I know exactly what you mean. I've got a nice Canon kit, but there are lots of times when it's simply too much to haul around with me. That's the time when I use my old Nikon CoolPix 880. 3.3 megapixels, an excellent lens, and a form factor which allows me to tote it around in a fanny pack or even a vest pocket. There are smaller cameras with higher pixel counts, but I already own this thing and it comes in mighty handy quite a lot more often than I would have thought. Makes nice 11x14 prints too, so long as I don't crop it too much.