I am currently looking @
Panasonic DMCFX100K (BK) 12.1MP
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T100
Canon PowerShot G9 12.1MP
SONY Cyber-shot DSC-W200
Any other options I should consider or which one of these is the best. Thanks for the help.... I think the camera you want is probably an entry level DSLR with an 18-200mm f/2.8 image stabilized zoom lens.
Say a Nikon D40x or a Canon Rebel XTi. You need a camera that allows full manual control, especially for night photography. Digicams all suffer from "shutter lag" which makes them poorly suited for sports and action photography plus they seldom have enough zoom power to get really close action photos.
When you say "... take good pictures in the dark..." do you mean with flash? If you aren't going to use flash then you'll need a tripod and, maybe, a cable release. Your camera must allow you to set the shutter speed and f-stop and the shutter must have either a "T" or "B" setting. If the camera you choose has shutter speeds up to at least 15 seconds you won't need a cable release - you can use the self-timer on the camera.
Suppose you want to take a photo of the night city skyline. The only light is from the buildings themselves. Here is what you need to be able to do to get a good image:
Camera mounted on tripod.
Camera in Manual Mode.
Shutter set at "T" or "B" or at 15 seconds if allowed.
Cable release or use self-timer.
Aperture set at f8.
ISO at 200.
Make a 15 second exposure.
Impress your friends.
The Canon G9 would be best suited for this. Unless you are willing to pony up the cash for a DSLR then 8MP=poor low light performance. You'll get noise | 