Point-and-shoot cameras with LARGE sensors?
Travelling this summer, can't bring 20 lbs of DSLR equipment with me. What relatively slim point-and-shoot cameras have large sensors? E. G., the Canon G1X?
I'm debating between a small interchangeable-lens camera (i.e. NIkon J1, Pentax Q), and a high-quality point-and-shoot. I really can't decide, but I'd like to know what my options are.
Not many and those sensors are not really all that large.
For the most versatility, a Nikon 1 series or Pentax Q and a few lenses will do a better job than a P&S with a modestly larger sensor than the others.
When I travel, I carry a dSLR and four to five lenses as well as my notebook computer. At the end of each shooting day, I copy all the image files I have shot that day to my computer to a new file folder named for the subject/location and date. I also carry a 1 tb external drive.
Why not go all the way with an APS-C sensor, like in the Pentax K-01.
http://www.dpreview.com/...pentax_k01
For an ILC, look at the Sony NEX-F3. You might want to check out the links to the reviews at the top.
http://www.dpreview.com/...sony_nexf3
The Nikon Coolpix A has an APS/DX size sensor.
If you can accept that you won't have the big zoom power of a small sensor camera, then you have lots of options.
The larger the sensor, the larger the lens needs to be to get the same reach as a smaller sensor camera. So anything with an huge APS-C sensor will need zoom lenses that are large and heavy just like a dSLR so know that going in.
Going with a micro four thirds helps a bit, and even better, a Nikon 1 series the lenses can go even smaller and image quality takes a hit at high ISO but it's not too bad, and at low ISO it's dSLR quality.
if reach isn't much of an issue, then the top of the list should be a Sony NEX 3N.
for a little more reach with a zoom in a slightly smaller package, a M43 from Olympus, the E PM2.
next down, any Nikon 1 series that isn't over 10 MP. The 14 MP sensors actually score worse, so look at the J1, J2 and S1. The 30-100mm lens has big reach, about 270mm equivalent on the long end.
Avoid the Pentax Q, it uses the same tiny image sensor that a cheap compact uses, so you might get big reach but the image quality is going to be garbage in low light and just OK in good light.
The Pentax K01 is too big, might as well get a dSLR. To make it compatible with Pentax dSLR lenses, it has to be just as thick and chunky as a dSLR. Fantastic Sony Exmor sensor but it's just too big, and it's just plain ugly if you ask me.
The best image sensor of the fixed lens type for cost and image sensor performance is Fuji's original X100, the best crop sensor 12MP sensor made, ever. It has quirks, but see what it goes for used. The lens is wide-ish and fixed so if you can work with that, the camera is amazing.
Options?
1. DSLR with a 40mm pancake lens. 
2. Mirrorless cameras. 
3. APS-C PNS. Http://www.dpreview.com/products/search/cameras#criterias=SpecsCoreParams%2CSpecsSensorSize&includeDiscontinued=No&sort=newestFirst&view=list&page=1¶mSpecsCoreParamsBodyType=UltraCompact%2CCompact%2CLargeSensorCompact¶mSpecsSensorSize=APSCH