Here's the quick points

Low light is difficult. If you have an ISO setting turn it up. You'll get grainy pictures but you will get pictures. Higher ISO gets you faster shutter speeds (good).

Digital zoom is useless. It's the same as taking the picture and zooming after you put it on the computer. You can do that on the computer.

Your best pictures will come from a SLR camera with an expensive lens.

Your compromise may be a superzoom as defined by Steve's Digicams.

I take my gun, bow or camera. I may just take the camera if there was enough action to warrent it. It's just big and heavy with the bigger lenses (zoom)