TweetI use a Nikon Coolpix 8400 for work because it takes 24mm pictures so I get great wide angle shots. I've had it for about 3 1/2 years. I had to send it to Nikon to get the lens motor fixed once but it was under warranty and it's been fine since. It's 8 megapixel and takes great pics for a point and shoot. My personal camer is a Canon digital SLR and I have two different lenses for it that take me from 18mm to 300mm so I can cover any range I need of shot. This is the one I use for all our personal stuff because SLR cameras don't have the lag time between pictures like point and shoot cameras have. I can literally hold down the button and it will rip off 3 shots a second for a few seconds so I get great action shots of my son playing sports or whatever. It has a sports mode and I don't know how but the camera will automatically adjust the shutter speed to the action taking place. It's above me but it does exactly what I want it to do.
Every photographer I've talked to is about even between Nikon and Canon for professional shots so if you go with one of those two, you will be just fine. When I decided on my Canon I got it for $200 less than Nikon's equal. I didn't see any point in paying $900 for and 8mp Nikon when I could get the same mp for $700 from Canon. But, the camera is the cheap part really, the lenses, filters and flashes are where the money really adds up. I have one lens that's the same price as my camera and it's not anywhere near top of the line. The L series lens from Canon for the exact same features is like $1800 or more. But, to let you know how important lenses are, my bro has the same Canon SLR XT that I have and knows someone with the new XTi, which is 10 mp. Well, the person with the XTi has only the stock lens that comes with the camera and my bro has a lens about like the one I have and his camera takes much better photos that the other person's does. The lens is everything. You can get a 'decent' camera with a great lens and take awesome pictures. But, if you get a great camera and use a decent lens, your pictures will be decent.
Anyways, that's my two and a half cents.