Camera Help

[Matblack]

We currently have a Canon A80 which I like a lot but which is becoming a little battered and has some issues with lower lighting conditions and isn't particularly responsive. The LCD is a little small too.

We are likely to go on a nice holiday next year and I would like to be able to take good shots and have a decent zoom either optical or a decent pixel count so I can zoom digitally later without losing too much quality(does that work?).

I like a larger camera, its the reason I chose the A80, it has a hand grip and doesn't get lost in my hands, I shoot mostly in AUTO mode and rarely switch to the half manual or full manual modes or change the ISO setting, I do understand what shutter speed does and had a little play recently at a funfair to get some tracing effects but thats about it.

I'm thinking Christmas might be a good time to change, it would be in time to get used to a new camera before we went away. I am certainly not a prosumer or a keen amatuer and I supose I should be in the market for a point and shoot but the Digtal Rebel XT apeals to the geek in me.

I like Canon and I've never had any issues with them so thats my first point of call, I've looked at the S3 IS which looks great with a 12x zoom and generally good reviews, the new G7 is also getting some very good reviews but I'm just not sure. I'll probably go and hold a DSLR and get a geek-on and buy one but this may not be and to be honest proabably isn't the best choice.

Any ideas?

MB