Videocam becomes still cam?

I splurged and bought myself to a snazzy HD Canon videocam. I still figuring out how it works but it’s clearly a powerful little machine.

I need a new still cam soon. Ever since bouncing off some cobblestones in Rome, my beloved little Casio Xilim camera has been acting crazy. It had not occurred to me when I bought it, but should I simply use the new Canon for both video and stills?

This afternoon the rains stopped long enough for me to take my standard 25-minute walk through the North Berkeley neighborhood. I took the videocam along to take stills, for example:

Our humble house.

Meyer lemons on the tree out front.

We are directly across from the Golden Gate.

For you Jay-groupies, here’s a slideshow. Here are the pics. The colors are garish, but I assume there’s a way to tame that down. What do you think? Good enough to use as a primary cam? What’s been your experience in using a single cam for video and stills?

Yesterday I made a practice video to see how that works. This was impromptu, unscripted, low light, easy-mode recording. It’s not pro quality but in time, and with friends’ help, I should be able to create what I am looking for.