I am seeking the best compact megazoom with optical viewfinder and very short shutter lag. What do you recommend? Thanks.

If low shutter lag is your primary concern, you'll want to get a camera with a CMOS sensor such as the Fuji HS10/11/20/22 or the Kodak Z990 that's set to start shipping today. Other than that "the best" is one heck of a vague, moving target, that every company (and most people) in the world tries to figure out every single day...the best for you depends on a whole slew of factors that are unique to you. Your best bet would be to do some research: read some reviews on cameras you might be interested in (here, on dpreview.com and/or look up the camera model in google), check their spec sheets, and take a look at some sample pictures other people have shot with them.


Hope this helps,
Rob

Have a look at Nikon P500 or Olympus HS20. The Nikon Coolpix P500's maximum shutter speed is 8 seconds, which is fairly good and I think its the same for HS20 I am not sure. Are you looking for any specific brand or optical zoom?