Ok, I need some help guys

I know most of you are probably gonna tell me to use the search button but everytime I do it comes up nothing.

Ok, I have a problem seeing as i want to jump into photography, and what better to do it with then a nice camera right?

Well I have narrowed it down to four cameras (originally three but the sony just popped into my mind)

My choices are as follows (In order to what i was leading toward getting)

1. Panasonic Luminx DMC-FZ18
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/spec...ic_dmcfz18.asp
2. Nikon P80
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/spec...ikon_cpp80.asp
3. Canon Powershot S5 IS
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/spec...canon_s5is.asp
4. Sony DSC-H50
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/spec...sonydsch50.asp

Now I just dont know what to get seeing that they all have great reviews by the users and pros. I like image stabilization which they all have, I like the fact you can change the shutter speed on the panasonic....I dont know about anything else, They all are BIG zoom cameras which are what I want, And finally they all take beautiful pictures, record video nicely, most of them have good battery life (especially panasonic) and some have swivel screens but thats not really a big deciding factor. This is why im trying to buy on of these for starting out instead of a little camera.

I know your saying why not go ahead and get a D40 or some other DSLR, But right now i just dont want to start into the big bulky cameras.....but I will soon.

So now to make this thread end.....What camera is the best in your OPINIONS.

Thanks you guys alot because im off to work
Any replys will help.

(I have researched for a good two weeks and im buying this camera either today or tommorow)

I don't know too much about these cameras, but my last camera was the S2IS, a fore runner of the S5IS.
I found it to be a great way to jump into digital photography/back into photography as a whole. It does have full manual controls, so when I upgraded to a DSLR, I already had a pretty solid foundation. Shooting full manual is the best way to learn, it helps you understand the relationship between aperture, shutter speed and ISO sensitivity. You can then transfer this knowledge and shoot in "time saving" modes like shutter and aperture priority. Auto sucks, learn that early on and you will be better off.
The S2 (and I'm assuming the S5) has a lens that handles macro quite well and the IQ is pretty good for a P&S camera.

The other ones you selected may have these features/benefits as well, but I'm not sure.

Although they are all fine camera, the Panasonic probably has the shortest shutter lag, which to me is very important. A little over a year ago I purchased a Panasonic Lumix camera. At the time, the Panasonic lag was half the lag of the Canon equivalent. However, they are both fine cameras and the Panny has a highly reputable Leica lens. I don't use mine all that much anymore, but I've never been disappointed with the results.