Give a serious consideration to the GE X5 which is made by Fuji.
It was just introduced this late Spring.
Available for $140 with free shipping, no tax on Amazon. This is not a trash camera as I had expected. Two friends just purchased this and it is a bargain at this price.
Probably because it has a GE label.
The picture quality is much above the price level.
Some features:
14MP, 15x IS optical zoom(27-405mm), f3-5.2 with an optical viewfinder, multiple shooting modes including manual settings,Weight 13.4 oz less the 4AA batteries.
I especially like the optical viewfinder,AA batteries(always available), built in panoramic stitching and HDR feature.
Just a bit bigger than the pocket cameras due to the built in hand grip.

http://www.general-imaging.com/us/Di...a.aspx?id=1099

Costco has the Fuji FinePix S1800 for 189.00
.