Well, I'm going in the opposite direction from everyone else here. I get to use a lot of cameras and when it comes to compacts, I'll go for size and features over image quality. For that reason, I like Panasonic, Casio, and Olympus. For me, they offer cameras that give me the most in the most compact, usable package. For pure image quality, I think I'd have to stick with Canon, Sony, and Fuji. The wide angle part is making it tough, though. You might want to look up the Fujifilm F31fd and the just announced Fujifilm F40fd. For image quality, you can't get much better than the Fuji compacts. We're actually working on a review of the F31fd and already have studio tests up, if you're interested. However, that camera has the standard 36mm wide angle lens.

Fujifilm F31fd Pro Review Preview >>