Yes the SX120 is a fine camera.

What's your budget? The Canon SD line is a very good place to start.

Yeah for your situation, I can understand why you'd prefer AA batteries. They are going out of style though, especially for superzoom-quality cameras. I can't think of any that take AA batteries off the top of my head...I know as soon as I submit this one will pop into my head. You can buy a spare battery or two -- they're usually rated for several hundred photos at a time, so they should last a while.

Casio has a few models that come with a 1000-shot battery. I tested the EX-H10 model--believe me, the battery lasts for-eeeever. With two of those, you'll be set for days. It takes solid pictures for its price and has a decent 10x zoom. Not very good low-light quality though. Check out my review here: digitalcamera-hq.com/produc...  also has an updated model, the EX-H15 coming out in, I'd guess, six weeks or so. It has the same huge battery and this time, HD video (720p).

Another choice, albeit more expensive, is the Pentax K-x. It's a compact dSLR for $600 (including a lens -- good price), so the pictures will be great, and it does run on AA batteries. Here's our review: digitalcamera-hq.com/produc...  that this helps!

Adapters are available for 12 volt DC charging. Plg it into your car or truck.

Well that depends on if you're really looking to get into photography as a serious hobby or just want snapshots. If you want to be a photographer and not a shutterbug, then a DSLR is a good move (I prefer Canon, but the Nikon D90 is a good choice as wel). But if you just want to capture kodak moments, then a point and shoot like the SD1200 or A2000 is a good point and shoot place to start.

The SD1200 is a good camera. The A3000 series is also good and has the added benefit of using AA batteries. In the end though, you want to be sure you prefocus and pan with the action so you don't lose track of your kids' faces in the images. And Canon's face detection will help with that.

What's your budget? In the $400 range, there's the Panasonic LX3 and the Canon G11. Both very good. But if that's too pricey, check out the Canon SX line.

I'd recommend one of the new Canon SD series or Panasonic point-and-shoot models. These two manufacturers are producing the best point and shoots these days. Nikon makes great dSLRs (like the one you have), but their point and shoots are iffy. Hopefully this model year is better.

ANYWAY, it depends on your budget, but the Canon SD3500 looks like it will be great. We're also posting a review of the Panasonic FH20 this week, and I can tell you it was a very positive review. Hope this helps.

Yes, definitely. It was possibly the best low-cost point-and-shoot to come out last year.

I'll tell you what, though, we should be getting an SD1300 to review very soon, so we'll let you know if it's even better than the SD1200 was. (Canon just released the SD1400 and SD3500 as well, but those are more expensive).

No, not really. They OK if you need a really, really cheap camera, and you're only interested in taking snapshots of your friends to post to Facebook, etc. Don't get one if you want any kind of decent image quality. It seems to me like they find the cheapest, most generic, lowest common denominator camera churned out by some factory in Taiwan, and slap the Polaroid logo on the front so that they can charge a little bit extra. That said, they're about on the same low level as some of the really cheap Kodak and Fuji models. Basically just stay away from them.

Try resetting the camera. Also, check and see if there's a firmware update. But it is a 2.7" LCD. Chances are, your Kodak's LCD was smaller and smaller LCDs always look sharper. Nature of the beast.

For old records like those, you really are much better off with a scanner. This will give you the best possible resolution and focus. But if you want an all in one option, then just about any camera will work for this. I'm currently a fan of the Pansonic LX3 or the Canon G11.

The G11 is generally regarded as the standard for compact point and shoot cameras today, so you'll be getting top notch quality. And as I'm sure you know, you have to pay for great quality. The cameras listed above are more budget oriented, and still offer very good image quality.

It's certainly possible -- Panasonic has been on a roll lately. I just got the ZR3 in for testing today and so far so good. I haven't tried this but I've heard good things. It's hard to say what is the "best" point and shoot out there, as everybody's needs differ (people who want to shoot in low-light, for example, would probably want the S90, though it has a small zoom).

But to answer your question in a roundabout way -- maybe. The best compact is probably the G11, but it'll certainly be more difficult for beginners to use. The FP8 might be one of the better easy-to-use models.

I'd say go with the SX120. It's not my favorite Canon, but Canon point and shoots are almost always a better option that Nikon or Kodak P&S.

Honestly, just about any camera, really. Nikon's point and shoot lines hit a dry patch design wise and as such, they suffer in low light. Better options are the Panasonic ZS5 and the Canon SD1400. In fact, you go here - digitalcamera-hq.com/search...  - and you'll find over a dozen that out shine it.

BTW don't get hung up on mega-pixels. CCD chips on point and shoot cameras a smaller and as such, fitting in more pixels causes them to lose light sensitivity. Sure, there's more data on the chip, but the chip can't absorb the light data and what it ends up with is a picture that has more noise than image quality. In addition, the more mega-pixels a camera has, the larger the lens it needs to provide the clarity it deserves and prevent diffraction due to a loss of detail with smaller apertures. But since we're talking portable point and shoots here, those large lenses simply aren't being made.

At the risk of catching your IRE for Panasonic, the LH20 is real improvement and has the fastest 8x zoom in it's category. Fuji's are okay, but this camera is getting killer reviews for great low light performance. Give it another chance.

You can do that by using a flash, as long as you don't have unrealistic expectations of the strength of the flash. WHat's your budget? I like the Panasonic FH20, or the Canon SX200IS. The S90 is pretty good too.

Get the FH20. Great Leica lens with an 8x optical zoom in a compact camera. Gets great reviews for it's low light performance. Lens is fast too. But the SD1200 is a nice camera as well. I give it Ms. Congeniality.

The ideal all in one would be the Canon T2i, which shoots 18MP stills and 1080p video. And the quality of the video is darn near cinematic. But you're looking at a lot more for it. I can tell you it's worth it, but if you're on a budget you're on a budget.

I would steer clear of the Nikon P series. Although it's showed some improvement from model to model, the P series has shown poor low light performance and a lot of noise in the image. The SX20 is a better choice is you want to spent a little more.

But another option is the Panasonic FH20, which has an 8x optical zoom, 14mp stills, and a great Leica lens. Also, I have read - though haven't confirmed this - that though the video quality is SD, it's been compared to the Flip Mino HD which shoots in 720p. Your mileage may vary, of course, but the cost is under $200.

And yes, 720p can play on a 1080p HDTV as would SD. The 1080p HDTV will interpolate the video and upscale it. It'll look pretty good.

Will 720p be obsolete next year? Frankly, it's obsolete now. But it's still far better than the SD world, and even better than what's broadcast on TV - which is interlaced.

They're probably about the same, but you can go to CanonUSA.com and find your camera there. On the right hand side you'll see a button called "choose the right product." Click on that and then "product comparison." You'll then be able to compare both models side by side.

g11 or fz35.

Every point and shoot will have a certain amount of shutter lag, but there are ways around it.

1. Prefocus. Hold down the shutter half way to get a prefocus of the image you're shooting. When it changes, prefocus again. This will speed up your camera's performance during picture taking since it won't have to autofocus before it shoots the shot.

2. Use faster SD cards. Yes, there are faster cards and it does make a difference in writing the image file to the card. This is especially key if you're taking multiple or burst images.

3. Stronger batteries. With at least an "mAh of 2500."

4. Pan with the action. You can create some pretty cool shots by panning with your shot, focusing on your subject. This will create the effect of your subject in sharp contrast to the blurry background.

6. Stick with 100-400 ISO. Going higher will cause more noise/grain in your shots, particularly in darker settings.

Doing these, particularly pre-focusing and panning with the action will cut your shutter lag by as much as 80%. And I'd go with the Panasonic.

I'm afraid that is too much to ask. Decent low light performance costs $$$ due to both a wider aperture and larger sensor. The Canon s90 really is the best choice for the money. You could also look at the Fuji F200EXR although it's lens is over a stop slower at the wide end. If you don't want to spend the money, I'd suggest springing for the FH20 and see if it's good enough for your needs.