Well, it ended up boiling down to a run off between the Canon G7 and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2. The Lumix won due its 28mm lens (yes, I know the Canon will do the same thing if you drip town a couple of Megapixels) and the look of the thing - I just loved the classical minimalist design, a bit like a modern take on the old Leica design from the 50s.

Oh, and I was able to pick of the camera + 1GB SD card for approx £290 from AKL today (this board is welcome to decide if I got a good price there ).

I've just taken my first night image at ISO 1600. Not brilliant (from a hotel with windows windows that could do with a bit of a wash) but proves the principle that with the right equipment and a little bit of knowledge, it is possible to take night/low light photos without a flat surface or a tripod.

Much learning to do!