I converted my camera crisis into a monetary crisis. From all of your advice it seemed clear that I could get my elph repaired, but it would take time. Rather than end up with two small digital cameras, I caved into gadget lust and got the Canon EOS Digital Rebel so I can take photos in 6 megapixel SLR glory (~$660 after rebate from buydig). Not to be content with only spending 3 figures, I broke the $1k barrier by also getting a Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0 L USM Telephoto Zoom lens. My main use of my old Rebel in the past was to take landscape and sports photos, but I was always frustrated by my lack of telephoto capability. Although the lens I got is not ultrafast, it should do well enough for California-weather sports.