I don't know if I should break the bank on a professional-ish cam....or just go with a point and shoot....

What do you have and you like?

a cam? u mean camera or cam corder?

well i dont own either, except the kind that came wit phone. i have no use for them.. i dont take lot of pix or videos

I mean photo cam....I am really trying to decide what to get for a simple cam that uses AA batts, and it is seeming that is lost on any decent cams, but for the Cannon sx.

I have a cam on my iPhone that I sometimes use but despite how they are being phased out, my 6 yo Sony MiniDV is hanging in there just fine and I like it. Some sort of Hard Drive recorder will come next, but I could care less about HD. Don't own Blu-Ray, Don't own an HDTV. Don't want HD Satellite. All these things simply cost more. I just can help but think the quality is overhyped and overpriced for what you get.

Go with the point and shoot. I say this because as soon as you purchase a new electronic item, like a camera, they become obsolete. I spent nearly a thousand dollars on a camcorder in 2001; I recently went on Amazon and saw it going for $200. My guess is that it is either discontinued, or will soon be. It's just, IMO, better to go with something that works -- over the latest bank breaking upgrade.

Most of the digital point and shoot cameras can also be used to shoot short videos. I never use that feature because my kids are all grown and I like still shots of scenery or wildlife.

RedBedroom made a good point about batteries. Cameras are power hungry but the new Ni-MH batteries pack a lot of punch and are available in AAA and AA sizes. Chris also has a good point, anything you buy today is obsolete tomorrow.

I'm really partial to Sony cameras because they always come with a good instructional book that I can understand. My last Sony has a 12X optical zoom that gets me a lot closer to wildlife. I took this one through a window of a duck that was least 50 yards away.

I have a digital camera. I also have a disposable camera that I keep in my glove box in case something happens while I'm on the road. Don't have a camcorder.....wanna get one soon.

This question made me realize that I don't have a photo camera. I take pictures on my phone....before that I think I would buy those old Kodak disposable cameras. I haven't had a real camera in God knows how long.

I am pretty impressed with what I went with, which is a Cannon poweshot sx130. I have been loyal to Kodak Easy Share since digital cams came out, but I wanted to try a new brand. And I have to say, I like the one I got.

What came in handy this weekend, is that it didn't need to use flash all the time inside, and that rocks. I still don't know it as well as I will, but I was pleased.

Oops. Misread your post Red. I thought you meant camcorders.

I don't have a photo camera anymore; but I found this website of the five 'best' snapshot cameras. They're all pretty expensive, though.

http://reviews.cnet.com/best-digital-cameras/