Pom, based on my experience with the LX-1 to date, "small", "high resolution" and "un-noisy" remains a contradiction in terms. You just can't have it all, unless there is some model which produces RAW files that I don't know about. I mention the RAW files because this is important for quality post-processing needed to resolve the contradictions. As you well know, there are limits to what you can do with a pre-baked JPEG. At least the raw file allows one to deal with the noise and still obtain very acceptable sharpness. Just last night I finished processing a batch of family photos printed to A4. They were shot at ISO 80, treated with Noise Ninja and sharpened in PK Sharpener Pro. The quality of the prints is remarkable, if I dare say so myself. I wouldn't trade this for film any day, but I know you were (half?) joking. All that said, if you can wait - of course - having just recently bought this camera I have no illusion it will become obsolete in the not too distant future (but can't know exactly when). But on that basis one would never buy any of this stuff, because it will always become obsolete in the not too distant future. A real dilemma, which just gets resolved as you say: buy when needed.