What do you guys think of these cameras

I am looking for something to rplace my current Canon A530 and i am kinda stuck on these two--
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Canon+-...lack/9230539.p?id=1218063557398&skuId=9230539

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olstemplatemapper.jsp?id=1218088854715&type=product

I really like the looks and the HD vid feature of the 780, but I am not a big fan of having to recharge batteries. When I go places (ie- carshows, vacations) I like to take a lot of pictures and don't want to deal with the downtime of charging batteries. I did consider buying a spare,but at 70 bucks, I though it was outrageous. That is where the 1100 comes in, they bith seem to have similar features, but the 1100 seems to have a few more picture modes and functions. It also uses to AAs, which may seem like a burden to some, but five buck for an 8pack of batteries and a few seconds to swap them out seems very convenient to me. I am just wanting to see if anyone has had any experience with either of these and which one you would recommend. The hip and trendy 780 or its slightly bulkier and cheaper brother.

New camera battery life is pretty incredible. I don't know that I would let that be a turnoff. I have an SD990is and I can probably blow through 2000 pics before the bat is even slowing down.

My Nikon will easily shoot 1000 shots before its getting down also.

I vote for the one that uses AA batteries. If all other features are comparable, take the much lower price. If the HD video feature is important, that's your choice. Can you test the cameras in the store to see if the HD is a lot better? If not, the price difference will buy a charger and lots of rechargeable batteries.
It's not too long ago my Kodak 4meg was a little over $300!
We've have a Canon 35mm SLR for close to 30 years, and I like their cameras the best, although when I bought the digital, Canon's prices were outrageous. If I had to do it again, I would put their products on the short list.

I have an older 780. I am very happy with it. Easy to use and the rechargeable battery will take a lot of pictures before it needs to be recharged. I have thought about getting a second battery to have as a back up but I have not needed it. I would get either a Cannon or a Nikon, but probably nothing else for a little point and shoot.

I just bought a Fuji s1500. while its not the best camera, and doesnt have a changeable lens, it has alot of the features that more expensive DSLR's do, and it shoots in 10mpx. I think its a pretty good starter camera and you cant beat the price!

I used to sell cameras (primarily digital SLRs but also the point and shoots) and shot weddings for a little while until I wanted a steadier paycheck... The Canon SD series (the slim ones with rechargeable batteries) are awesome. They operate a little quicker than the A series (larger bodies, AA batteries) and have slightly better lenses but don't have as much zoom available. The A series cameras usually have longer zoom lenses available (because they're bigger) and are definately bulkier. Because of the larger lens and how the batteries work, they're a little slower for start-up and shot-to-shot time.

That's the same for all of the brands, really... the AA cameras will be slower than a camera designed for the Li-on batteries. Battery life isn't an issue for most people, most of the good cameras get 300+ shots per charge if you're not using the flash. Even with my Image Stabilized camera it lasts forever. I forget the specs, but I think it charges from dead to full in about 90 minutes. Spare batteries aren't that expensive on ebay if you expect to shoot more than 300 pictures regularly or use a lot of pictures with the flash.

My current pocket camera is the SD870IS. I carry it with me all the time in my uniform pants and put it my pocket for concerts, too.

As for brands, I always recommended Canon, Nikon and Sony. Canon has the best bang for the buck, their AA cameras are much better than Nikon, a little larger but the quality is superior. And their rechargeable cameras are a whole class above the Nikons. Nikons were usually a little cheaper at my store, so I sold a lot of them to people who just wanted a digital camera and weren't really picky about the quality. Sony has excellent stuff, but higher prices. Olympus has some good specialty cameras (weatherproof) but Canon still has better image quality.

My best advice is to goto the local electronics store and play with them... get a feel for the ergonomics and how quickly they respond.