John,

My Mavica will take 60-second videos with audio, as well as digital still photos ranging from macro (it'll focus on an object from as little as 1" away) to full 14X zoom, has doubled as small telescope on several occasions for me when I needed to get a closer look at something more than a quarter mile away, something that might be of interest to Mr Hot Rod Lincoln too! It's the same camera that the NHRA bought for their communications people to use to shoot photos at divisional drag racing events.

The videos that it takes are a bit choppy, so if that is a use that you consider to be high on the list of uses, I'd suggest you by a separate digital video camera for that purpose.

Bob