I shoot landscape (ranging from broad vistas to intimate near-macros) with the D3x, and need something for longer hikes when a D3x, a few lenses and a 2-series Gitzo just aren't an option. I've owned about 5 small-sensor compacts over the years, including well-regarded ones (G7), and never gotten an image worth printing with any of them - the issue is mostly dynamic range - the compacts I've used have decent resolution, and the noise isn't that bad if they're used carefully, but they have a very harsh, digital look to their files, caused in large part by the lack of DR.
This is a problem with the capabilities of the underlying technology essentially being driven to the point where you don't get significant gains any more. Traditional Bayer type patterns and imaging techniques used in traditional sensors can't *do* better than they currently are and a re-design is required if you want significantly better results. Sure, they can tweak the results a bit, but a small sensor and smaller lenses will result in vastly less quality than your D3x.(and also results much better than your 3dx won't likely ever be possible). Moving to a larger sensor will solve a little bit of it, but it's really not a very good solution as it means the camera isn't "compact" any more.
That leaves non-Bayer sensors, which also happen to do great for landscapes. This means you want something with the newest Fuji sensor or the Foveon. They will have high DR, produce great images, and while the resolution won't be that great, they will more than suffice for a compact camera.
The Fuji is basically a tweaked Bayer pattern in that it uses on-sensor pixel binning and bracketing techniques to create essentially the same effect that bracketing and blending does. You get higher DR and less washed-out results in bright sunlight, as well as a significant factor less moire and artifacts. Built-in HDR, essentially. And that 1-2 stops makes an enormous difference.
The Foveon sensor is well understood as well by now - and it produces very pleasing results, though resolution isn't that great. Good enough for 5*7 prints that are (truly) equivalent to film, but not really a lot better(though it does enlarge beautifully - 8*11 is still very clean). Though, they did manage to stuff it into a compact camera and as such it is one of the largest sensors that you can get in that size package.
http://www.sigmaphoto.com/cameras/dp2.aspVery nice, compact, and the reviews of it are generally very good.
http://www.rytterfalk.com/2009/04/20/initi...ull-size-shots/I like this guy, especially his YouTube video reviews of the camera. It's very small and works well. The downside is that it really does need a small tripod at times and the lens isn't a zoom(!). And the $600 price. That aside, it does produce fantastic scenery. Check out the sample with the ocean waves and the field of wheat. Most compact cameras would just suck at that sort of moire and jaggie-inducing subject matter.
http://www.youtube.com/user/rytterfalk#p/u/15/9bF9p2DhNKEI find this to be better than some technical pixel-peeping review site, since the raw conversion software is so critical to the process and output. The output is very good, as you can see.
The Fuji, OTOH, is priced and works more like a normal compact camera. I don't think the results for scenery are as good, but it's quite user and tourist-friendly. Good at low-light, good at bright light, and it does have a zoom lens (such as it is, it's not NEARLY as good optics as the Sigma) so at least the subjects are framed exactly as you want them to be.
http://www.fujifilmusa.com/products/digita.../exr/index.htmlhttp://www.digicamreview.com/fujifilm_fine...0exr_review.htmThe mode that you should be shooting in is the DR priority. This does the on-sensor HDR/blending trick, and even in the cropped and mangled (jpeg) samples, it's apparent that there's a massive improvement over normal mode for scenery. It's not as good as the Sigma, IMO, but it's a lot more usable and has a ton more features.
Which one, though...
I like the Sigma better myself for scenery. I just wish it was a little higher resolution. OTOH, the lens that it does come with is awesome and purpose-made for outdoors scenery. Win-win combination. I just wish the price was a bit lower.
