These cameras are just fine for anyone with limited photographic
ambitions, but the fact that you cannot change the lens, means they
are far from ideal for more serious photography.

Depends whether those spiders are in your own back yard or whether
you'll be lugging loads of equipment around on your impromptu walks.

Sometimes it is more important to have a small camera with you and get
the shot than have a bag full of gear in the car. I use a slim Ixus
100IS as my always with me camera - it replaces an ageing IxusV.

The only thing where P&S really falls down is on shutter lag compared to
the hair trigger and repetition rate of a full DSLR.


I'm still on 3.2 megapixels for the always with camera. Never really
felt the need, or seen it as a civic duty, to upgrade :-)