Can I chime in?
First of all, OP, a word of advice: look for stereo microphones on whichever camera you end up getting. You say you want 1080p - what's the point pairing it with audio which sounds like it comes from a $1 microphone, recorded under water?
Second... unlike you, I have had NOTHING but good experiences with all my cameras running AA batteries (and that goes a long way back, to 2003, when I first got a HP210, then a Canon A310, then a Canon S3, then the Canon SX1). In my experience, two-three sets of good Eneloops or some reliable NiMH batteries(2700mAh and above) are just as reliable as a Li-Ion cell. In fact, I'm still miffed about the fact that my SX40 now uses proprietary stuff, instead of the tried-and-true AAs. It sounds like the Sony you mention had other issues...
You can probably guess by now that I'm a Canon fan, but I'm honest enough to admit that other brands can also make great products. In fact, my SO and I went looking for a camera a couple of years ago, and although I had been suggesting the SX200 (the precursor of the SX230 HS) at the beginning, we ended up agreeing that the comparably-priced Panasonic ZS7 was a much better camera.
My first digicam was a Samsung Digimax V3 (saw a thread here in Hot Deals), and I still have it. When I don't want to lug my Pentax Kr, I take the Samsung V3. It uses 2x AA, and I've always been super high on AA's compared to proprietary Li-ion batteries. I've avoided those like the plague, but I must say that I am completely sick and tired of how finicky the Samsung V3 is. I have Eneloops and a newly charged set may get me 25 shots if I'm lucky, and that's with turning the LCD off and using the viewfinder. I'm never surprised when the lens just draws back in and the camera shuts off. My Pentax DSLR, OTOH, just keeps on shooting like the Energizer Bunny, I can't remember it
ever running out of juice! However, the Pentax also runs on AA's, but 4 instead of the 2 that the Samsung runs on.
But I doubt that there are compact P&S cameras that do well with AA's. 4 AA's are pretty heavy, right? Aren't all the P&S cameras with decent battery life Li-ion based?
I'm looking at an ad in today's paper for the Canon Elph 100 HS, for $110 + tax at Office Depot, and it includes a case and 4GB SDHC card. I'm tempted, but I don't know the terrain. I see threads here talking about the 300 HS, which is around $160 at Amazon. What are its advantages? I see it has a 24mm lens where the 100 HS has 28mm. Is that the main advantage? The ad's good for this week, it's a better price than Amazon's.
Edit: So it looks like the OP went with the Canon SX230HS. What's that got that the 100 HS doesn't? It's more than 2x the cost. It has 14x optical zoom and the 100 HS has 4x, that seems to be the difference. It's also around 30% heavier and quite a bit thicker (1.3" vs 0.8"), i.e. not as portable.
One thing I would miss with one of these (100 HS, 300 HS) would be a viewfinder. I've never had a camera without one and I've never been in the habit of using an LCD to compose my shots. I suppose I'd get used to it if that's all I had.
)))
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