This summer I'm going to attend a few pop/rock gigs and I need a new compact camera to take pics and videos. My old Ixus 75 is not reliable any longer and truth be told it's never been good in low light conditions, pics are blurry. I'd like some advice from experienced photographers which camera should I buy to get the best quality pics and videos.

The most important criteria, from most important to least:

* (ultra?) compact: they don't allow professional cameras in the venues and bridge is usually a no go

* (great?) good image quality in low light conditions

* (great?) good image quality of subjects in motion > fast focus

* good video quality in low light and motion

* (great?) good optical image stabilisation. There will be no tripod

* filming in 1080p with (good?) decent stereo sound

* above average optical zoom capability

+ fast lens would be a plus

+ $400-500

+ external microphone option for better sound would be a plus

I can tell you now that finding a good video camera that records in HD 1080 with "great" sound quality is going to be rather impossible. If you're at a concert, all you're going to hear is a horrendous roar of people. Most video recorders require third party sound recording equipment not attached to the camera to get "great" sound quality.

Go pros are generally good cameras, there isn't a view finder though, so you can't zoom in. I know they film in 1080p and have good video capture.

^what Pureshack said, and also there's no "jack of all trades" camera especially in the compact category, there are only cameras that are partially good for image or video or sound and some that excel at one and svck at the others. The low lighting is one of the toughest tasks even for Dslr's. From y experience the really dedicated fans take more than one camera with them in the stadiums for sports and music: one for zoom, one for video, etc... I've never tried shooting concerts myself but for my travel/zoom pics I'm using the http://www.photographyblog.com/reviews/sony_cybershot_dsc_hx20v_review/ and it's pretty good for the money.

Yeah I know it's hard to find a camera with all these characteristics but I'm no expert and haven't been in this market for a few good years, I'd hoped things could have progressed a little meanwhile.