My camera priorities are different than the OP, but my choice could meet the OP's needs. The Panasonic ZS100 is under $500, has a large sensor, and MANY features. I chose the ZS100 for the sensor size and weight, around 9 ounces, so I can carry it on my belt while hiking. The lens is not the best in it's class because of the 10x zoom which we wanted for bird identification during hikes since we do not carry binoculars. The same large sensor comes in other light cameras with a better lens and zoom below 3x but they also cost more. The ZS100 is a one of a kind camera if you want to step up into photography in a light small camera for under $500 while the various 3x large sensor cameras would produce better pictures at around $700 at the same weight. Most of my favorite pictures are large scale landscapes and so I wanted the next size up sensor from "small" to capture more detail and color.
This is probably the camera for me. Thanks for the information, I’m going to check out this line of cameras.
Wayne
