offers the same exposure
modes found in advanced film cameras. No camera is better than its
lens so Casio employs a large-diameter, fast F2 Canon 3x optical zoom
with eight, all-glass aspherical elements. You have a mulitude of
image sizes to choose from (2560x1920, 2544x1696(3:2), 1600x1200,
1280x960 or 640x480) that can be saved as JPEG in one of three levels
of quality or for the ultimate image for making large prints or
further editing you can save them as uncompressed TIFF. Large images
require a lot of storage space and the QV-5700 is fully Microdrive
compatible (average Fine JPEG 2.3MB average TIFF 14MB). The QV-5700
Plus comes bundled with a 16MB CF card - any size CompactFlash Type I
or II solid state card or Microdrive can be used.?
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2003_reviews/qv5700_pg5.html

See sample photos here (the enlargement of the money and the flowers
displays great resolution, especially in contrast to the first 4
cameras):
http://www.steves-digicams.com/qv2000/dcim/index.htm

http://digitalcameras.kelkoo.co.uk/b/a/ps_318165/124901.html

Hope this helps you decide on a camera, dogbreath! Don't you just LOVE
digital cameras! For a small compact camera, the Casio QV 5700 seems
to offer sharper photos than the other models listed here. Good luck
and have fun with whatever model you choose!

If any part of my answer is unclear, please request an Answer
Clarification, before rating. By doing so, I will be able to assist
you further, if possible. (PS. I did not include Sony, because unless
you purchasae a very high end, I am not impressed with the resolution.
The compact Sony's I have seen have a very long write time before you
can take another shot.However, you can easily find reviews at Steve's
or DC Resource as cited above)

Regards,
crabcakes

Search Strategy
Using Google?s Language Tools selection, I chose only sites in the UK
to ensure the models I found were available in the UK.
Search Terms
digital cameras
digital camera reviews

Thanks for a useful answer, which got me focussed on the key issues.
In the end I actually bought the Fuji F700 which was not on your list
but seems to produce excellent results. It was UK£300 which seemed
very reasonable for the functionality available.

It's got to be a Sony.

Take a look at the DSCVI.

VERY expensive in the UK though (£450-ish) whereas only £250-ish in the US.

Even with shipping costs and VAT, you should come out on the right side.

But do check carefully before buying from ebay: there are some
villains out there ...