Just to give this thread a proper ending:
I bought the A560 since it's price point was too convincing and so far I do not regret my decision. It does not have manual focus or av mode, but I don't need those on this camera anyway. I found I didn't miss the tv mode either, because of being able to set tv and iso via chdk.
I wanted a cheap compact camera that I am not afraid of taking to outdoor activities and parties or even strapping to remote controlled vehicles (or as I call them: my personal air, land and water forces
) and that I could toy around with writing scripts and experimenting with HDR photography.
I come from a rather dated background of having used a Canon AE1 camera for the past couple of years that I inherited from my dad and while it's a great camera I felt it wasn't really suited for outdoor sports and other fast paced activities.
