Here's a nice semi-compact vacation camera I like to carry with me on vacatations.
Canon PowerShot SX230HS
It takes nice pictures and has a 14X zoom.
The newer model is the SX260.
I also have a Sony a65 - but that's in a different league.

Thanks! I'll check it out. The one that broke on me was a Canon PowerShot SD890 IS, and I loved it. But I read some reviews of the camera Canon made to replace it with, and it got some lackluster reviews, which surprised me. Thanks again!

I have the Powershot SX40, which is the size of a DSLR, so I wouldn't consider it a "point and shoot" due to the size of the thing and the fact that it has a lens cap. Has some manual settings, which would be lovely if I could learn how to use them. Functions similarly to my old SD630 (which unfortunately is on its last legs, a shame because it's an amazing little camera.) The only thing I don't love is the macro setting on the SX40. I sometimes have trouble getting very close up (6"or less), as it seems to want to auto focus on everything other than what I want. To be fair, there may be settings to fix that problem. Other times I have no issue at all. It has a 30x zoom which has been wonderful getting good shots of wildlife that I can't get close to physically. Really clear and sharp even when maxing out the zoom. This one as well got so-so reviews, but I have been having a great time with it.

For what its worth, I found Canon's customer service to be very helpful if you're looking to stay with Canon. When I first started looking to replace, I had a hard time figuring out what was what on their website, and emailed them. The representative who wrote back took the time to ask what I use the camera for most, and made some recommendations based on what I wanted to do, and which of their cameras would be comparable or a step up from what I had at the time.

Sandy.

In my experiences with several point-and-shoot cameras, Canon cameras are the best. The picture is better, and the software is a lot better. So if I were you, I'd buy the best Canon I could afford.

Sherry

My experience with Canon has been different. I had a Canon Powershot prior to purchasing a Nikon DSLR and within it being a year old, it was having difficulty focusing. I sent it in for work under warranty and within a few weeks, the same problems started again. I had very little luck getting Canon to do much about it. I know this is not everyone's experience, but I just can not in good conscience, recommend a Canon product.

~Laura

You could always look on e-bay for a Canon PowerShot SD890 IS. Although it may not be brand new, it will be familiar and probably at a good price. I personally have several Nikon DSLR's that I purchased from e-bay that were used but at very reasonable prices. Good luck!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Canon-PowerShot-Digital-ELPH-SD890-IS-Digital-IXUS-970-IS-10-0-MP-Camera-/150916359639?pt=Digital_Cameras&hash=item232350e5d7

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Canon-PowerShot-Digital-ELPH-SD890-IS-Digital-IXUS-970-IS-10-0-MP-Digital-/170913929164?pt=Digital_Cameras&hash=item27cb4397cc

I guess these are the only 2 working cameras like you had on ebay at this time...

It's hard to find good reviews on point and shoot cameras for macro because the camera experts prefer DSLR and when the compacts ARE tested, I think it's usually with a tripod and perfect lighting indoors with no wind and not on taking close ups of butterflies that are moving around on a flower that's blowing in the wind. lol

I have a Sony that I love but have had it for 5 years so it's likely outdated compared to what's available now. I got lucky when I was shopping for that one. There happened to be a lady working at Best Buy that was knowledgeable about taking Macro shots and she helped me pick one out.
My daughter used my Sony for taking pictures in the rain a few weeks ago and it's been acting weird now. The mode changes on its own. Most of the time it works ok but I've been shopping around.

Here's a review I came across that looks pretty helpful. I think I will see what Consumer Reports says about the cameras he suggests and see what they cost. This is from July so hopefully these models are still available.
I've been looking at the reviews on Best Buy's site too.
I often check Consumer Reports when making a big purchase. Our libray provides that for free. I looked at a couple recent articles and they had tested a lot of cameras but I don't think they looked at which ones have the best quality macro shots unless it's referred to by other wording that I didn't get.

Here is a link that might be useful: Top 6 cameras for macro photography

Here is another, this guy reviews most of the point and shoots and if a camera is reviewed, he usually takes the actual photos and post a link to them at the end of the review. He's been doing this for years and has pretty good reviews.

Steve's Digicams

Darren

A great big THANK-YOU to everyone who responded! I ended up going with a Canon Power Shot SX260 HS. I guess what swayed me the most was the 20x optical zoom and the 12 megapixels, which is kind of funny because shooting macros is of great importance to me. I haven't used it enough yet to decide if I am happy with my purchase. I did consider buying one of the cameras on E-Bay but in the end decided to move on from that camera. And thanks for the camera review links, I have saved them as favorites. Thanks again to all!

Nancy - How are you liking that SX260?
I've been looking again and that one had really good reviews. Have you taken many macro shots with it? I've found it on sale at Bestbuy for $199 regular $299 and it seems like a pretty good deal.
Just wondered if you're happy with yours. I use the macro setting on the camera I have now quite a bit. I'd be disappointed if I can't get good shots of something up close like a caterpillar. Have you tried it on something tiny like a 1st or 2nd instar cat?