which camera is best? Short documentary-animation

[Peter Stephenson]

I'm an animator venturing into the documentary world. I'm going to be
working with intellectually handicapped children to document an Art project.
There will be some under camera animation to be produced. The finished
project  will be in the 5-10 minute range (optimistic). Their budget is
going to be in the 1500 dollar canadian range for a camera, and I need to
come up with some options. I know you folks have strong opinions, what I'm
looking for most importantly are:

manual overrides: I would like to be able to control exposre, some color
(white balance) and I guess speed. but also takes great video when the
normal teachers are shooting  ( user friendly (ish) for the novice- somebody
most likely more focussed on his or her REAL job, but will be capturing day
to day life at the school - I can't be there all the time)

The camera will become property of the school after, so it must be as rugged
as possible, something that will need little or no servicing in the duration
of its life.

A still function: to create, obviously,  stills, of the highest quality

I've never done digital video at home, so my upgraded 8500 (g3, 300 mhz
256mg ram)  will need some bolstering -dv card maybe) and a lovely origional
bondi blue Imac (160 meg ram and the aherm, original hard drive- 6meg video
ram) although another school I'm working with has ice books in their rolling
lab - Which I may be able to "borrow" for downloading the video. I'm still
on OS 9, don't shoot- I'm on a real life budget- which means the money goes
to food on the table, not too much fancy equipment)

Other suggestions such as tape formats, editing packages and shooting tips
are greatly welcomed. I'm not a complete novice, having studied some video
in university (ten years ago...ahhhh where did the time go) and  having a
film major in animation, which is where I've been mainly working.

I've been a lurker for a while, So I know what you're capable of, what I'm
looking for are concrete, real life situations that back up your opinions. I
look forward to a lively discussion from you folks.

Peter Stephenson