looking for some help from the STW camera boffins. Ive got a Nikon D50 which I know Is a fairly entry level camera. It takes great pictures but because of Its size I tend not to take It out on my bike. If I was to flog It and look at a compact as a replacement I could throw In my bag when out biking ,What are the best alternatives ?.

Was thinking of a Panasonic lumix. ?

I just got one of THESE and I very pleased with it.

Canon S95 or G12, although the nex IXUS1000HS super-slow move is amazing!

I’m really enjoying my sony hx5v.
I got it as a slim-line replacement for a panasonic tz3 as the two cameras have fairly similar specs but I like the manual controls it offers.
I haven’t owned an slr so can’t compare but the high speed burst (10fps) and sweep panoramic feature make this an incredible compact.

that ixus 1000 hs looks amazing, if I were looking for another compact that would be near the top of my list