Panasonic's DMC-FX500 point-and-shoot is as expensive as it sounds

I have to say, for the price of this Lumix, you could almost get yourself my Canon Rebel XT (an old version but still) and a 50mm 1.8 lens. But then you wouldn’t have all the gadget-ness that comes along with a $400 point-and-shoot. An awesome touchscreen where you can touch the person you want in focus, a 25-125mm equivalent lens, and the ability to shoot 720p video.

Pretty tempting. But still, I feel that the more control we give to the point-and-shoots, the closer we get to the Machine Apocalypse. How long before Panasonic starts making Hunter-Killers?

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX500 [Photography Blog]