Best point and shoot camera under 500.

Canon PowerShot G15 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 5x Wide-Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom
key features.

• 12.1 MP High-Sensitivity CMOS sensor with DIGIC 5 Image Processor.
• 28-140mm equivalent F1.8-2.8 lens, 4-stop 'Intelligent IS'. 
• ISO range 80-12800.
• High-speed AF, High-speed Burst HQ for a maximum of 10 frames.
•  1080p Full HD Video With a Dedicated Movie Button.
•  Can shot Raw format.
•  Dual-axis electronic level.
• Uses SD cards (Secure Digital Card ) 

Nikon COOLPIX P7700 12.2 MP Digital Camera with 7.1x Optical Zoom NIKKOR ED Glass Lens and 3-inch Vari-Angle LCD

key features.

• 12.2 megapixel CMOS sensor.
• 7.1X optical zoom-NIKKOR ED glass lens with Vibration Reduction.
• Fast f/2.0 maximum aperture ideal for brilliant low-light shots.
• ISO range 80-1600
• 3.0-inch Vari-angle LCD which swivels for easier shots.
• Full HD (1080p) vidoes with stereo sound.
• 330 shot battery life (CIPA).
• Full HD, 1080p movie recording with stereo sound.
• Uses SD cards (Secure Digital Card ).

 Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX7K 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 7.5x Intelligent zoom and 3.0-inch LCD -  Black
key features.

• 10MP new high sensitivity MOS sensor.
• Aperture range F1.4-2.3 Leica and 24mm Wide Angle.
• 60p Full HD Video Recording with Stereo Microphone in AVCHD Progressive /MP4,
• 9fps High Speed Continuous Shooting.
• ISO range 80 - 6400.
• Battery life 330 shots.
•  Uses SD cards (Secure Digital Card ).

Sony DSC-RX100 20.2 MP Exmor CMOS Sensor Digital Camera with 3.6x Zoom
 key features.

• 20.9 million effective pixels - extreme low-light shots
• 28-100mm (equiv), f/1.8-4.9 Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T lens with 3.6x zoom
• Full HD 1080/60p video with manual control and dual record with MP4 option.
• ISO range 125-6400.
• Face Recognition and Face Registration (up to 8 faces).
• Built-in stereo microphone
• 330-shot battery life (CIPA)
• Ultra-slim, sophisticated aluminum body
• Uses SD cards (Secure Digital Card ).

Other Point and shoot to consider.

Best budget camcorder for church recording

Panasonic Professional AG-HMC40 AVCHD Camcorder with 10.6 MP Still and 12x Optical Zoom

• Three newly designed 1/4.1" Progressive 3MOS Imagers for full HD resolution.

• Extremely slow, smooth zoom for the precise control needed for dramatic sequences
• Time Date Stamp enables shooting Legal Depositions or Surveillance
• The HMC40 is a versatile HD camcorder offering high-quality AVCHD recordings and high-resolution still photo capture
• The compact camera is also packed with professional video and audio features. 

Canon XA10 Professional Camcorder with 64GB Internal Flash Memory and Full Manual Control

• 64GB internal flash drive and 2 SDXC-compatible memory card slots
• Genuine Canon 10x HD video lens with 8-blade Iris and manual focus ring
• Canon native 1920 x 1080 CMOS image sensor
• Canon DIGIC DV III image processor
• Dynamic SuperRange OIS with powered IS

Panasonic AG-AC7 Shoulder Mount AVCHD Camcorder, 1920 x 1080 Resolution, 23x Intelligent / 16.8x Optical Zoom, 2.7 inch LCD Touchscreen, HDMI, USB 2.0
 
 Full HD 1920 x 1080 Recording: The AG-AC7 camcorder lets you shoot with Full HD picture quality (1920 x 1080 at 60i), allowing you to capture extremely fine details of the scenes and objects you're recording

• Professional Shoulder-Mount Design: The camcorder has a large hand grip with a large zoom lever mounted on top (helpful for smooth operation during low-angle shooting). The wide-diameter, easy-to-hold manual focus ring enables smooth, positive operation and quick, precise control over focus

Sony HXR-MC2000U - Camcorder - 1080i - 4.2 MP 12 x Optical Zoom

•   Wide angle professional quality Sony G Lens technology provides exceptional image fidelity

• 12x zoom: 2.8mm to 36.8mm provides wide angle of view (29.8mm in 35mm equivalent)
• 1/4" back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS sensor offers exceptional low-light sensitivity (3 lux)
• Quick AF system improves precise auto focus even in low light situations
• Full raster 1920 x 1080i AVCHD high definition recording at up to 24Mbps