I am an avid amateur photographer and own several Canon and Nikon cameras. My favorite one at the moment is the Canon 20D which is fairly "old" now having been released at least 3 years ago. The more recent 40D is now standard, but I have resisted upgrading until I can get a good used higher-end model such as the EOS-ID Mark III. The problem with these cameras is their size and weight. If I am going for a stroll in a new city, the last thing I want to carry is 4 or 5 pounds of camera! 
Recently I bought a Canon G9 because it easy to take with me on trips and short hikes. Rather than carry the fairly hefty 20D, the G9 is light and small. It has 12.1 MP resolution and shoots in RAW format which means I have a lot of editing control.
Here are a couple of photos taken with the camera that give you some idea of the quality of the shots. The first one is a photo (click to enlarge them) taken in March in cold and snowy Vermont. It presented a fairly dull scene with just shades of blue, gray, and white.
And here is one taken in the very early morning in Iquique, Chile. The sun was just coming up over the water and this pelican swooped out of nowhere as I was taking this shot.
As you can see, both the almost monochromatic snow scene as well as the backlit bird look good with no editing except some minor tweaks.
I will include this camera on all my trips as a backup or as my main camera when a big one is inappropriate or when I want candid shots. It fits nicely into a small backpack or even a big overcoat pocket.
And best of all, it lists for US$500 but can be found for as little as US$330.
