I would second the suggestion of a Canon G6, which has a really excellent chip. I do archaeology, with tools and other crap thrown in a backpack, and some digicams can be problems. I would not get one with a substantial protruding lens. I have a Canon Pro1 with an external lens, and the lens is always getting whacked around in the pack. I forget it's in there, and drop a book on it, which hits the lens at right angles...wince. IMHO all cameras used like this should be carried in a Ziploc bag to keep dirt and dust off, and then placed inside a padded carry bag. You can get tiny carry bags at places like Ritz, that will fit a G6 quite nicely, and will keep it from being beaten around too much. It's important to keep dust out of the movement mechanisms...You can also get carry bags for these small cameras that thread onto belts, which might be a better solution than carrying the camera in a pack. I also have an dc/ac converter for my car, which has a straight AC plug-in, and can be used to charge batteries while you're traveling. Very useful for roaming around the great outdoors, and a cheap solution for lots of problems, like charging and running laptops on the move. I know you were joking, but unless you need maximum flexibility, an SLR is not a good solution for this situation. I used Kodak digital SLRs to shoot archeological digs and the dust-on-the-sensor problem nearly drove me mad. A sealed camera is a much better deal. The only problem with a point and shoot, from an archaeological perspective, which might also be a problem for geologists, is the lack of a good wide-angle lens. Sometimes you can't stand back to shoot (like in a mine shaft, or an archaeological pit) and you need the wide angle...but that may not be a problem, depending on what your wife's students are doing...I used a 17-35 Nikon almost as my default lens, and it's hard to find a point-and-shoot wider than about 35-38. There are a few 28s, I think.
JC
