HELP me..what do i want?

Hey all, looking for a good compact (fits in pocket) cam.. would like IS, RAW and manual controls..with AV, TV modes also.. something with a decent zoom range and wide lens and also great IQ.. 8 MP or better...whats your segguestions (besides the G( as its way too much $$ right now)

G9's the only Canon compact with native RAW. You'd need to look for an A series (A570 or above) that supports the CHDK hack to get a RAW (which will need separate processing/conversion) along with Tv and Av. Only the SD800 and SD870 go as wide as 28 mm efl. All the other Canon P&S start around 35 mm efl.

so thers no P&S with TV and AV unless its hacked? is this correct? how about just manual controlls? I guess shooting JPEG isnt too bad... Whats great compact with great IQ and lotsa MP's.. ( i usually print 16x20 to 16 x 24 or else ill do huge (4 foot) panos!

No, there's no P&S other than the G9 with RAW unless hacked. The A570 and above offer Tv, Av and M OOB. Just not all the A-series do, and none of the SD series do.

i was looking at the A650 but it still looks a little on the bigger side... I might have to settle for a slimmer P&S with out all the (or some of ) the bells and whistles i want.

Neither is pocket? The G9 ain't that much bigger than the A650, get the G9?

I own an SD800 IS, it has limited manual control, such as: ISO and long shutter 1"-15"
I found the 28mm efl lens to be a life saver when taking shots of skyscrapers or beach panos when you just don't have enough room to back up. It's a great camera and definately pocket sized. I've shot over 8,000 pictures with it and have printed up to 14x11 and 60x12 with no problems. In fact, it produces images with less noise than my S5. Now that it's been out for a while, it should be really affordable.

My vote: SD800 IS for sure!