1. If you are aiming for powerful zoom...

Panasonic FZ1 or FZ2, 12x optical zoom, LEICA Lense,2M pixel, image stablizer
around S$550-600, but no full manual control.

Olympus C740, 10x optimal zoom, 3.2M pixel,
more compact and lighter compared with FZ1,
around S$650.

2. Compact and Light with good picture quality.

Nikon 4300, 4.3M pixel, 3x zoom, very good image quality.
around S$650.

Canon A70, 3M pixel, 3x zoom, full manual control,
ideal for amatuer who wants to experiment, good image quality
around S$500.

Minolta F200 is also a good one but don't how much it is.

3. Extremely light.

Don't know. If you are not a girl, don't buy this type.