Have you thought about checking out a Fuji fin pix's camera I have the s5000 which is now one of the older cameras. and there were a bunch of folks on here that had them and thought the same as I did that it was a very good camera. and mine uses regular AA's batteries and I can take many pic's with a set of 4 aa's. If i switch I'd probably go with a Olympus that the trout nut guy has I belive it olympus it might be cannon. later Matt