Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

Nobody knows your mind or your priorities as well as you do. Why don't you do some research yourself, see what's available, and see how what's available fits with your wants and needs. Then, if you have any questions about any specific camera or cameras, that would be the time to ask questions.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

You are right. Spot on. I gave the earlier ZS-40 to my son to take pictures and shoot video of my granddaughters at school performances. His results have been beyond expectations for both the video and prints to 13x19.

Pocketable -- very

Viewfinder plus live view -- Electronic viewfinder and 3" rear display

Non-interchangeable wide to super tele zoom with close focusing capability -- 35 mm equivalent of 24-720mm, optical to 30x. Even more electronic zoom to 60x

Minimum 5 fps -- variable from 3 to 40, depending on resolution, selected.

Good low light capability -- Yes, with useful high ISOs and some built in tricks like "Hand Held Night Shot" for JPEGs that really work.

Can shoot in JPEG or RAW -- Yes

Flash capable, on or off camera -- pops up

Around $400 or refurb available -- brand new today (Black Friday) at B&H, free freight and no sales tax for $319. Regular retail is $419.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

Not at all! The ZS-50 really does fit the list. My son's ZS-40 is almost the same and I've used it. I think the major difference is the 50 has an improved viewfinder.

Mr PC Loc: Austin, TX

If you compromise on size, I had a SX-50 refurb and liked it, met all the other criteria. I now have a Nikon P600, also a refurb, as a backup to my DSLR. Not pocketable, does not shoot RAW, but great results. No camera could meet all of your criteria without breaking the laws of physics or the bank or both. Good luck figuring out what to compromise on...

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

Look at refurbished cameras to get into your price range.

Linckinn Loc: Okatie, SC and Edgartown, MA

I have recently searched for just such a camera, perhaps relaxing the requirements to "best mix I can find" rather than absolute excellence in every category. On a recent trip, I got great results carrying around my DSLR, with an old point and shoot in my pocket to get close-ups of smaller features.

So I thought upgrade the point and shoot. Thus pocketable and decent zoom were absolutes, with the rest the best possible. You may well come down to the Nikon s9900 or LUMIX ZS50 (or 40) as the other poster said.

I went I the the latter because of viewfinder to hold the camera steady and RAW capability, which I only dabble in now, but expect to use as my learning curve continues.

I find the camera terrific, with surprisingly good image quality.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

Pocketable , flash capable and budget are the great disqualifiers ! -

CatMarley Loc: North Carolina

[quote=gvarner]Let's see:
Pocketable
Viewfinder plus live view
Non-interchangeable wide to super tele zoom with close focusing capability
Minimum 5 fps
Good low light capability
Can shoot in JPEG or RAW
Flash capable, on or off camera
Around $400 or refurb available

Any suggestions? Too much to ask for?[/quote

No superzoom will fit in a shirt pocket, Cargo pants, yes! A small sensor means low light without flash is not going to be good. The best fit for your specs you will find is the Fujifilm FinePix S1. DP review link: http://www.dpreview.com/products/fujifilm/compacts/fujifilm_s1
The review by a professional photographer with sample shots was particularly good.

sirlensalot Loc: Arizona

Doubtful, but nice to think about one like that for $400.

rbfanman

If you are willing to pay $400.00 for a camera which only has 12MP resolution, then the Lumix ZS50 is something to consider.