Great little camera. Most of the electronics make up for the small optics. I've visited a few caves where it was quite dark, and after setting the "Auto" mode, he started shooting with fast shutter speeds to add to the sharp long exposure image. It has everything you need for automatic settings, which really helps to take difficult pictures. I also bought the DMC-FZ200 as a more serious camera, but I hardly ever use it. I tend to stick with it because it's much more convenient.
Nikon COOLPIX L810 Digital Camera: 16.1MP, 26x Zoom, NIKKOR ED Glass Lens, 3-inch LCD (Blue)
95 Review
Canon EOS 60D: 18MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera Body - Your Next Photography Companion
125 Review
Nikon D5100 Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm VR Lens - High Resolution 16.2MP
172 Review
Revamped Sony Alpha a6000 Mirrorless Digital Camera: 24.3MP SLR Camera with 3.0-Inch LCD and Power Zoom Lens
103 Review