Most camcorders and cameras produced now are Vista compliant. It might be harder to find one that is not. There will also be a Vista logo stamped somewhere on the box and listed under system requirements.
It appears the the 16:9 resolution starts around $199 with the Sony MHS-CM1 found here: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage... There might be some more inexpensive camcorders with a simulated 16:9.
True wide angle would be in the 10mm or so range. Some lenses archive wide angle by having a very large convex looking lens. This will give an image that is somewhat rounded around the edges. This effect is called “Fish Eye”.
D-SLR cameras give you complete control in manual mode while still giving you the option of full auto. D-SLR cameras have changeable lenses to get almost unlimited optical zoom. They also have a larger sensor giving you a sharper image, better color and clarity and lower light sensitivity. They are also more energy efficient and you get hundreds of photos between battery recharges. There are entry level D-SLR cameras that cost not much more than a high end compact. Canon, Nikon and Sony all have great cameras for the photo enthusiast just getting started.
That is whats called "Burst Mode" . Most cameras have this setting, even some compacts. D-SLR cameras are the fastest at 3fps (frames per second) at entry level cameras like the Nikon D40 and up to 6fps with continuous shooting on the higher end cameras like the Sony a700 and Canon 50D.
Usually there is a "Photo: button on almost all camcorders. When this button is pressed, while in video mode, it takes a photo and records a still image for about 10 seconds. If the camcorder is in memory/image mode it stores the image just like any digital camera would on the memory card.
The Flip Camcorders have been highly rated and reviewed by customers. It is a very nice, slim and portable video camera. It does lack some of the features found on a larger camcorder....so....do your research. The Flip is the camcorder equivalent of a compact camera. If your looking for something to fit into your pocket that takes really good video, it's the way to go.
Some of the photos may be able to be recovered. There are several good file recovery programs available. Stop by your nearest BestBuy and ask the Geek Squad for their recommendations on which one to get.