I absolutely love my Sony F-707! Takes fabulous pictures despite the person on the other end of the camera..... Yes, the technology is proprietary, but the battery life is also longer than with most other makers, and I got a second battery so while one is discharging, the other is charging. Memory sticks are smaller than most of the other cards, so it's easier to take a number of them with you.
You probably aren't looking to buy at the level that I did, though the current model, the f-717 just dropped in price by 200, but even the next group down take great pictures. I looked long and hard before purchasing this one, and it's certainly the most bang for the buck. Takes photos at many light levels, and rarely has trouble handling a lighting condition. Takes a hotshoe flash. The mpegs aren't great, but if you really want movies, then you should be carrying a camcorder anyhow.
BTW, I use this camera for my job. I'm the Computer Specialist/Technology Provider for a major synagogue and run three web sites for them in addition to shooting most of their major events. As you can tell, the camera gets quite a workout!