@OP

Funny that because I was thinking that this appears to be the first compact system camera that might be worth the money.

Oh, almost forgot, go away

People need to get over the SLR snobbery. Compact system cameras are now a choice rather than a compromise. I use both, according to my needs and the latest Micro Four Thirds cameras are easily as good as mid range SLRs from a few years back. If you're in this price range, anything will give you the quality you need unless you're working at the extremes - maybe you take photos in disused coal mines? More important are how the camera feels, the choice of lenses (like the fantastic Panasonic 20/1.7), how comfortable you feel with the controls, etc. And no I don't own a Panasonic.

If you want a small compact, a decent one like the Nikon P 300 costs a third less. Of course e may be snobbery in this, at the end of the day it's not the camera, it's the photographer that creates the picture.

It's not snobbery just that some SLR cameras are far superior and yet cost the same or close to this one.