damn. I want.

Canon SD 780 IS/ IXUS 100 IS - Photo from Victor Tassarov's blog.

...y'know, to fill that pocket-shaped hole. It's TINY! And seriously sexy looking in all-black. If I got one I'd even black out the logo for more stealth. Footprint smaller than a credit card, and just 18mm thick. There are times when I don't want to carry even the M8 (like now, after the whole summilux experience) and I think this would fit the bill nicely...all compacts are pretty much the same anyway: you have:

1. DSLR replacement in good light - LX3, G10 - NOT pocketable. Needs a bag or shoulder strap. Take the proper camera instead, because you've still got to schlep a lump around, unless size and weight are super-critical and you need all the bells and whistles.

2. Superzoom - TZ7, H3, et al. Not really pocketable either, and usually idiot-mode only. Sometimes the lens is good. Sometimes it's a dog.

3. Ultra compact. FX48, any SD powershot, Sony T, etc. The FX48 has the best spec (25-125/2.8, whoa!) but isn't as small or sexy, and the modal review (physical switch to enter playback mode) drives me crazy. The earlier Panasonics didn't have this. Why go backwards?! At least the SDs have a dedicated button.

So there you have it. There are only two types of cameras: ones that are pocketable, and ones that aren't. And I'm a guy, so a handbag doesn't count as a pocket. The ones that aren't either stay in your bag or only get taken out when you intend to shoot.

I've been through a number of pocket cameras in the last few years - Sony U20 (about 2000 shots, then CCD failed), Sony V3 (1000 shots?), Fuji F10 (3000 shots), Ricoh GR-D (<2000>7000 shots; one awesome camera), Panasonic LX3 (1000 shots. I mean seriously, if it's either this or a D3 over your shoulder...). Only the GR-D and F10 approached pocketable - and even then the latter was a little chunky - which is probably why the rest got left at home. To put things into perspective, 7000 shots is nothing for me. In the month I've had the M8, I've already put over 10k on the shutter. My long-suffering D2H clocked a quarter of a million over three shutters before a moisture short took it out, or else I'd probably still be using it today. Maybe I need something properly pocketable this time. SD 780 IS? All the Canon compacts look much the same to me, but most users are pretty happy with them (then again, if you're going to buy an ultracompact, my guess is that image quality isn't the highest thing on your list of priorities.). We'll see.