While many "still cameras" allow you to take short videos, and some will record sound along with it, most limit you to rather brief "snatches," and many produce "jerky" movies. If you really want videos with sound you may want to make a separate investment in a real videocam. If you really want to do it all in one camera, be diligent in assessing whether any particular camera will really do what you want.

With the step up to 4 Mp and higher, almost any of the cameras you're likely to find in the price range will take reasonably good still pictures. The most commonly cited demarcation between ones the reviewers like and the ones they don't are in initial charge time and recycle time. I'd suggest looking at the specifications (and some reviewer reports) for these two items if you want something that will satisfy you for a while.

Some otherwise very nice cameras can take 10 seconds or more to be ready to take the first shot after you turn them on. This is perhaps something you can live with once you're used to it, but think first about whether that will matter. When you're waiting to get a shot that's rapidly evaporating, it can be a very long time.

Some otherwise very nice cameras can take about the same time to save the last shot and get ready for the next one. Also perhaps just an inconvenience, but you may want to give some thought to what will satisfy you.

Shutter lag is quite noticeable in some otherwise good cameras. You click when the scene is just what you want, and the camera captures "a few seconds later." Even a second or two of lag can be frustrating.

If you use it at all, with a digital camera you'll take a lot more pictures than you'd imagine if you're used to film. Plan on getting some memory expansion with any camera, especially in your price range, so you don't have to stop and dump too frequently.

Also make sure you have hard drive space to download all your pictures, and burning the originals to CDs for archiving is a good plan. Also consider that you'll want a good photo editing program sooner or later.

John