Ok, this is a tough one. I am having trouble deciding which of these camera's to get. Currently I have the C-50, and I want something with more options/features and the ability to add filters and lenses. I also want a bigger zoom. I mainly take pictures when I travel (frequently). Those are usually landscapes or buildings or people posing. But I also love to take pictures of cityscapes/skylines, especially at night. I take all kinds of shots -- bright sunshine, indoors, sunsets, groups, nighttime, etc.

I read reviews of the 8080 and they are overwhelmingly positive. It seems that everyone loves this camera. Then I came upon the new SP-500. The reviews of the SP-500 have also been good, but many have complained about the lack of image stabalization. That concerns me because I do not have a steady hand, and I do intend on using the zoom a lot. Is this in issue only in low-light? If I am outside and I zoom all the way in on a subject, will I end up with a blurry shot? I am very attracted to the mega zoom on the 500, but if the 8080 is a better camera, I could always go with that one and just get the telephoto add-on if I needed it.

Issue #2, do I really need 8 MP? I have 5 now and that seems to be quite adequate since I rarely print over a 5x7. But I want to use this camera to really dive more into photography and learn more about all the settings and how to adjust for different light, etc. So I'm thinking I might eventually want those extra pixels. What do the experts think?

Issue #3, modes. Another attractive thing on the 500 for me is that it has 27 shooting modes. Since I have not learned all the right things to set (yet), I like that I can ask the camera to adjust for action, night, portrait, etc. How does the 8080 compare to this? It seems like it has many modes to choose from as well.

Question #4 -- do these 2 cameras have the same lens? I read that the 8080 has a top-quality lens like a dSLR, does the 500 as well? I am also wondering why the 8080 was almost $1000 when it came out but the 500 is only $400? It can't just be because the of the 2 million more pixels, right?

Last issue -- size. I cannot find a store around here that has an 8080 I can get my hands on. Is this one signifcantly bigger/heavier than the 500? I am not expecting a pocket camera, but I don't want to have to carry a duffle bag around, either. From the specs and pictures it seems like a good size, but it does seem heavier than others (specs say 23 oz w/o battery). Is that weight comparable to a SLR camera?

So can someone who is familiar with these 2 cameras help me out with this? Which is the better camera for me? I have another trip coming up and I can't wait to hit the streets with a brand new camera! :-)

Thanks!