BTW, this (http://www.amazon.com/Canon-PowerShot-SD950IS-Stabilized-Titanium/dp/B000V1VG2O/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-5793500-6998319?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1192995804&sr=8-1) is the one that I currently own. 12.1 megapixels and 3.7x zoom. It's brand new so it's a bit expensive, but the 850IS (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000Q30420/sr/ref=pd_cp_e_1/104-5793500-6998319?ie=UTF8&qid=1192995804&sr=8-1&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-41&pf_rd_r=0J36Q65PT95CE3MGKBNV&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=250314001&pf_rd_i=B000V1VG2O) is the less expensive cousin with 8.0 MPs.
If you decide to go for any of the powershot family, I definitely recommend the image stablizing technology - it definitely has made a difference in that quality of my photos/video. They all have rechargable batteries, which is very nice. Many people recommend a second battery - I have never found myself needing a second one. But, especially if you take a lot of video, a large SD card is key - my last one I got a 2GB one, this time I upgraded to the 4GB as my excessive video recording when I am on my trips tended to fill up my card pretty fast.
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If you decide to go for any of the powershot family, I definitely recommend the image stablizing technology - it definitely has made a difference in that quality of my photos/video. They all have rechargable batteries, which is very nice. Many people recommend a second battery - I have never found myself needing a second one. But, especially if you take a lot of video, a large SD card is key - my last one I got a 2GB one, this time I upgraded to the 4GB as my excessive video recording when I am on my trips tended to fill up my card pretty fast.