I recently took a pic inside an old church (1100 AD) with just the on camera flash to supplement what was coming in through the windows. Pushed the ISO way out and was surprised with the result. Try a few shots and see if you can get by with that. If you want more the 320 EX is O.K. but nothing special so I'd look at the 430, possibly 2nd hand.

My neighbour has a refurbed D60 from CANON's ebay outlet, I have an American 'grey' import bought new. Side by side can't tell the difference. Look at the receipts.......different story.

I have had two waterproof cameras, a PENTAX W60 (strap malfunction - now at the bottom of the Pacific) and a NIKON AW100. Both can take very pictures so long as there is planty of light around. Once the light starts to go I've had trouble with both taking a picture with any degree of sharpness. They both seem to have trouble with autofocus in these conditions, that or I'm missing a trick. By light starting to go I mean midday, heavily overcast.
I do a lot of kayaking and can vouch for waterproofness of both on the river / sea / swimming pool.
The W60 had a pretty poor battery life but this has been addressed in later models though to what degree I cannot comment. Might get around to posting a few pics on the analysis page to see if anyone can through some light on the poor light issue.
WHATEVER YOU GET CHECK THE STRAP FITTINGS AND MAYBE FIT A WATER BOUY.

I have used the DO lens (sisters) and 70-300 IS USM (neighbours), sadly, not on the same camera. The latter was a bit nosier when focusing but I thought the picture was sharper. Over here we have a CANON ebay outlet where they move on 'refurbished' products and I'm guessing you must have similar there. You might get an 'L' series at a discount.

Looked to me that the original was focused on the red bush in the foreground (the red/green leaf adjacent the path looked sharpest to me) but the 2nd attempt is the mutts nutts. I'd be very happy with that. Sharp all around with the exception of some fall off in the bottom right hand corner.

The 2nd link is magic. My ol man would be wetting himself if he saw that! Managed to do the DURANGO narrow gauge ride last year and that was pretty good but all my photo's from there are, sadly, at the bottom of the Pacific.

I've heard about this BINDER malarky but I'm not fully understanding it. Would anyone care to elucidate?

My first digital camera (6/7 years ago) was a Fuji S5100 with a 10x zoom and 4mp. Still use it occasionally (and like it) but it is slow on startup and picture taking compared to todays models. Our son had one too, a 3mp that took better pictures though that broke down after 4 years.
My first SLR was a Fuji ST801 and I think it is the best camera I've ever ad. Nothing wrong with FUJI.

I'll revise that statement - most mini's are made at Cowley, Oxford.

I'll revise my statement - most mini's are made at Cowley, Oxford.

The MINI's are NOT made in Germany - they are made in (Cowley) OXFORD, right opposite where I work. You can see them trundle around on the production line as you walk past. Might have been designed in Germany though....

I took this for no particular reason, but I'm quite pleased with the result. This was shot on my little NIKON AW100 waterproof action camera. Sometimes it surprises me with what it is capable of. Comments please.

Taken at the little tea and cake shop by Hurley Lock, River Thames, UK, a regular destination for the local canoe clubs Sunday social paddle.

If you can go a little shorter on the telephoto try the CANON EFS 15-85. Goes great on my 60D.

4, Just can't see the need for HDR here of all places, not that I'm much impressed with HDR anyway.

Thanks Kiwi, it became apparent early on that cost was a factor but your answer explains why that cost differential occours. Just to make it absolutely clear to this analogue brain of mine I assume that when you are talking about yeilds you are refering to complete working chips rather than working pixels on a chip?