I still like mine a lot & you've seen the quality pix it shoots. There are many features to consider (in addition to price), but optical zoom is always at the top of my list. Don's & my cameras have an 8X zoom (ignore the "digital zoom" - you can always crop & enlarge images after you shoot them.) If I was making the purchase decision today, I'd give serious consideration to the Panasonic-DMC-ZS9. This model has a good set of features, including a 16X zoom (twice as powerful.) The only reason to pass on this longer zoom is image blur. When the lens is zoomed in for maximum enlargement, you have to hold the camera very steady.